• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.139-146
• /
• 2012

Obese postmenopausal women increase their risk of developing breast cancer (BC), in particular if they display an android-type pattern of adiposity, which is also associated to increased risks of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. In order to explore the associations among anthropometry (body mass index, body composition, somatotype), some specific items of medical history (diabetes, hypertension, dislypidemias, hyperuricemia) and the risk of BC in Uruguayan women, a case-control study was carried out between 2004-2009 at our Oncology Unit. 912 women of ages between 23-69 years (367 new BC cases and 545 non hospitalized, age-matched controls with a normal mammography) were interviewed. Twenty body measurements were taken in order to calculate body composition and somatotype. Patients were queried on socio-demographics, reproductive history, family history of cancer, a brief food frequency questionnaire and on personal history of diabetes, dislypidemias, hyperuricemia, hypertension and gallbladder stones. Uni- and multivariate analyses were done, generating odds ratios (ORs) as an expression of relative risks. A personal history of diabetes was positively associated to BC risk (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.00-2.69), being higher among postmenopausal women (OR=1.92, 95% CI 1.04-3.52). The risks of BC for diabetes in postmenopausal women with overweight combined with dislypidemia (OR=9.33, 95% CI 2.10-41.5) and high fat/muscle ratio (OR=7.81, 95% CI 2.01-30.3) were significantly high. As a conclusion, a personal history of diabetes and overweight was strongly associated to BC. The studied sample had a subset of high-risk of BC featured by postmenopausal overweight and diabetic women, who also had a personal history of hypertension and/or dyslipidemia. The present results could contribute to define new high risk groups and individuals for primary as well as for secondary prevention, since this pattern linked to the metabolic syndrome is usually not considered for BC prevention.

• Journal of Korean Medical classics
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 2016

Objectives : Doctors are obviously one of the most interesting subject in medical history. Doctors are who treat patients and disease and the authors for medical records or books. Especially doctors in traditional medicine mostly tried to write medical books for new idea or their esperiences or leave their medical records for treatments, medication, prescription and so on. Therefore, many researchers have explained Korean or Chinese medical history of traditional society through those books or documents rather than doctors themselves. The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty has massive records for history, politics, society, culture, etc. Relating to medical history in traditional Korean medicine, there are ceveral researches about disease of King, disease itself, the methods of treatment and so on, through The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. However, there are few on activities of many doctors in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. Methods : I tried to find out the names who had some roles of medicine in The Annals of King Sejong out of The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty. I could get 35 doctors and browsed 35 doctors in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty again. Finally, I could have lots of articles from The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty related to 33 doctors(2 dontors had no records about medicine even they were doctors). Results : I categorized 2 ways of those articles; medical activities, non-medical activities. For medical activities, I got subcategories for medical activities; medical maltreatment, treatment for King, royal family, bureaucrat, ambassador. I also got subcategories for non-medical activities; publishing medical books, ambassador as a doctor, medical training, things related to hot spring, food therapist, veterinarian. Conclusions : Medical history of Joseon Dynasty in Korean medical history has somehow been recorded by medical books such as Hyangyakjipseongbang, Euibangyuchwi, Euilimchwalyo, Dongeuibogam, Jejungsinpyeon, Dongeuisusebowon, etc. So I have concerned that there are massive records on doctors activities in The Annals of the Joseon Dynasty and tried to focus on their various activities through this research.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.2595-2598
• /
• 2013

Background: Prostate cancer is common in elderly men, especially in western countries, and incidences are rising in low-risk populations as well. In India, the age-standardized rates vary between registries. Under these circumstances we have estimated the survival of prostate cancer patients based on age, family history, diabetes, hypertension, tobacco habit, clinical extent of disease (risk group) and treatment received. Materials and Methods: The present retrospective study was carried out at the Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, India. During years 1999-2002, some 850 prostate cancer cases, including 371 new cases, treated in TMH were considered as eligible entrants for the study. Five-year survival rates using actuarial and loss-adjusted (LAR) method were estimated. Results: The patient population was distributed uniformly over the three age groups. A larger proportion of the patients were diagnosed at 'metastatic stage' and hormone treatment was most common. 20% patients had history of diabetes and 40% with hypertension. The 5-year overall survival rate was 64%. Survival was 55%, 74% and 52% for '<59 years','60-69 years' and '>70 years' respectively. Non-diabetic (70%), hypertensive (74%), with family history (80%) of cancer, with localized-disease (91%) and treated with surgery, either alone or in combination, (91%) had better survival. Conclusions: The present study showed that prostate cancer patients with localized disease at diagnosis experience a better outcome. Local treatment with either surgery or radiation achieves a reasonable outcome in prostate cancer patients. A detailed study will help in understanding the prognostic indicators for survival especially with the newer treatment technologies available now.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.47 no.1
• /
• pp.36-46
• /
• 2014

Objectives: To evaluate the association between fracture risk and levothyroxine use in elderly women with hypothyroidism, according to previous osteoporosis history. Methods: We conducted a cohort study from the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service claims database from January 2005 to June 2006. The study population comprised women aged ${\geq}65$ years who had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and prescribed levothyroxine monotherapy. We excluded patients who met any of the following criteria: previous fracture history, hyperthyroidism, thyroid cancer, or pituitary disorder; low levothyroxine adherence; or a follow-up period <90 days. We categorized the daily levothyroxine doses into 4 groups: ${\leq}50{\mu}g/d$, 51 to $100{\mu}g/d$, 101 to $150{\mu}g/d$, and > $150{\mu}g/d$. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated with the Cox proportional hazard model, and subgroup analyses were performed according to the osteoporosis history and osteoporosis-specific drug prescription status. Results: Among 11 155 cohort participants, 35.6% had previous histories of osteoporosis. The adjusted HR of fracture for the > $150{\mu}g/d$ group, compared with the 51 to $100{\mu}g/d$ group, was 1.56 (95% CI, 1.03 to 2.37) in osteoporosis subgroup. In the highly probable osteoporosis subgroup, restricted to patients who were concurrently prescribed osteoporosis-specific drugs, the adjusted HR of fracture for the > $150{\mu}g/d$ group, compared with the 51 to 100 ${\mu}g/d$ group, was 1.93 (95% CI, 1.14 to 3.26). Conclusions: While further studies are needed, physicians should be concerned about potential levothyroxine overtreatment in elderly osteoporosis patients.

• Journal of architectural history
• /
• v.2 no.1 s.3
• /
• pp.9-24
• /
• 1993

The objective of this study is to describe more positively and concretely the entity of traditional village through the quantitative and scientific analysis process using positive data. Dan-Gye, a traditional village in San-Cheong, has been populated since more than 500 years ago because of its ideal conditions for settlement. In this study, the fluctuations on the numbers of households in Dan-Gye were analyzed from the first settlement era to the present, and the transformations of housing sites and roads since 1913 were also analyzed. The results are as follows. 1) The village Dan-Gye has a history of more than 500 years, and the first inhabitants were the Ryus. As time went by, the Ryus' power became weak gradually, but the powers of the Kwons and the Parks who had flowed later into this village became prosperous to make up a prominent family village in the late period of Cho-Sun dynasty. Such powers had reached the peak in the early period of Japanese occupation, and although the powers became weak gradually after that time, those two families have overwhelmed other families in population and possession of large houses until now. But as the confucianism in every-day life fell off and the inhabitants moved to cities, the existence of a family community became meaningless. 2) The Kwons and the Parks have possessed the large parts of the village's housing sites. As time went by, the sites have been divided and fields have been changed to housing sites for the increasing families, and such division and change have been made chiefly on perimeter areas. 3) The characteristics of the road in Dan-Gye where traditional roads existed began to be destroyed by Japanese construction of new roads, and such destruction has continued due to the bank construction after a flood and the road constructions after 1970s.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.2 s.62
• /
• pp.25-31
• /
• 2005

Objectives: This study was designed to assess traditional Korean medical therapy for urticaria and establish a clinical assessment guideline. Methods: Duration of symptoms, personal and family history of allergic diseases, serum IgE level, suspected causes and Provocation factors were investigated in 56 patients. Frequency of wheals, duration of wheals, number of wheals, itch severity and antihistamine counts on a 6-point (0-5) scale were assessed in 34 patients. The change of total scores and each criterion between baseline and follow up were analyzed using paired t-test (p<0.05). Results: 1. Acute urticaria within 6 weeks was $26.8\%$ and chronic urticaria over 6 weeks was $73.2\%$. The mean duration of symptoms was $19.2\pm38.8$ months. 2. $57.1\%$ of patients had a personal history of allergic diseases and $50\%$had a family history. $29.1\%$ had over 200 IU/mL serum IgE level. 3. The suspected causes were none $(39.3\%)$, foods $(32.1\%)$, drugs $(12.5\%)$, contact $(5.4\%)$ and maternity$(5.4\%)$. 4. The suspected provocation factors were foods $(41.1\%)$, none $(26.8\%)$, fatigue $(12.5\%)$, heat and sweating $(12.5\%)$, pressure $(10,7\%)$ and stress $(7.1\%)$. 5. The total scores between baseline and follow up of 34 patients were lowered from $15.38^{\circ}\;{\ae}3.75\;to\;8.82^{\circ}\;{\ae}5.21$, which was significant statistically (p=0.000). 6. Itch severity, frequency of wheals and number of wheals were the most significantly lowered of all criteria. Conclusions: Traditional Korean medical therapy was proven to be effective for urticaria, while itch severity, frequency of wheals and number of wheals should be assessed clinically with greater priority.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.2879-2886
• /
• 2012

In order to thoroughly analyze risk factors of breast cancer (BC) in premenopausal Uruguayan women, a case-control study was carried out at the Pereira Rossell Women's Hospital, Montevideo, where 253 incident BC cases and 497 frequency-matched healthy controls were interviewed on menstrual and reproductive story, were administered a short food frequency questionnaire and undertook a series of body measurements necessary to calculate body composition and somatotype. Odds ratio (OR) coefficients were taken as estimates of relative risk derived from unconditional logistic regression. Among the classical risk factors, only the family history of BC in first degree relatives was significantly associated with risk of premenopausal BC (OR=2.20, 95% CI 1.33-3.62). Interestingly, this risk factor was found to be stronger in women of ages >40 (OR=4.05, 95% CI 2.10-7.81), late menarche (OR= 2.39, 95% CI 1.18-4.85), early age for their first delivery (OR=3.02, 95% CI 1.26-7.22), short time between menarche and first delivery (OR=3.22, 95% CI 1.29-8.07), and with high parity (OR=4.10, 95% CI 1.79-9.36), although heterogeneity was detected only for age and parity. High consumption of red meat was positively associated with the disease risk (OR=2.20, 95% CI 1.35-3.60), in the same way as fried foods (OR=1.79, 95% CI 1.12-2.84). Conversely, a high intake of plant foods displayed a protective effect (OR=0.41, 95% CI 0.26-0.65). Except for hypertension (OR=1.55, 95% CI 1.03-2.35), none of the analyzed components of metabolic syndrome were associated to BC risk. Particular increases of risk for premenopausal BC were found for family history in first degree relatives in certain subsets derived from the menstrual-reproductive history. Preventive strategies could broaden their scope if new studies confirm the present results, in view of the limited prevention measures that premenopausal BC currently has.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
• /
• v.28 no.5
• /
• pp.167-181
• /
• 2010

This research was designed to explore the meaning of housing among Korean Chinese in Harbin, China. In particular, the meaning of housing was examined by using the pathway approach. Utilizing qualitative research methods, this study administered the in-depth interview on the oral history of an individual life, and the 5 elderly persons in their 60s and 70s participated in the individualized interviews that were conducted from May 28 to 31 in 2010. The main findings of meaning of housing were as follows; 1. Similarly to the meaning of housing in 1970s and 1980s in Korea, house was viewed as both a shelter for family members and relatives and a place for their comfort. 2. Prior to multi-story residences, Harbin had only 3 different forms of single-story houses available; Chinese style with Kang and soil room(地室), Korean style with 'Ondol', and Russian style with open floor and Pechka, The promotion at work enabled participants to move to multi-story residences, their moving time varied from 1970 to 1991, and the residential moving determined their current housing status. 3. Multi-story residences were available around 1970s, floor-heating system was introduced from 1990s, and high-rise apartments were built from 1998. Korean Chinese(朝鮮族) weren't satisfied with the spatial composition of individual units embedded into the Chinese culture, especially, entrance, kitchen, bathroom and veranda. 4. Based on assimilation through socialism, adaptation to socialist society and capitalist acculturation, the lifestyles of the interviewees were categorized into five types - capitalist-proactive(Ms. KS), socialist-pragmatic(Ms. J), socialist-inducive(Ms. KY), family centered-conservative(Ms. L), and socialist-adaptive(Ms. P). This study implies that housing-related services for Korean Chinese are necessarily provided so as to embrace their life style and cultural identity in housing design, and further studies need to be explored.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.12
• /
• pp.4927-4935
• /
• 2015

Northeastern India is a major nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) high risk-area although the rest of the country has very low incidence. A case-control study of 105 NPC cases and 115 controls was conducted to identify the potential risk factors for NPC development in this region. Information was collected by interviewer about socio-demographic characteristics, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary history, occupational history, and a family history of cancer. Epstein-Barr viral load was assayed from the blood DNA by real time PCR. Associations between GSTs genotypes, cytochrome P450 family including CYP1A1, CYP2E1 and CYP2A6 polymorphisms and susceptibility to relationship between the diseases were studied using PCR-RFLP assay. Results indicate that Epstein-Barr virus load was significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p<0.0001). Furthermore, concentration of blood EBV-DNA was significantly higher in advanced stage disease (Stage III and IV) than in early stage disease (Stage I and II) (p<0.05). Presence of CYP2A6 variants that reduced the enzyme activity was significantly less frequent in cases than controls. Smoked meat consumption, exposure to smoke, living in poorly ventilated house and alcohol consumption were associated with NPC development among the population of Northeastern India. Thus, overall our study revealed that EBV viral load and genetic polymorphism of CYP2A6 along with living practices which include smoked meat consumption, exposure to smoke, living in poorly ventilated houses and alcohol consumption are the potential risk factors of NPC in north eastern region of India. Understanding of the risk factors and their role in the etiology of NPC are helpful forpreventive measures and screening.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.329-332
• /
• 2012

Background Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie is a congenital anomaly characterized by an abnormally short lingual frenum. Its prevalence in the newborn population is approximately 4%. Its mode of inheritance has been studied in some articles, but no conclusion has been established. Also, no relevant report has been published in Korea. This study was conducted to elucidate the genetic inheritance of ankyloglossia via pedigree analysis. Methods In this study, 149 patients with no other congenital anomaly who underwent frenuloplasty between March 2001 and March 2010 were studied. Pedigrees were made via pre- or post-operative history taking, and patients with uncertain histories were excluded. In the patient group that showed a hereditary nature, the male-to-female ratio, inheritance rate, and pattern of inheritance were investigated. Results One hundred (67.11%) of the patients were male and 49 (32.89%) were female (male-female ratio=2.04:1). Ninety-one (61.07%) patients reported no other relative with ankyloglossia, and 58 (38.93%) patients had a relative with this disease. The inheritance rate was 20.69% in the 58 cases with a hereditary nature. In the group with no family history of ankyloglossia, the male-female ratio was 3.79:1, which significantly differed from that of the group with a family history of ankyloglossia. X-chromosome mediated inheritance and variation in the gene expression was revealed in the pedigree drawn for the groups with hereditary ankyloglossia. Conclusions Ankyloglossia has a significant hereditary nature. Our data suggest X-linked inheritance. This study with 149 patients, the first in Korea, showed X-linked inheritance in patients with a sole anomaly.