• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.236-244
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• 1990

To improve the prognosis of mitral valve replacement surgery, analysis and evaluation of pre and intra operative risk factors will be very much valuable. Author studied 205 cases of mitral valve replacement from Feb 1982 to June 1989 for the risk factors of hospital death. 90 patients were male and 115 were female, and age was from 16 to 59 years, Mitral stenosis dominant lesions were 91 cases and regurgitation 114. Suspected risk factors were NYHA functional class, cardiothoracic ratio, implanted valve type and size, operation time, age and sex, thrombus in left atrium, atrial fibrillation, aortic cross clamping time, left ventricular end diastolic and systolic dimension, nephropathy, hepatopathy and respiratory insufficiency. Statistic analysis was performed by X2 test between survivors and death group. Statistical significances as pre and intraoperative risk factors of hospital death after mitral valve replacement were confirmed in those presence of AF on the EKG, NYHA functional class[>IV], cardiothoracic ratio[>70%], and implanted valve size[>33mm]

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2021

Objectives: After heart disease, brain stroke (BS) is the second most common cause of death worldwide, underscoring the importance of understanding preventable and treatable risk factors for the outcomes of BS. This study aimed to model the survival of patients with BS in the presence of competing risks. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted on 332 patients with a definitive diagnosis of BS. Demographic characteristics and risk factors were collected by a validated checklist. Patients' mortality status was investigated by telephone follow-up to identify deaths that may be have been caused by stroke or other factors (heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc.). Data were analyzed by the Lunn-McNeil approach at alpha=0.1. Results: Older age at diagnosis (59-68 years: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.19; 90% confidence interval [CI], 1.38 to 3.48; 69-75 years: aHR, 5.04; 90% CI, 3.25 to 7.80; ≥76 years: aHR, 5.30; 90% CI, 3.40 to 8.44), having heart disease (aHR, 1.65; 90% CI, 1.23 to 2.23), oral contraceptive pill use (women only) (aHR, 0.44; 90% CI, 0.24 to 0.78) and ischemic stroke (aHR, 0.52; 90% CI, 0.36 to 0.74) were directly related to death from BS. Older age at diagnosis (59-68 years: aHR, 21.42; 90% CI, 3.52 to 130.39; 75-69 years: aHR, 16.48; 90% CI, 2.75 to 98.69; ≥76 years: aHR, 26.03; 90% CI, 4.06 to 166.93) and rural residence (aHR, 2.30; 90% CI, 1.15 to 4.60) were directly related to death from other causes. Significant risk factors were found for both causes of death. Conclusions: BS-specific and non-BS-specific mortality had different risk factors. These findings could be utilized to prescribe optimal and specific treatment.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.90-95
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• 2009

Objective : We aimed to identify clinico-radiological risk factors that may predict unfavorable neurological outcomes in traumatic brain injury (TBI), and to establish a guideline for patient selection in clinical trials that would improve neurological outcome during the early post TBI period. Methods : Initial clinico-radiological data of 115 TBI patients were collected prospectively. Regular neurological assessment after standard treatment divided the above patients into 2 groups after 6 months : the Favorable neurological outcome group (GOS : good & moderate disability, DRS : 0-6, LCFS : 8-10) and the Unfavorable group (GOS : severe disability-death, DRS : 7-29 and death, LCFS : 1-7 and death). Results : There was a higher incidence of age $\geq$35 years, low initial GCS score, at least unilateral pupil dilatation, and neurological deficit in the Unfavorable group. The presence of bilateral parenchymal lesions or lesions involving the midline structures in the initial brain CT was observed to be a radiological risk factor for unfavorable outcome. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age and initial GCS score were independent risk factors. The majority of the Favorable group patients with at least one or more risk factors showed improvement of GCS scores within 2 months after TBI. Conclusion : Patients with the above mentioned clinico-radiological risk factors who received standard treatment, but did not demonstrate neurological improvement within 2 months after TBI were deemed at risk for unfavorable outcome. These patients may be eligible candidates for clinical trials that would improve functional outcome after TBI.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.9.1-9.6
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• 2022

Canine mammary gland tumors are the most common neoplasms in intact female dogs. Approximately half of all mammary tumors are malignant, and there is a risk of metastasis, which is associated with a poor prognosis. This study was to evaluate the prognostic factors of canine mammary gland tumors and the risk factors associated with the development of malignant tumors. From 2014 to 2020, 60 dogs with mammary gland tumors that underwent surgical treatment were evaluated in this retrospective study. Tumor size, TNM stage, and histopathological results were prognostic factors for 2-year survival after surgery. Every 10 mm increase in tumor size, increased the risk of death within 2 years after surgery 1.213 times. Dogs with TNM stage IV or V had 8.667 fold risk of death within 2 years after surgery. The 2-year survival rate for dogs with benign tumors was 90.2% and for malignant tumors was 67.3%. Tumor size is the most important prognostic factor for canine mammary gland tumors. As tumor size increased by 10 mm, the risk for development of malignant tumors increased by 1.487 times. Tumors larger than 30 mm are highly likely to be malignant, and metastatic evaluation and wide resection should be considered.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2020

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in Korea remains a poorly-understood subject for both professionals and the public. Recent reports have emphasized ethnic differences in SIDS rates, suggesting that making adjustments in child-rearing practices may contribute substantially to SIDS reduction. Two of the three major risk factors for SIDS-vulnerability of the infant and exogenous factors-need to be understood in particular depth due to their broad scope and sociocultural grounding. This paper presents substantial issues regarding preterm birth and male gender on infants' vulnerability to SIDS in Korea. Practices of caring for healthy infants are addressed in the context of sleeping practices, including sleeping position, bedding arrangements, sleeping on the floor, the back-to-sleep position, high indoor temperatures and ondol floor heating, and swaddling. Professional and social awareness about how to reduce SIDS should be raised by promoting a better understanding of risk factors in the context of ethnic and cultural variations in child-rearing practices.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.109-123
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationships between views on suicide, death, and life and lifetime suicidal attempts in the Korean context. Methods: Multiple logistic regression model was tested using data from Korean General Social Survey of 2009. We utilized the nationally representative survey data obtained via multistage stratified area probability sampling design from 1,599 respondents aged ${\geq}18$ years. Results: The proportion of lifetime suicidal attempts was 12.1% of entire sample in Korea. Some components of views on suicide and death influenced significantly on lifetime suicidal attempts after adjusting for demographic and health-related factors. The positive view on suicide(OR=0.76, 95% CI: 0.62-0.94), the naturalistic view on afterlife(OR=0.37, 95% CI: 0.67-0.99) and death concern(OR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.55-0.83) were risk factors of lifetime suicidal attempts. In contrast, the social responsibility view on suicide(OR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.00-1.37) and the transcendental view on afterlife(OR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.02-1.54) lowered the risk. Conclusions: Practical implications of the findings were discussed exploring policy evidences to screen high risk groups out and to reframe educational programs for suicide prevention. Strategic health messages need to be developed and transmitted for prevention of suicide.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.191-199
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• 2001

Objective : In this study, we focused on estimating the burden of premature death in Korea caused by smoking using the YLL(years of life lost due to premature death) measurement. Methods : First, we determined parameters: such as age-specific standard life expectancy, age on death, sex, and cause of death by analyzing the national death certificate data and life table collected during 1997. These were provided by the National Statistical Office. Secondly, we estimated the age group- specific years of life lost due to premature death by employing the standard expected years of life lost(SEYLL) measurement. Thirdly, the burden of premature death caused by smoking was estimated using the YLLs measurement which was developed by the global burden of disease study group. Fourthly, We calculated the risk related to smoking using the population attributable risk. Results : The following results were obtained in this study: 1) Premature death that is attributable to smoking in males could be prevented in 60.9%(513,582 person-year) by non-smoking. 2) The burden of premature death by smoking for female was prevented to 17.7%(513,582 person-year) by non-smoking. Conclusion : We found that the YLL method employed in this study was appropriate in quantifying the burden of premature death. This provides a rational basis for planning a national health policy regarding premature deaths caused by smoking and other related risk factors.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.165-172
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• 2013

A noncommunicable disease (NCD) is a medical condition or disease that is by definition non-infectious and non-transmissible among people. Currently, NCDs are the leading causes of death and disease burden worldwide. The four main types of NCDs, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes, result in more than 30 million deaths annually. To reduce the burden of NCDs on global health, current public health actions stress the importance of preventing, detecting, and correcting modifiable risk factors; controlling major modifiable risk factors has been shown to effectively reduce NCD mortality. The World Health Organization's World Health Report 2002 identified tobacco use, alcohol consumption, overweight, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol as the most important risk factors for NCDs. Accordingly, the present report set out to review the prevalence and trends of these modifiable risk factors in the Korean population. Over the past few decades, we observed significant risk factor modifications of improved blood pressure control and decreased smoking rate. However, hypertension and cigarette smoking remained the most contributable factors of NCDs in the Korean population. Moreover, other major modifiable risk factors show no improvement or even worsened. The current status and trends in major modifiable risk factors reinforce the importance of prevention, detection, and treatment of risk factors in reducing the burden of NCDs on individuals and society.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.454-462
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to explore the lonely-death phenomenon and to understand the circumstances surrounding the lonely-death cases among elderly people by examining the articles on such phenomenon and the media reports of such cases. The cases of lonely death reported from 2007 to 2017 were used. Case analysis was conducted, and the news articles that described the lonely death cases were identified using an internet search engine. Forty seven cases were analyzed. Several risk factors emerged from the data obtained, such as economic hardship, chronic illness, mental health problems like alcohol addiction, social isolation, disconnection from family members or the neighborhood, unemployment, single household, unmarried or divorced status, and living in an urban area. Based on the findings, prevention strategies were addressed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5137-5141
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• 2015

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among males worldwide, and is the second leading cause of cancer death among men in United States. According to GLOBOCAN (2012), an estimated 1.1 million new cases and 307,000 deaths were reported in 2012. The reasons for the increase of this disease are not known, but increasing life expectancy and modified diagnostic techniques have been suggested as causes. The established risk factors for this disease are advancing age, race, positive family history of prostate cancer and western diet (use of fat items). Several other risk factors, such as obesity, physical activity, sexual activity, smoking and occupation have been also associated with prostate cancer risk, but their roles in prostate cancer etiology remain uncertain. This mini-review aims to provide risk factors, disease knowledge, prevalence and awareness about prostate cancer.