• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.273-278
• /
• 2006

Objectives : Biochemical markers can provide an objective evidence of heavy alcohol drinking. The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the usefulness of biological markers detecting alcohol dependence, such as mean corpuscular volume(MCV), gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT), and carbohydrate-deficient transferrin(CDT) in the patients of an alcohol counseling center. Methods : This study was done with 64 patients with alcohol dependence and 36 healthy subjects. Relative values(%) of CDT were determined in their sera with turbidimetric immunoassay(Bio-Rad %CDT assay, Axis-Shield ASA, Oslo, Norway), and were compared with conventional markers of alcohol consumption, GGT and MCV. Results : Among the patients with alcohol dependence, 78.1% showed abnormal %CDT levels compared with GGT(61.9%) and MCV(20.7%). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves(95% confidence interval) for %CDT, GGT, and MCV were 0.934(0.866-0.973), 0.871(0.789-0.930), and 0.575 (0.472-0.673), respectively. Conclusion : %CDT seems to be the most reliable biological marker for the detection and monitoring of alcohol consumption in the patients with alcohol dependence of the alcohol counseling center.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.479-484
• /
• 2009

This study investigated the characteristics of baking bread and cookies supplemented with taurine and the effect of taurine addition on BAC(blood alcohol concentrations) and UAC(urine alcohol concentrations). Healthy male college students were divided into two groups, the control and the taurine group. Bread was baked with the addition of 0, 2, 4 and 6% taurine and baked with the addition 0, 3 and 6% taurine. The bread containing 2% taurine showed the fastest fermentation among the 4 groups. Fermentation and oven-spring of breads baked with a taurine concentration greater than 4% of taurine disturbed. In some areas of the sensory test, the taurine supplemented bread had higher scores than the control bread. We served 6 g of taurine supplemented cookies with 1,000 $m{\ell}$ of beer to 8 students in the taurine group. After 2 hours of drinking beer, the BAC and UAC of the taurine group were found to be lower than the control group. But no difference was found in the alcohol excretion of their urine. From this study we concluded that the taurine has an effect on the detoxication of alcohol, which reduces the BAC.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.107-116
• /
• 2006

Delirium Tremens is the most terrible and dramatic syndrome in Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. Delirium Tremens is one of acute psychiatric symptoms and happens that a chronic drinker is suddenly off drinking for any reasons. In Oriental medicine, Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome is comprised in a category of Jusang(酒傷). In this case, we described a 53-year old man who diagnosed as Delirium tremens. He suffered mental derangement and headache, and his condition was improved through oriental medical treatment.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.14 no.8
• /
• pp.3858-3865
• /
• 2013

This study was performed to examine the impact on the health behaviors of the children by their parents' drinking behaviors. We used the data from a community health survey in 2009. The subjects were selected the household that had a child older than 19, and then among them, chose those 916 parents of highly risky drinking exposition among 16,383 control parents. The collected data was analyzed by frequency, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis, using SPSS 18.0k program. Parent's high risk drinking behavior was independently associated with children's high risk drinking behavior after adjusting covariates(p<0.01). According to the result of the study, high risk drinking behavior of parents impact highly on the children's high risk alcohol drinking, nutritional behaviors, influenza vaccination, and tooth brushing, so it's necessary to consider a systematic family health education to the high risk drinkers.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.39-56
• /
• 2006

Objectives: To investigate the drinking and smoking habits among the community residents of a city. Methods: We surveyed 1.973 adults from October 1, 2005 to November 16, 2005. The data collected on alcohol drinking habits involved frequency, age of initiation, amount of alcohol consumed, number of attempts to reduce consumption and reasons for reducing it. The data collected on smoking habits involved amount, age of initiation, duration, situations, and the number of attempts to quit smoking. These were analyzed with frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, $x^2$-test, t-test and ANOVA. Results: The rate of drinking was 67.4%; 83.1% among males, and 52.5%among females. Among all drinkers, the largest group (29.8%) drank once or twice a week. The mean age of initiation was 21.2 years; 19.9 among males, and 22.8 among females. The average consumed amount was 5.8 glasses; males consumed 7.4 glasses, and females 3.3 glasses. The consumption was the highest among those in fifties. The rate of attempts to reduce drinking was 33.4%, mainly for health reasons. The rate of smoking was 38.0%; 72.4% among males, and 5.5% among females. Among all smokers, the largest group (44.1%) smoked between 11 and 20 cigarettes per day. The mean of the age of initiation was 20.7 years; 20.3 among males, 25.6 among females. The mean smoking duration was 20.9 years; 21.3 years among males, and 16.2 years among females. The main reason for the initial attempt was curiosity. The most common situation for smoking was after dinner. The rate of attempts to quit smoking was 77.1%, mainly out of concern for one's health. Alcohol consumption among smokers was higher than among any other group of nonsmokers. Also, the age of drinking initiation among smokers was lower than among any other group of nonsmokers. Conclusion: This study highlighted the actual data on drinking and smoking habits among community residents. The study can be utilized for creating programs aiming at reducing the consumption of alcohol and tobacco or stopping it altogether. Therefore, it is now possible to assess the indicators for interventions in each population group. Finally, the groups of heavy drinkers and smokers are expected to be given priority for intervention program.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.5-11
• /
• 2017

The use of alcohol is associated with the development and worsening of sleep disorder. Alcohol is generally known to have a sedative effect, but it has an arousal or sedative effect depending on the timing and drinking dose and directly affects REM sleep physiology. Alcohol acts on the central nervous system (CNS) to interfere with the sleep-wake cycle and to affect sleep-related hormone secretion. In addition, the ingestion of alcohol pre-sleep is associated with deterioration and development of sleep related breathing disorders (SBD). The increase in resistance of the upper respiratory tract and the decrease in sensitivity of the CNS respiratory center and the respiratory muscles are major mechanisms of alcohol-induced SBD, and result in snoring or apnea in healthy men or aggravating apnea in patients with OSA. Sleep-related restless leg syndrome and circadian rhythm disorders are common in alcohol use disorder patients. This review provides an assessment of scientific studies that investigated on the impact of alcohol ingestion on nocturnal sleep physiology and sleep disorders.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.334-339
• /
• 2017

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Telomere length is a useful biomarker for determining general aging status. Some studies have reported an association between alcohol consumption and telomere length in a general population; however, it is unclear whether the alcohol flush reaction, which is an alcohol-related trait predominantly due to acetaldehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, is associated with telomere length. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the associations of alcohol consumption and alcohol flush reaction with leukocyte telomere length (LTL). SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study included 1,803 Korean adults. Participants provided blood specimens for LTL measurement assay and reported their alcohol drinking status and the presence of an alcohol flush reaction via a questionnaire-based interview. Relative LTL was determined by using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis used multiple linear regression models stratified by sex and age groups, and potential confounding factors were considered. RESULTS: Age-specific analyses showed that heavy alcohol consumption (> 30 g/day) was strongly associated with a reduced LTL in participants aged ${\geq}65years$ (P < 0.001) but not in younger participants. Similarly, the alcohol flush reaction was associated with a reduced LTL only in older participants who consumed > 15 g/day of alcohol (P < 0.01). No significant alcohol consumption or alcohol flush reaction associations with LTL were observed in the sex-specific analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that older alcohol drinkers, particularly those with the alcohol flush reaction, may have an accelerated aging process.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.415-420
• /
• 1999

Objectives: We investigated the effects of changes in obesity and life style factors, such as cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise, on the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol among Korean men. Methods: This study included 7,205 healthy male employees in the steel manufacturing industry. Each subject underwent health examination in 1994 and was re-examined in 1997. The study subjects were classified into four categories, according to changes in body mass index (BMI) (loss; stable; mild gain: severe gain), cigarette smoking (quitter; nor-smoker; smoker continued; smoker started), alcohol drinking (quitter; non-drinker; drinker continued; drinker started) and exercise (more exercise; continuous regular exercise; continuous irregular or no exercise; less exercise), respectively. We evaluated the relationship between the categories of change in those independent variables and the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol, adjusted for BMI in 1994 and age by analysis of variance. Results: The change in systolic blood pressure was positively associated with the changes in BMI (p<0.001) and drinking (p=0,001), but negatively with smoking (p=0,004), compared to the first category of each independent variables. The systolic blood pressure was significantly less increased in the continuous smoking group than quitter or hon-smoker. The changes in diastolic blood pressure and serum cholesterol appeared to have statistically significant linear relationships only with the change in BMI. The change in exercise showed a marginal significance with diastolic blood pressure (p=0.088). Conclusions: These prospective data emphasize the importance of obesity as a determinant of the changes in blood pressure and serum cholesterol. In addition, the changes in smoking and drinking habits can affect systolic blood pressure.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.371-379
• /
• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the differences and the influencing factors of health habits such as smoking, drinking, and exercise on job stress among IT workers. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to total of 300 people (30 persons per business place) at 10 IT work sites performing computer and information system tasks, and 275 data points were analyzed. The survey items were general characteristics, occupational characteristics, employment type, physical burden, amount of drinking, smoking, exercise, and job stress. Results: The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, non-regular workers showed higher smoking, exercise, and job stress than did regular workers by employment type, but exercise was not significant. Regular workers had a higher rate of drinking than non-regular workers. Second, the factors affecting alcohol drinking were gender and age, and factors affecting smoking were gender and employment type. Third, factors affecting job stress were annual income, long working hours, physical burden, and employment type. Conclusions: It is necessary to consider employment patterns in smoking, drinking, and job stress management. In addition, it is necessary to deeply analyze what affects the health behaviors and job stress of IT workers and explore ways to mitigate them.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
• /
• v.14 no.6
• /
• pp.951-959
• /
• 2014

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to find out the fear of dentist care, subjective recognition of dental health, and quality of life in the male high school students and to analyze the influencing factors on dental health care. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 243 special high-school in Deagu province from March 3 to March 14, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of general characteristics of the subjects(5 questions), subjective recognition of health and activities to improve health(6 questions), dental fear(20 questions), oral health related quality of life(16 questions). The instrument for dental fear was adapted from measured by Berggren Dental Fear Survey(DFS). A total of 20 DFS questions included treatment avoidance(8 questions), stimulus reaction(6 questions), and physiological reaction(5 questions) and score by Likert 5 scale. Cronbach alpha was 0.974 in the study. Oral health related quality of life was measured by 16 questions of CPQ11-14 for the adolescents by Lau. CPQ11-14 consisted of oral symptoms(4 questions), functional restriction(4 questions), and emotional wellbeing(4 questions). The instrument was score by Likert 5 scale and Cronbach alpha was 0.9354 in the study. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program for ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Results: Fear of dentist care showed significant differences in treatment avoidance factor(p<0.001), stimulus reaction factor (p<0.05), and physiological reaction factor(p<0.001). The factors depended on subjective recognition of health and health-improving activities and differences in treatment avoidance factor(p<0.05) and physiological reaction factor(p<0.01). The dental symptoms factors showed significant differences in health recognition(p<0.001), interest in health(p<0.001), alcohol drinking status(p<0.001) and regular meal(p<0.001). While function limit factors showed differences in health recognition (p<0.001), interest in health(p<0.001), smoking(p<0.001), alcohol drinking(p<0.001) and regular meal(p<0.001). Mental and social stabilities factors showed significant differences in health recognition(p<0.001), interest in health(p<0.001) and alcohol drinking status(p<0.001). Among the factors influencing on the quality of life in dental health, interest in health(p<0.005), alcohol drinking(p<0.005) and physiological reaction in the midst of fear of dentist care(p<0.001) were the significant impact factor. Conclusions: It is necessary to develop a continuous and systematical program of dental health and dental care by experts so that the students can reduce the fear of dentist care by regular dental checkup and preventive treatment and care.