• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2023

Smoking is one of the three major risk factors for vascular disease along with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. It is true that smoking has a negative effect on the circulatory system, and the frequency of coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease is significantly increased in smokers. Many epidemiological studies report that smokers have an approximately two-fold increased risk of coronary artery disease compared to non-smokers. This study was designed to investigate the relationship between cerebral blood flow change and depression index after acute smoking. Cerebral blood flow tests were performed before and after smoking in 8 subjects. Changes in blood flow after smoking were correlated with the depression score and negatively correlated with the depression score. In particular, there was a strong correlation with changes in blood flow in anterior cerebral artery. It is well known that changes in blood flow after smoking have a negative effect. In addition, considering the study that smoking aggravates the symptoms of depression, it was found that smoking and depression are factors that negatively affect each other.

• Vascular Specialist International
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.109-116
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• 2018

Purpose: Diabetic foot wound (DFW) is known as a major contributor of nontraumatic lower extremity amputation. We aimed to evaluate overall amputation rates and risk factors for amputation in patients with DFW. Materials and Methods: From January 2014 to December 2017, 141 patients with DFW were enrolled. We determined rates and risk factors of major amputation in DFW and in DFW with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD). In addition, we investigated rates and predictors for amputation in diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Results: The overall rate of major amputation was 26.2% in patients with DFW. Among 141 DFWs, 76 patients (53.9%) had PAOD and 29 patients (38.2%) of 76 DFWs with PAOD underwent major amputation. Wound state according to Wagner classification, congestive heart failure, leukocytosis, dementia, and PAOD were the significant risk factors for major amputation. In DFW with PAOD, Wagner classification grades and leukocytosis were the predictors for major amputation. In addition, amputation was performed for 28 patients (38.4%) while major amputation was performed for 5 patients (6.8%) of 73 DFUs. Only the presence of osteomyelitis (OM) showed significant difference for amputation in DFU. Conclusion: This study represented that approximately a quarter of DFWs underwent major amputation. Moreover, over half of DFW patients had PAOD and about 38.2% of them underwent major amputation. Wound state and PAOD was major predictors for major amputation in DFW. Systemic factors, such as CHF, leukocytosis, and dementia were identified as risk factors for major amputation. In terms of DFU, 38.4% underwent amputation and the presence of OM was a determinant for amputation.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.155-162
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• 2006

Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a critical disease with higher rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality due to myocardial ischemia and infarction. There is glowing interest in how to determine high-risk patients who are candidates for screening testing. This study was performed to evaluate the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients detected by Tc-99m MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT (MPS) and to assess risk factors of CAD and cardiac hard events. Subjects and Methods: 203 diabetic patients (64 male, mean age $64.1{\pm}9.0$ years) who underwent MPS were included between Jan 2000 and July 2004. Cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) were considered as hard events, and coronary angioplasty and bypass surgery >60 days after testing were considered as soft events. The mean follow-up period was $36{\pm}18$ months. Patients underwent exercise (n=6) or adenosine stress (n=197) myocardial perfusion SPECT. Results: Perfusion defects on MPS were detected in 28.6% (58/203) of the patients. There was no cardiac death but 11 hard events were observed. The annual cardiac hard event rate was 1.1%. In univariate analysis of clinical factors, typical anginal pain, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, and resting ECG abnormality were significantly associated with the ocurrence of hard events. Anginal pain, peripheral vascular disease, and resting ECG abnormality remained independent predictors of nonfatal MIs with multivariate analysis. Abnormal SPECT results were significantly associated with high prevalence of hard events but not independent predictors on uni- and multivariate analyses. Conclusion: Patients who were male, had longer diabetes duration (especially over 20 years), peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, or resting ECG abnormality had higher incidence of CAD. Among clinical factors in diabetic patients, typical angina, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral polyneuropathy, and resting ECG abnormality were strong predictors of hard events.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.81-91
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate foot ulcer risk factors, foot care knowledge, and foot care practice in patients with type 2 diabetes. Method: One hundred fifty type 2 diabetic patients were in and out-patients in a large urban hospital. The data were collected using a self-report questionnaire, chart review and foot examination. The questionnaires were developed by the researchers through the experts consultation and literature review. High risk for foot ulcer was evaluated by peripheral neuropathy(PN), peripheral vascular disease(PVD), and prior foot ulcer. Foot risk scores(FRS) means numbers of present risk factors. Results: 31.3% of subjects show 1 FRS, and 13.3% showed 2 FRS. Mean foot care frequency was 3.5 times per week. There were significant differences in foot care knowledge according to DM education (t=2.96, p=.004) and foot care education (t=3.65, p=.001). There were significant differences in the foot care practice activities according to duration of DM (t=3.48, p=.010) and educational levels. Conclusion: There were high proportion of foot ulcer risk among the patients. It is necessary to screen high risk foot ulcer patients and provide practical education for foot care practice of diabetic patients.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.57 no.11
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• pp.472-478
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• 2014

Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute vasculitis that primarily affects young children, is the most common acquired paediatric cardiovascular disease in developed countries. While sequelae of arterial inflammation in the acute phase of KD are well documented, its late effects on vascular health are increasingly unveiled. Late vascular dysfunction is characterized by structural alterations and functional impairment in term of arterial stiffening and endothelial dysfunction and shown to involve both coronary and systemic arteries. Further evidence suggests that continuous low grade inflammation and ongoing active remodeling of coronary arterial lesions occur late after acute illness and may play a role in structural and functional alterations of the arteries. Potential importance of genetic modulation on vascular health late after KD is implicated by associations between mannose binding lectin and inflammatory gene polymorphisms with severity of peripheral arterial stiffening and carotid intima-media thickening. The changes in cholesterol and lipoproteins levels late after KD further appear similar to those proposed to be atherogenic. While data on adverse vascular health are less controversial in patients with persistent or regressed coronary arterial aneurysms, data appear conflicting in individuals with no coronary arterial involvements or only transient coronary ectasia. Notwithstanding, concerns have been raised with regard to predisposition of KD in childhood to accelerated atherosclerosis in adulthood. Until further evidence-based data are available, however, it remains important to assess and monitor cardiovascular risk factors and to promote cardiovascular health in children with a history of KD in the long term.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.280-293
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the risk factors for diabetic foot ulceration (DFU) to develop and evaluate the performance of a DFU prediction model and nomogram among people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: This unmatched case-control study was conducted with 379 adult patients (118 patients with DM and 261 controls) from four general hospitals in South Korea. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, foot examination, and review of patients' electronic health records. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to build the DFU prediction model and nomogram. Further, their performance was analyzed using the Lemeshow-Hosmer test, concordance statistic (C-statistic), and sensitivity/specificity analyses in training and test samples. Results: The prediction model was based on risk factors including previous foot ulcer or amputation, peripheral vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, current smoking, and chronic kidney disease. The calibration of the DFU nomogram was appropriate (χ² = 5.85, p = .321). The C-statistic of the DFU nomogram was .95 (95% confidence interval .93~.97) for both the training and test samples. For clinical usefulness, the sensitivity and specificity obtained were 88.5% and 85.7%, respectively at 110 points in the training sample. The performance of the nomogram was better in male patients or those having DM for more than 10 years. Conclusion: The nomogram of the DFU prediction model shows good performance, and is thereby recommended for monitoring the risk of DFU and preventing the occurrence of DFU in people with DM.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.741-749
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• 2000

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between reversed circadian blood pressure and risk factors of peripheral vascular disease in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) subjects. The subjects in this study were 18 NIDDM patients who were hospitalized in a medical unit of an university medical center located in Incheon, Korea, between November, 1998 and March, 1999. Blood pressure was measured with a mercury sphygmomanometer by 2 trained examiners every 2 hours during 24 hours. NIDDM subjects were divided into a dipper group and non-dipper group. Dippers are defined as those who show a mean nighttime blood pressure(BP) drop of more than 10% compared with daytime BP. Non-dippers are defined as those who show a mean nighttime BP drop of less than 10%, or an elevation in BP compared with daytime BP. Daytime BP included values obtained between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Night time BP included values obtained between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Data was analyzed by SPSS/PC package. Chi-square( $^2$) test was used for the comparison of sex between The dipper group and non-dipper group. Mann-Whitney test was used for comparisons of values of the risk factors of peripheral vascular disease and the frequency of complications of diabetes between the dipper group and non-dipper group. The results are as follows. There were no significant differences in daytime systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures between the dipper group and non-dipper group. However, night time systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressures in the non-dipper group were significantly nigher than those in the dipper group (p=.021). There were no differences in sex, age, body, weight, duration of diabetes, serum lipid levels, BUN and HbA1c between the two groups. On the contrary, 87.5% of non-dipper group subjects showed having hypertension, 30% of dipper group subjects showed having hypertension and this difference was statistically significant (p=.018). All of the non-dipper group subjects (N=8) showed having at least one diabetic complication. However, 40% of the dipper group subjects (N=10) showed having no diabetic complication at all and this difference was also statistically significant (p=.049). There were no significant differences in frequency of nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy between the dipper group and non-dipper group.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.92-102
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• 2018

Purpose: This study investigated the validity of the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) as a predictor of periodontal disease (PD) over a 12-year period. Methods: Nationwide representative samples of 149,785 adults aged ${\geq}60$ years with PD (International Classification of Disease, 10th revision [ICD-10], K052-K056) were derived from the National Health Insurance Service-Elderly Cohort during 2002-2013. The degree of comorbidity was measured using the CCI (grade 0-6), including 17 diseases weighted on the basis of their association with mortality, and data were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression in order to investigate the associations of comorbid diseases (CDs) with PD. Results: The multivariate Cox regression analysis with adjustment for sociodemographic factors (sex, age, household income, insurance status, residence area, and health status) and CDs (acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, cerebral vascular accident, dementia, pulmonary disease, connective tissue disorders, peptic ulcer, liver disease, diabetes, diabetes complications, paraplegia, renal disease, cancer, metastatic cancer, severe liver disease, and human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]) showed that the CCI in elderly comorbid participants was significantly and positively correlated with the presence of PD (grade 1: hazard ratio [HR], 1.11; P<0.001; grade ${\geq}2$: HR, 1.12, P<0.001). Conclusions: We demonstrated that a higher CCI was a significant predictor of greater risk for PD in the South Korean elderly population.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.212-218
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• 2010

Korean red ginseng (KRG) has been shown to enhance endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in experimental animals; however, little is known about its pharmacological effects on vascular stiffness in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was carried out to determine whether KRG has beneficial effects on arterial stiffness, cardiovascular risk factors such as plasma lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP), and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) activity. Twenty patients (mean age, 62.5 years) with stable angina pectoris were given KRG (2.7 g/day) and a placebo alternatively for 10 weeks. Blood biochemical analysis and pulse wave velocity (PWV) recording were performed on day 0 and after the completion of each treatment. ROCK activity was assessed based on the level of phospho-$Thr^{853}$ in the myosin-binding subunit of myosin light chain phosphatase, determined by Western blot analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells. KRG significantly decreased the systolic BP, brachial ankle PWV, and heart femoral PWV in the patients (all p<0.05), but did not significantly alter the serum lipid profiles, including triglycerides and total, high-density lipoprotein, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. The ROCK activity tended to decrease (p=0.068) following KRG treatment. The placebo did not significantly alter any of the variables. In conclusion, KRG decreased systolic BP and arterial stiffness, probably via the inhibition of ROCK activity, in patients with CAD, but had a neutral effect on serum lipid profiles. Our data suggest that KRG has a therapeutic effect on CAD.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.114-127
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• 2018

This study aimed to investigate the levels of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), health behavior and sleep quality and to examine the predictors of OSA in patients with ischemic cardio-cerebrovascular disease. 141 patients who were admitted to the vascular unit were recruited and surveyed using structured questionnaires. Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen (SpO2) was measured at three time points using a pulse oximeter. Data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 20.0. The mean age of the subjects was $64.4{\pm}11.1$ years and 61% was men. The 21.3%(n=30) of the subjects were classified as high-risk for OSA by the cut point and 71.6%(n=101) had low sleep quality. OSA high-risk group showed significant difference in SpO2 in the middle of sleep (p=.006) and at the end of sleep (p=.004) compared to the low-risk group. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that perceived frequent snoring, smoking, obesity, lack of exercise among health behavior were found as predicting factors on OSA. OSA or persistent snoring should be recognized as a cardiovascular risk factor in the cardiovascular nursing practice. In addition to early treatment of OSA, education and counseling should be provided to patients and their family for prevention of secondary recurrence.