• The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology and Dermatology
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.99-114
• /
• 2020

Objectives : To investigate treatment approaches of psoriasis, and to provide universal and holistic standards to assist in optimizing patient care and future research. Methods : Review articles of psoriasis regarding pathophysiology, risk factor or treatment were searched from Pubmed (January 2016 to June 2020). Treatment approaches were investigated based on the searched articles. Additional data collecting was done for further discussion by searching Pubmed and Google scholar with keywords relevant to the approaches, and the relevant references of articles retrieved were manually inspected to be included. Results : Modalities to directly regulate the relevant helper T cell or inflammatory cytokines can constitute the treatment approaches of psoriasis. Modalities to treat gastrointestinal tract inflammation, to correct metabolic syndrome and to improve epidermal lipid abnormality via whole body lipid metabolism can also constitute the treatment approaches of psoriasis. Probable adverse effects of long term use of western medication should be addressed carefully, and alleviating the hazards of western medication can be a treatment approach of psoriasis. Conclusion : Treatment of psoriasis should take account of systemic aspects such as gastrointestinal tract and lipid metabolism. Treatment approaches of psoriasis established on the pathophysiological basis can serve as universal standards.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.121-126
• /
• 2007

Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In our case study using animal models for disease states such as obesity or hypertension, we found that, Isaria sinclairii remarkably reduced body weight and ameliorated metabolic abnormalities in Zucker and SHR rats. Genetically obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were one animal model chosen for this study. Four groups of rats received a standard diet and were treated orally with the following test samples daily for 8 weeks: saline (negative control), ethanol extracts of I. sinclairii, hot water extract of I. sinclairii, or $Xenical^{(R)}$ (30 mg/kg, positive control). Mild reductions (6.3%) in body weight gain were observed in the groups treated with the hot water extract of I. sinclairii compared to the control after 8 weeks. Interestingly, organ weight was greatly reduced by this Dongchunghacho (I. sinclairii), in parallel with the mild reductions in body weight gain and reductions in abdominal fat (adipose tissue). Also observed was a 4.1 % decrease in the ratio of heart weight/body weight compared to the control group. As a hypertensive animal model, SHR (spontaneously hypertensive rat) and WKY (Wistar Kyoto) rats were also administered these extracts for one month. Treatment with the hot water extract of I. sinclairii caused greater reductions in body weight gain for the SHR group (10.9%) compared to the WKY group's (5.2%). Based on these results, I. sinclairii extracts contain selective action for anti-obesity activity, naturally occurring candidate for regulation of body weight increase, as demonstrated in the present study.

• Clinical Nutrition Research
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.199-217
• /
• 2023

People with higher genetic predisposition to obesity are more susceptible to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and healthy plant-based foods may be associated with reduced risks of obesity and other metabolic markers. We investigated whether healthy plant-foods-rich dietary patterns might have inverse associations with cardiometabolic risk factors in participants at genetically elevated risk of obesity. For this cross-sectional study, 377 obese and overweight women were chosen from health centers in Tehran, Iran. We calculated a healthy plant-based diet index (h-PDI) in which healthy plant foods received positive scores, and unhealthy plant and animal foods received reversed scores. A genetic risk score (GRS) was developed based on 3 polymorphisms. The interaction between GRS and h-PDI on cardiometabolic traits was analyzed using a generalized linear model (GLM). We found significant interactions between GRS and h-PDI on body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.02), body fat mass (p = 0.04), and waist circumference (p = 0.056). There were significant gene-diet interactions for healthful plant-derived diets and BMI-GRS on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (p = 0.03), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.04), alanine transaminase (p = 0.05), insulin (p = 0.04), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (p = 0.002). Adherence to h-PDI was more strongly related to decreased levels of the aforementioned markers among participants in the second or top tertile of GRS than those with low GRS. These results highlight that following a plant-based dietary pattern considering genetics appears to be a protective factor against the risks of cardiometabolic abnormalities.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.259-269
• /
• 2007

Recently, dietary pattern analysis was emerged as an approach to examine the relationships between diet and risk of chronic diseases. This study was to identify groups with population who report similar dietary pattern in Korean genome epidemiology study (KoGES) and association with several chronic diseases. The cohort participants living in Ansung and Ansan (Gyeonggi province) were totally 10,038. Among those, 6,873 subjects with no missing values in food frequency questionnaire were included in this analysis. After combining 103 food items into 17 food groups, 4 dietary factors were obtained by factor analysis based on their weights. Factor 1 showed high factor loadings in vegetables, mushrooms, meats, fish, beverages, and oriental-cereals. Factor 2 had high factor loadings in vegetables, fruits, fish, and factor 3 had high factor loadings in cereal-oriental, cerial-western and snacks. Factor 4 showed positive high factor loadings in rice and Kimchi and negative factor loadings in mushrooms and milk and dairy products. Using factor scores of four factors, subjects were classified into 3 clusters by K-means clustering. We named those 'Rice and Kimchi eating' group, 'Contented eating' group, and 'Healthy and light eating' group depending on their eating characteristics. 'Rice and Kimchi eating' group showed high prevalence in men, farmers and 60s. 'Contented eating' group and 'Healthy and light eating' group had high prevalence in women, people living in urban area (Ansan Citizen), with high-school education and above, and a monthly income of one million won and more. 'Contented eating' group appeared lower distribution proportion in the sixties and 'Healthy and light eating' group does higher in the fifties. 'Contented eating' versus 'Rice and Kimchi eating', odds ratio for hypertension, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity significantly decreased after adjusting age and sex (OR=0.64, 0.73, and 0.85 respectively, 95% CI). Although our results were from a cross-sectional study, these imply that the dietary patterns were related to diseases.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.28 no.3 s.51
• /
• pp.609-622
• /
• 1995

Until now there are few available epidemiologic data of osteoporosis in Korea, and the severity of osteoporosis-related health problem has not been widely recognized yet. But the numbers of the old people are increasing in Korea, and in 2000, the proportion of people over 65 will be up to about 6.8% of total population. Therefore, osteoporosis, one of the most common metabolic bone disease among the old people, will be one of the most important public health problem. On this background this study was performed to find out risk factors of the development of osteoporosis in Korean women through case-control approach. The subject of this study were selected among the women who visited menopause clinic in one general hospital in Seoul and were checked bone density from Sep. 1988 to Sep. 1993. Those who were diagnosed to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, breast disease, or liver disease, which are thought to influnce bone density, were excluded. Also excluded those who are age-unknown. Finally the subjects were 2,139 women aged between 18 and 79. We operatively defined patient group as those whose bone density is below $1.039/cm^2$, 90% of average bone density of women of 4th decade who visited the same hospital. And we defined control group as whose bone dendity is above $1.15g/cm^2$. We randomly selected 201 women from the patient group and 202 from the control. As independent variables we chose age, menarche age, menopause age, menopause type, the number of siblings, the number of pregnancies, body mass index, taking oral pill or not, feeding type, and educational state. Multiple logistic regression analysis was done to see the influence of these variables on the risk of osteoporosis. Results are as follows; 1. menopausal status was statistically significant risk factor to all women irrespective of her age, while obesity and later menopause age were found to be statistically significant protective factors. 2. The more siblings and pregnancies, the greater tile risk of osteoporosis, but these factors were not statistically significant. This result is not consistent with other studies. Further studies are strongly needed.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.103-112
• /
• 2021

Gallbladder polyps (GBPs) may be a cause of gallbladder cancer. The known risk factors for GBPs are male gender, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and dyslipidemia. Especially, male gender has been known that it strongly affects on the prevalence of GBPs. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate risk factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs among adults on Jeju Island according to genders. We examined 5,574 subjects who visited a single health-screening center at Jeju National University Hospital between January 2015 and December 2019. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs. The prevalence of GBPs were 8.9% in male subjects and 8.1% in female subjects, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that ≥60 year age (odds ratio [OR] 0.659; P=0.027) and aspartate aminotransferase >32 IU/L (OR 0.658; P=0.009) in male subjects and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ≥60 mg/dL (OR 0.514; P=0.013) in female subjects were independent factors affecting the prevalence of GBPs. The prevalence of GBPs in men (8.9%) is comparable to that in women (8.1%) on Jeju Island. Age <60 years and the higher level of aspartate aminotransferase in men and the normal or lower high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in women were independent risk factors of GBPs on Jeju Island.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2022

The reported risk factors for gallstone disease (GD) are old age, female sex, obesity, metabolic syndrome and migrants. Many younger adults tend to live in Jeju City, where transportations are convenient and commercial activities are active. Whereas, older people tend to live in Seogwipo City, because they engaged in fisheries and agriculture. Rates of migrants and old age could affect the prevalence of GD among residents in two regions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the GD prevalence and analyze risk factors affecting GD including residencies. A total of 13,050 subjects who visited a single health medical check-up center on Jeju Island between 2012 and 2019 were included. We performed univariate and multivariate analysis to identify risk factors for GD. The prevalence of GD among residents were 5.7% in Jeju City and 5.8% in Seogwipo City, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (P=0.008), body mass index (P=0.044), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.006) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (P=0.013) were independent factors affecting GD. The old age, mean higher body mass index, gamma-glutamyl transferase and mean lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were independent risk factors affecting GD. However, residencies did not affect the prevalence of GD.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.207-218
• /
• 2013

Long term outcomes after liver transplantation are major determinants of quality of life and of the value of this heroic treatment. As short term outcomes are excellent, our community is turning to take a harder look at long term outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to review these outcomes, and highlight proposed treatments, as well as pressing topics needing to be studied. A systemic review of the English literature was carried in PubMed, covering all papers addressing long term outcomes in pediatric liver transplant from 2000-2013. Late outcomes after pediatric liver transplant affect the liver graft in the form of chronic liver dysfunction. The causes include rejection particularly humoral rejection, but also de novo autoimmune hepatitis, and recurrent disease. The metabolic syndrome is a major factor in long term cardiovascular complication risk. Secondary infections, kidney dysfunction and malignancy remain a reality of those patients. There is growing evidence of late cognitive and executive function delays affecting daily life productivity as well as likely adherence. Finally, despite a good health status, quality of life measures are comparable to those of children with chronic diseases. Long term outcomes are the new frontier in pediatric liver transplantation. Much is needed to improve graft survival, but also to avoid systemic morbidities from long term immunosuppression. Quality of life is a new inclusive measure that will require interventions and innovative approaches respectful not only on the patients but also of their social circle.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.48 no.4
• /
• pp.209-216
• /
• 2015

Stress is now recognized as a universal premorbid factor associated with many risk factors of various chronic diseases. Acute stress may induce an individual's adaptive response to environmental demands. However, chronic, excessive stress causes cumulative negative impacts on health outcomes through "allostatic load". Thus, monitoring the quantified levels of long-term stress mediators would provide a timely opportunity for prevention or earlier intervention of stressrelated chronic illnesses. Although either acute or chronic stress could be quantified through measurement of changes in physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of various metabolic hormones, it is still elusive to interpret whether the changes in circulating levels of stress mediators such as cortisol can reflect the acute, chronic, or diurnal variations. Both serum and salivary cortisol levels reveal acute changes at a single point in time, but the overall long-term systemic cortisol exposure is difficult to evaluate due to circadian variations and its protein-binding capacity. Scalp hair has a fairy predictable growth rate of approximately 1 cm/month, and the most 1 cm segment approximates the last month's cortisol production as the mean value. The analysis of cortisol in hair is a highly promising technique for the retrospective assessment of chronic stress. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(4): 209-216]

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.22 no.2 s.57
• /
• pp.165-170
• /
• 2007

Elevation of homocysteine levels is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and liver diseases. It has been reported that both streptozotocin-induced type I diabetic rats and obese type II diabetic rats have plasma total homocysteine lower than each control rats. We determined the effects of lean type II diabetes on homocysteine levels using type 2 diabetic Goto-Kakizaki rats. The concentrations of serum glucose were increased to ${\sim}two-fold$ of control levels and the total cholesterol levels were also increased in GK rats. Hepatic aspartate, histidine, threonine, alanine and methionine levels were significantly increased in GK rats. Plasma aspartate and glutamate levels were elevated, but threonine and arginine levels were decreased in GK rats. Plasma total homocysteine levels were not changed in GK rats, but hepatic total homocysteine levels were increased to ${\sim}three-fold$ of control levels. These results suggest that hepatic metabolism of sulfur-amino acid may be altered in diabetic condition.