• Journal of Haehwa Medicine
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.201-216
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• 2013

The purpose of this case-control study was to show the relationship between risk factor(Sex, Age, Martial Status, Educational Periods, Family history, Variables of Obesity, Smoking Status, Drinking Status, Past History, Blood Test) and the incidence of stroke. Methods: 788 stroke patients were enrolled as the case group and 450 non-stroke patients as control group from Sep.2006 to Dec.2010. Patients were hospitalized within 30 days after the onset of stroke. Risk factors and warning signs were obtained from personal interview by oriental medicine doctors who used CRF. Results: 1. Age was found to have significant relation with stroke(p<.0001). 2. Martial status(p<.0001, OR=0.44) and educational periods(p<.0001) were both significant risk factor for stroke. 3. As a result of reviewing the influence of family history, it was found to have no significant relation with stroke. Stroke was found to have significant relation with stroke(OR=1.50). 4. Female waist circumference(WC, p<.0001) and female waist-hip circumference ratio(WHR, p<.0001) were risk factors for stroke. On the other hand, male WC and male WHR showed no significant influence on stroke occurrence as an independent risk factor. 5. Both smoking status(p<.0001, current smoker OR=8.95) and drinking status(p<.0001, current drinker OR=2.50, former drinker OR=2.82) were significant risk factors for stroke. 6. As a result of reviewing the influence of past history, transient ischemic attack(p<.0001, OR=8.46), hypertension(p<.0001, OR=4.72), hyperlipidemia(0.0064), diabetes mellitus(p<.0001, OR=3.34), stroke(p<.0001, OR=50.26) were significant risk factors. On the other hand, ischemic heart disease(p=0.2332) was found to have no significant relation with stroke. 7. Increase of WBC, RBC, Platelet, TG, FBS and Cl- level were significant risk factor of stroke, On the other hand, decrease of Hgb, Hct, AST, HDL-chol, LDH, Na+ and K+ level were significant risk factor of stroke. T-chol and ALT level showed no significant influence on stroke occurrence.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.1631-1636
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was done to investigate the influence of social risk factors on each stroke type. We recruited at the Stroke Medical Center in Daejeon University Oriental Medical Hospital from July 2005 to March 2007 for this study. We divided 217 patients with acute stroke within 2 weeks as the case group(Cases), 146 people without major risk factor as the healthy control group(Normals), and 160 people as the general control group(Controls). We analyzed general characteristics such as age, sex, with or without spouse, education periods, religion, psychologic stress, and the odds ratio of each social risk factors by multivariate logistic analysis. As a result of reviewing the influence of social risk factors upon each stroke type, without spouse may be risk factor of ischemic stroke, and the undereducated may be risk factor of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. But religion and psychologic stress had no significant relation with stroke.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.870-879
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• 2010

Objective : This study is about stroke risk factors which may differ between countries. Methods : We recruited 1725 ischemic stroke patients from multiple-centers. We analyzed stroke risk factors: hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, depression, cardiac source, smoking, waist-to hip ratio, alcohol intake, physical activity, and psychosocial stress. We then compared risk factor results from other countries (the INTERSTROKE study) with this study. Results : 10 risk factors are related to stroke incidence. They were somewhat different between this study and the INTERSTROKE study. Conclusions : Hypertension is the most important risk factor of stroke, and other 9 risk factors also should be managed to prevent stroke incidence. Frequency of risk factors were different from the INTERSTROKE study. I think it could be partly due to differences of ethnicity and age. More studies are needed to describe characteristics of risk factors of Koreans.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.405-410
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• 2018

Stroke is a leading cause of death in the Korean population and remains a major health burden worldwide. The two main pathologic types of stroke are ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), but comparisons of risk factors for these have been limited. We under took a nationwide population-based study to analyze the relationship between these risk factor sand ischemic stroke and ICH. From January 2003 to December 2013, a total of 37,561 patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke or ICH were identified using the National Health Insurance Service data base as the study population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between baseline risk factors and presentation with ICH versus ischemic stroke. The incidence of ischemic stroke showed an increasing rend every year, while there was no significant change in the incidence of ICH. Of the several risk factors associated with stroke, old age (OR 2.35, 95% CI 2.12~2.49, P < 0.001) was more closely associated with ischemic stroke than ICH, whereas renal disease (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.55~0.99, P = 0.04) and carotid disease (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.17~0.35, P < 0.001) were more strongly associated with ICH. In addition, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and male sex was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Old age was more strongly associated with ischemic stroke than ICH, while carotid stenosis and renal impairment were more closely associated with ICH risk. Classic risk factors for stroke have considerably different associations with the two main pathologic types of stroke.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.69-78
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• 2001

Objectives : It is known that cigarette smoking is associated with increased risk of both thrombotic and hemorrhagic stroke. However, in Korea, especially in the academic world of Korean Medicine, there is a lack of study about the relation between cigarette smoking and stroke. We carried out a case-control study to clarify the relation between cigarette smoking and stroke. Method : We interviewed 441 stroke patients (236 men, 205 women) as a case group and 432 non-stroke patients (208 men, 224 women) as a control group. We investigated the smoking pattern of all patients and stroke-subtype of the case group. Smoking pattern is classed into two (Class I), four (Class II) and five groups (Class III). Class I consists of current non-smokers and current smokers. Class II consists of non-smokers, former smokers, current light smokers and current heavy smokers. Class III consists of never smoked, secondhand smokers, former smokers, Current light smokers and current heavy smokers. Stroke-subtype consists of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage. Results : The percentage of current smokers of case group is higher significantly than that of control group. The number of cigarettes smoked per day is associated positively with the risk of stroke. According to our study, generally cigarette smoking is related with ischemic stroke. The percentage of secondhand smokers of the case group is lower than that of the control group. According to our study, characteristically secondhand smoking is associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions : From the above results we found that cigarette smoking is an important risk factor of stroke - especially cerebral infarction - and the number of cigarettes smoked per day is associated positively with the risk of stroke. Characteristically according to our study, secondhand smoking is associated with hemorrhagic stroke. Overall we conclude that cigarette smoking may be an important preventable factor for stroke.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.872-885
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• 2007

Objective : Stroke is one of the most common causes of death in Korea. This study was done to evaluate the association of complete blood count (CBC) with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke. Methods : In 217-case patients with ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke and 146 healthy control subjects without stroke, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, or ischemic heart disease and 160 controls without ischemic stroke or hemorrhagic stroke, we tested and compared white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hgb), hematocrit (Hct) and platelet. These data were statically analyzed by general linear models and binary logistic regression analysis to get each adjusted odds ratio. Results :The level of WBC was significantly higher in all cases. The level of RBC, Hct and Hgb was significantly lower in patients of ischemic stroke. The level of platelet was significantly higher in patients of ischemic stroke. Conclusion : These results suggest high WBC may be a risk factor of hemorrhagic stroke and ischemic stroke and low RBC, low Hct, low Hgb and high platelet may be risk factors of ischemic stroke in Koreans.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.314-323
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• 2009

Purpose: This descriptive study was conducted to identify the level of knowledge of stroke symptoms and risk factors among older adults. Methods: A total of 200 older adults over 65 years of age were conveniently recruited from out patient departments of two hospitals and a health care center from October to November 2008. The level of knowledge was assessed using both open-ended questions and a structured questionnaire based on semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed by t-tests and ANOVA using the SPSS program. Results: 52.5% of the sample had hypertension and 30% had diabetes. The mean knowledge scores for symptoms and risk factors were $8.4{\pm}3.1$ (out of 15) and $9.5{\pm}3.9$ (out of 16), respectively. The older adults who had lower education, lower family income, and who lived in rural areas were more likely to have less knowledge of stroke symptom and risk factors (p < .05). There was no significant knowledge difference between the older adults who had at least one risk factor and those who had no risk factor for stroke. Conclusions: Educational intervention should be focused on informing older adults who are at risk for stroke about the early symptoms and management of risk factors, especially those who have low education and low social status.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.5-8
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• 2002

Stroke is a leading cause of death in most developed countries and some developing countries including South Korea. It is well known that stroke has is related in some way with several sleep disorders. At first, the onset time of stroke varies according to circadian rhythm. Early morning is the most prevalent time and late evening the least. The changes of blood pressure, catecholamine level, plasminogen activity and aggregation of platelet during sleep have been suggested as possible mechanisms. Sleep apnea (SA), a representative disorder in the field of sleep medicine, is found in more than 70% of acute stroke patients compared to 2-5% of the general population. Various sleep related breathing disorders occur after stroke and snoring is a distinct risk factor for stroke. So the relationship between stroke and SA is obvious, but the cause and effect are still not clearly known. Also, stroke may cause many sleep related problems such as insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia and changes in sleep architecture. Patients, family members and even medical personnel often ignore stroke-related sleep problems, being concerned only about the stroke itself. The clinical impacts of sleep problems in stroke patients may be significant not only in terms of quality of life but also as a risk factor or prognostic factor for stroke. More attention should be paid to the sleep problems of stroke patients.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.1-5
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• 2003

Leptin has a close correlation with obesity, which is known to be a major factor for stroke. This study was performed to determine whether serum leptin level would be an independent risk factor for stroke and whether it would change significantly early after stroke. Subjects were selected from those within I month after onset and non-stroke referents at Kyung Hee Oriental Medical Center in Seoul, Korea. We compared leptin and the other characteristics between stroke subjects and referents. Body mass index, hypertension history, presence of drinking and smoking, waist/hip ratio, total cholesterol and triglyceride were recorded. To assess odds ratio of leptin for stroke, we used logistic regression analysis. Leptin was rechecked 2 weeks later and compared with the former value in acute stroke subjects. In this study, serum leptin did not differ significantly between stroke subjects and referents, and its odds ratio was not significant in male (OR=0.52, 95％ Cl; 0.13-2.08) and female (OR=1.57, 95％ Cl; 0.53-4.67). In acute stroke subjects, leptin did not change significantly 2 weeks later. Hypertension had a significant odds ratio in male (OR=3.39, 95％ Cl; 1.02-11.24) and female (OR=12.37, 95％ Cl; 3.67-41.65). High waist/hip ratio was only in female (OR=6.70, 95％ Cl; 1.73-26.02). In conclusion, leptin was not an independent risk factor for stroke and its serum level did not change significantly early after stroke. Hypertension and waist/hip ratio had significant relative risks.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.19-24
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• 2003

Background and Purposes : Smoking is a well-known risk factor for ischemic stroke. It may contribute to s1Toke by inducing the aggregation of platelets and formation of atheroma, reducing cerebral blood flow, and increasing fibrinogen. However, the relative risk varies according to different ethnicity and area. Therefore, we performed this study to assess the risk of smoking for ischemic s1Toke in Korea. Methods : Cigarette smoking habit was studied in 308 patients with ischemic s1Toke and in 348 age- and sex-matched control subjects who had no history of stroke using case control methods. In multiple logistic regression analysis, smoking had a significant value of odds ratio adjusted for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. Results : The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95％ confidence interval (CI) was significant in the medium smokers (AOR, 1.92; 95％ CI, 1.11 to 3.33: p< 0.05) and heavy smokers (AOR, 2.80; 95％ CI, 1.64 to 4.78: p< 0.05). Furthermore, the OR was higher in hypertensive subjects than in normotensive subjects compared to non-smokers (AOR, 1.98; 95％ CI, 1.01 to 3.85: p< 0.05). Conclusions : Our findings suggest that smoking is an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke in Korea.