• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.103-108
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• 2013

Objectives : Korea's average life expectancy is getting longer and longer and the pace of change in society has increased every year as people experience stress more easily. Under this situation, chronic sleep disorder is increasing, but there is no specific program for the treatment of sleep disorder in Korean medicine. Therefore, we studied a Korean medical treatment program for sleep disorder to apply to outpatient clinic patients. Methods : For this study, we evaluated the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), BDI, STAI, FSS on 29 insomnia patients who visited Kyunghee Korean medical hospital from July 2010 to May 2012. Herbal medicine, acupuncture, herbal acupuncture, moxibustion, sleep hygiene, and medical qigong were applied. We compared ISI scores before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results : ISI score was improved after Korean medical treatment for sleep disorder. Before the treatment ISI score was 18.1, which means clinical insomnia. After the Korean medical treatment, the score was 7.5, which means no clinically significant insomnia. Conclusions : The study showed a significant effect on the Korean medical treatment program for sleep disorder to apply to outpatient clinic patients. ISI score was improved and the patients were satisfied with the treatment, so it would be more helpful to apply in sleep clinics.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate preliminarily for development of the Korean medicine clinical practice guideline (CPG) for pancreatic cancer through the analysis of existing CPGs. Methods: Through searching the medical database such as Pubmed, SCOPUS, CNKI, Google Scholar, etc. The global CPGs within recent three years were collected and analyzed. In particular, recommendations related to the Korean medicine or Chinese medicine were made primarily in the Guidelines of Diagnosis and Therapy in Oncology with Traditional Chinese Medicine. Results: The six CPGs were mentioned in this study. The academic societies and organizations developing the CPGs were located in China, Japan, Europe and America. The contents of the CPGs were the clinical questions and statements, surgical therapy, adjuvant therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, palliative medicine, risk assessment, palliation and supportive care, follow-up and recurrence, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging. In the Guidelines of Diagnosis and Therapy in Oncology with Traditional Chinese Medicine, the etiology, mechanisms, herbal drugs, Chinese medicine assessment, complication, syndrome differentiation (SD), Chinese medicine treatment were described. Conclusions: In order to develop the proper Korean medicine CPG for pancreatic cancer and to adapt the correct integrative treatment program on the pancreatic cancer, institutional arrangements for cooperation with Korean medical communities and standardization of SD should be performed.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.303-313
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• 2024

Introduction: We describe the effects of Sosiho-tang decoction and insulin combination therapy, as well as the effect of integrated traditional Korean medicine therapy, using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in a diabetic patient complaining of a range of diabetic symptoms. Case report: A 24-year-old female presented with symptoms of diabetes, including weight loss, thirst, and polyuria, and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes through blood tests, endocrine tests, and autoantibody tests. During hospitalization, the patient received insulin therapy and Sosiho-tang decoction concurrently, achieving normal blood glucose levels. After discharge, adhering to the Sosiho-tang decoction and CGM enabled the insulin dosage to be gradually reduced while maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Conclusion: Combination therapy with insulin and Sosiho-tang rapidly reduced hyperglycemia in the short term. CGM post-discharge allowed for observation of the patient's blood glucose levels. Ultimately, Sosiho-tang medication lowered blood glucose levels, reduced insulin requirements, and facilitated a reduction in the insulin dosage.

• Integrative Medicine Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2014

Background: Medically unexplained symptoms (MUSs) are common in primary care. Atpresent, there are no proven, comprehensive treatments available in primary care forpatients with MUSs. However, MUS has parallels with "subhealth" or Mibyeong from tradi-tional East-Asian medicine, and thus, Mibyeong interventions could be effective in treatingMUS. Unfortunately, studies on Mibyeong and its intervention methods are relatively rare.Methods: We administered a web-based survey to 17,279 Korean medicine (KM) practitionersregistered with the Association of Korean Medicine. The response rate was 4.9% (n = 849).Based on the responses received, we assessed how much they agreed with concepts relatedto Mibyeong on a 7-point scale from "do not agree" to "strongly agree." Respondents werealso asked to indicate how frequently they encountered various subtypes and patterns ofMibyeong, and how frequently they use listed intervention methods.Results: Data from 818 respondents were analyzed after excluding those with no clinicalexperience. On average, respondents were male general practitioners aged between 30 yearsand 49 years, working or living in metropolitan areas such as Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do. Responses did not differ by demographics. Respondents generally thought that Mibyeongreferred to subjective or borderline findings without certain disease, and that Mibyeong hasvarious subtypes and patterns. Subtypes included fatigue, pain, and digestion problems; pat-terns were either deficiencies (e.g., qi, blood, and yin deficiency) or stagnations (e.g., liver qidepression and qi stagnation). Decoction was the most frequently used type of interventionfor Mibyeong of all items listed, followed by acupuncture and moxibustion. Patient educa-tion was also recommended, suggesting healthy eating, promoting healthy environment,and exercise.Conclusion: We were able to provide preliminary results on KM practitioners' recognition ofand interventions for Mibyeong, but further research is needed to develop a detailed defi-nition of Mibyeong and its myriad subtypes and patterns, and evaluations of the efficacy ofMibyeong interventions.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.36-41
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• 2018

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitis predominately affecting infants and children. The dominant incidence age of KD is from 6 months to 5 years of age, and the incidence is unusual in those younger than 6 months and older than 5 years of age. We tried to identify genetic variants specifically associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months or older than 5 years of age. We performed an age-stratified genome-wide association study using the Illumina HumanOmni1-Quad BeadChip data (296 cases vs. 1,000 controls) and a replication study (1,360 cases vs. 3,553 controls) in the Korean population. Among 26 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested in replication study, only a rare nonsynonymous SNP (rs4365796: c.1106C>T, p.Thr369Met) in the lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1) gene was very significantly associated with KD in patients younger than 6 months of age (odds ratio [OR], 3.07; $p_{combined}=1.10{\times}10^{-5}$), whereas no association of the same SNP was observed in any other age group of KD patients. The same SNP (rs4365796) in the LEF1 gene showed the same direction of risk effect in Japanese KD patients younger than 6 months of age, although the effect was not statistically significant (OR, 1.42; p = 0.397). This result indicates that the LEF1 gene may play an important role as a susceptibility gene specifically affecting KD patients younger than 6 months of age.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.99-114
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• 2023

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to determine factors that affect the quality of life (QoL) of people with diabetes. We hope to provide a basis for intervention strategies for health promotion and related research among patients with diabetes in the field of physical therapy. Methods : We selected individuals diagnosed with diabetes who were aged 19 years or higher by using data from the 2019 Korean Health Panel survey and analyzed the results of 1,527 people. The influencing factors were sex, age, household income, marital status, age, education level, subjective health status, body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, regular exercise, experience of depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts, stress, and frequency of walking (days/week). Frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were performed. Results : The EQ-5D score for QoL was .87 ± .12, with pain and discomfort being the most detrimental to the QoL of people with diabetes. In terms of patients characteristics, the QoL was lower among participants who were female, older, and separated/widowed/divorced; had an education level below middle school; had a poor subjective health status; were non-smokers and drinkers; and did not walk and exercise regularly, experienced a lot of stress, and experienced depression and anxiety; and had suicidal thoughts (p<.001). Being separated/bereaved/divorced; experiencing a lot of stress, depression, and anxiety; and having suicidal thoughts were negatively associated with QoL in people with diabetes (p<.01). On the other hand, age of 65 years or younger; graduation from high school, fair or better subjective health, regular exercise and alcohol consumption, and walking (days/week) were positively associated with QoL (p<.05). Conclusion : Regarding the QoL of patients with diabetes, intervention strategies should be formulated by considering general characteristics and disease-related characteristics. Among the various factors affecting QoL, the number of walking and regular exercise were found to be the factors that improved the QoL of patients with diabetes. These results can be used as a basis for the education and management of patients with diabetes in the field of physical therapy.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.205-226
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• 2021

Objectives: Biomonitoring programs have been widely implemented in the field of environmental health, both in Korea and worldwide. Recently, it has been suggested that the storage, management, and utilization of biosamples collected from biomonitoring programs should be organized based on a biobank system. Therefore, we attempted to review the current status of representative biomonitoring programs and biobank systems that have been implemented in Korea and in other countries. Methods: We searched for bio-samples collected in domestic and foreign biomonitoring programs and their applications. For this, we referred to research papers, homepages hosted by biomonitoring programs, and project reports. We also checked information for biobanks related with biomonitoring programs, including the operating systems, facilities, technologies, and regulations of biobanks. Results: We summarized six domestic and 32 foreign biomonitoring programs. These biomonitoring programs collected bio-samples to determine the relationship between environmental chemicals and diseases. Domestically, bio-samples from KoNEHS, KorSEP, MOCEH, KoCHENS, and KorEHS-C were stored at -80℃ in a deep freezer at the National Institute of Environmental Research, while KNHANES samples were stored at Korea Biobank, which has a stabilized biobanking system with a well-established database. Nine foreign biomonitoring programs (JECS, China-NHBP, CKB, CHMS, NHANES, GerES, Germaan ESB, MoBa, and UK Biobank) were ongoing for large populations. Among them, CKB, GermanESB, and UK biobank have been maintained for at least 10 years with their own biomonitoring programs as well as advanced systems for the safe storage of bio-samples. Conclusion: Currently on-going biobanks have devoted considerable efforts to managing bio-samples for public purposes. The preceding domestic and foreign biomonitoring programs and biobanks will be great references for constructing biobank facilities and systems for environmental public health in Korea in the future.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.171-180
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• 2015

Donguibogam's views on human life provide us with insight into suicide prevention by perceiving life as priceless. In addition to the approaches of modern medicine, we can employ 'mentally and physically integrative treatment' and 'prevention-based treatment' from Korean medicine as a therapeutic point of view. We can also employ 'I-Jeong-Byeon-Gi Therapy' and 'Oh-Ji-Sang-Seung Therapy' as therapeutic methods. In this paper, we consider these approaches and clinical adaptations for suicide prevention from the perspectives of Korean medicine.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.107-117
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• 2024

The objective of this study is to report the clinical effects of applying an integrated rehabilitation protocol to four patients with traumatic cervical spinal cord injuries. The treatments applied included acupuncture, cupping and moxibustion, chuna manual therapy, functional electrical stimulation, and other physical therapies. The evaluation methods included American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale, functional independence measure (FIM), modified Barthel index (MBI), numeric rating scale (NRS) and other scales. All patients presented marked improvements in FIM, MBI, NRS and other scales, along with increased muscle strength in the manual muscle test. The application of our protocol resulted in clear clinical benefits and enhanced the recovery and quality of life for the patients in this study.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 2016

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate the real status of the utilization of Korean medicine (KM) treatment among children with cerebral palsy (CP). Methods : In a prospective observational multicenter study for children with CP aged from 6 months to 78 months, we analyzed 69 questionnaires of children currently receiving or have received KM treatment such as acupuncture and Korean herbal medicine for CP. Results : Of all the 170 participants, 32 children was currently getting KM treatment and they were getting acupuncture therapy 2.5 times per week on average. The mean expenditure per month for acupuncture and herbal medicine was respectively 32,000won and 501,000won. 37 children have discontinued KM treatment. The most frequent reason for quitting acupuncture therapy was 'inconvenience' (40.7%), followed by 'suffering of children' (33.3%). The average duration of taking Korean herbal medicine was 3.78 months and the highest reason of stopping medicine was 'rejection of children' (32.3%), followed by the 'cost burden' (22.6%). 75% of currently KM using group answered they have experienced positive effect of KM and the rate was 48.6% among the group who have ceased KM. There was a significant difference between the two groups(p=0.025). Conclusions : Further study will be required to increase the therapeutic effect and utilization of KM among the children with CP. More efforts should be made to develop less invasive acupuncture method and various shape of KM herbal medicine and to expand the insurance coverage of KM for children with CP.