Duk-Chul Lee | 9 Articles |
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Background
The medial temporal region is the earliest affected structure in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and its atrophy is known as the hallmark of AD. This study aimed to investigate the value of medial temporal atrophy (MTA) for detecting 18F-florbetaben positron emission tomography (PET)-proven AD pathology. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 265 subjects complaining of cognitive decline at a dementia outpatient clinic from March 2015 to December 2017. All subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET, and 18F-florbetaben PET at baseline. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses on variables including age, sex, years of education, white matter hyperintensities, apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype, and memory composite scores in various combinations to investigate whether MTA was indicative of underlying AD pathology. Results Our sample population of 265 patients comprised 121 with AD-related cognitive impairment, 42 with Lewy bodies-related cognitive impairment, 32 with vascular cognitive impairment, and 70 with other or undetermined pathologies. In the multivariable logistic regression analyses, MTA was not an independent predictor of underlying AD pathology (P>0.200). The predictive power of underlying AD-related cognitive impairment significantly increased when multiple variables including APOE genotype and memory composite scores were considered together (area under the curve >0.750). Conclusion Our results suggest that MTA alone may be insufficient to accurately predict the presence of AD pathology. It is necessary to comprehensively consider various other factors such as APOE genotype and a detailed memory function to determine whether the patient is at high risk of AD. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
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Background
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing, and obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation are the known risk factors. However, results of previous studies regarding the relationship between MetS and inflammation have not been consistent. This study aimed to identify the associations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and MetS and its components in obese and non-obese men and women. Methods This was a cross-sectional study based on the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2015), and a nationally representative sample of 3,013 Korean adults aged 40–78 years were included. Those with cardiovascular disease, cancer, CRP level >10 mg/L, white blood cell count >10,000/mm3 , chronic kidney disease, and lung/liver disease were excluded. Results Approximately 11.0%, 50.0%, 8.4%, and 48.8% of non-obese men, obese men, non-obese women, and obese women presented with MetS (P<0.001), respectively. In all four groups, those who presented with MetS or its components showed a higher high-sensitivity (hs-CRP) average than those without. Multivariate regression analysis showed the increased risk of developing MetS with higher quartiles of hs-CRP level in obese (3rd and 4th quartiles: odds ratios [ORs], 3.87 and 2.57, respectively) and non-obese women (4th quartile: OR, 2.63). The different components also showed increased ORs in the four groups. However, no statistically significant trend in the relationship was found in men. Conclusion Low-grade inflammation may increase the risk of MetS in Korean women independent of adiposity. However, due to the cross-sectional design of the present study, further studies must be conducted to identify the causal relationship between inflammation and metabolic disorders. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
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Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a known cause of secondary polycythemia with elevated erythropoietic demands in response to hypoxemia, anemia is relatively common in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is related to increased mortality. However, little is currently known about the relationship between various iron parameters and disease severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a population-based epidemiologic survey conducted in 2010–2012, were used. A total of 1,129 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were examined to reveal the associations between the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and hemoglobin and iron parameters, including serum iron, ferritin, total iron binding capacity, and transferrin saturation, using Spearman correlations and multiple linear regression analyses. The FEV1 was positively correlated with serum hemoglobin (γ=0.37, P<0.001), iron (γ=0.20, P<0.001), transferrin saturation (γ=0.19, P<0.001), and ferritin (γ=0.22, P<0.001), and negatively correlated with age (γ=−0.40, P<0.001) and lower in female patients (γ=−0.56, P<0.001) in the Spearman correlation. The FEV1 was independently associated with serum iron (β=0.049, P=0.035) and transferrin saturation (β=0.049, P=0.035) after adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index in the multiple linear regression analyses. The serum iron and transferrin saturation levels were independently associated with FEV1 as a marker of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease severity. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
The purpose of this study was to compare the physical activity and caloric intake trends of lipid-lowering drug users with those of non-users among Korean adults with dyslipidemia. This study was a repeated cross-sectional study with a nationally representative sample of 2,635 Korean adults with dyslipidemia based on the 2010–2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and caloric intake was estimated through 24-hour dietary recall. All statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 21.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA). The changes in physical activity and caloric intake were investigated for lipid-lowering drug users and non-users using generalized linear models. The proportion of lipid-lowering drug users in the 2010–2013 survey population increased from 3.5% to 5.0% (P<0.001). Among adults of dyslipidemia, total of 1,562 participants (56.6%) reported taking lipid-lowering drugs, and 1,073 (43.4%) reported not taking lipid-lowering drugs. Drug users were more likely to be older and less educated and to have a diagnosis of diabetes, higher body mass index, and lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Physical activity trends were tested separately for the lipid-lowering drug users and non-users, and a significant decrease was found among the drug users during the study period. Physical activity among the drug users in 2013 was 38% lower (1,357.3±382.7 metabolic equivalent [MET]; P for trend=0.002) than in 2010 (2,201.4±442.6 MET). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference between drug users and non-users in the trend of caloric intake during the same period. Physical activity significantly decreased among lipid-lowering drug users between 2010 and 2013, which was not observed among non-users. The importance of physical activity may need to be re-emphasized for lipid-lowering drug users. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is known to affect cardio-metabolic disease risk. However, the relationship between childhood SES and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains uncertain. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between childhood SES, as measured by maternal education and occupational status and adult-onset MetS in the Korean population. We examined the association between childhood SES, as measured by maternal education level and occupational status during an individual's childhood, and MetS in Korean adults aged 20 to 79 years who participated in the 2007-2009 Korean National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey. The components of MetS, including waist circumference, fasting glucose, lipid profiles, and blood pressure, were measured. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for MetS were calculated using multiple logistic regression models. Significant differences in the association between maternal education level, occupational status, and MetS were found between males and females. In females, the adjusted MetS OR for the highest maternal education quartile relative to the lowest quartile was 0.46 (0.21-0.99). Similarly, in females, the adjusted OR for individuals whose mothers worked when they were children relative to those whose mothers did not work was 1.23 (1.04-1.44). In males, no significant associations between maternal education, maternal occupational status, and MetS were found. We found independent, positive associations between maternal education and occupational status and MetS in Korean females. These findings suggest that public health education targeting MetS prevention should be considered, especially among children with less opportunity for maternal support. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Insulin resistance, decreased response of peripheral tissue to normal insulin levels, is known to be related to cardiometabolic diseases. Cardiopulmonary fitness is also considered to be related to these comorbidities. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between insulin resistance and cardiopulmonary fitness by performing a 3-minute step test in a Korean non-diabetes mellitus (DM) population. A total of 118 non-DM subjects were enrolled during their routine health check-up. Insulin resistance was measured by calculating homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and a 3-minute step test was performed to measure cardiopulmonary fitness. Post-60 seconds exercise heart rate after 3-minute test (R60 heart rate) was correlated with age (r = -0.21, P = 0.02), education (r = 0.17, P = 0.04), body mass index (r = 0.23, P = 0.01), waist circumference (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), fasting insulin (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), HOMA-IR (r = 0.25, P < 0.01), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (r = 0.28, P < 0.01), high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (r = 0.22, P = 0.02), and baseline heart rate (r = 0.56, P < 0.01). In a step-wise multiple regression analysis, baseline heart rate (β = 0.79, P < 0.001), HOMA-IR (β = 0.65, P = 0.02), and systolic blood pressure (β = 0.15, P = 0.03) were identified as explanatory variables for R60 heart rates. Our results suggested that cardiopulmonary fitness was associated with insulin resistance in non-DM patients of a university hospital in Korea. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Ferritin is known to be associated with insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress; however, recent studies have shown that there is an association between ferritin and anti-oxidative status. To date, the biphasic response of ferritin to oxidative stress has not been fully evaluated. Thus, we investigated the association between ferritin and IR and anti-oxidative status in obese and non-obese women. We evaluated the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and total anti-oxidant status (TAS) in a total of 111 healthy women between the ages of 32 and 68 years. In all of the study subjects, ferritin levels were positively correlated with age (r = 0.38, P < 0.001), body mass index (r = 0.24, P = 0.01), TAS (r = 0.38, P < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.20, P = 0.04). In the subgroup analysis, ferritin levels were correlated with age (r = 0.39, P < 0.001) and TAS (r = 0.43, P < 0.001) in the non-obese group and with insulin (r = 0.50, P = 0.02) and HOMA-IR (r = 0.52, P = 0.01) levels in the obese group. On stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, ferritin was found to be independently associated with TAS (B = 177.16, P < 0.0001) in the non-obese group and independently associated with HOMA-IR (B = 30.36, P = 0.01) in the obese group. Our findings suggest ferritin is associated with IR in obese women and with anti-oxidative status in non-obese women. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the precise role of ferritin in obesity. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
Though adiponectin has been associated with insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors, the relationship between adiponectin and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare adiponectin level in women with PCOS and without PCOS, and to investigate the relationship between adiponectin level and metabolic variables including insulin resistance. 60 women with PCOS were enrolled along with a control group of 80 healthy women, matched for age and body mass index (BMI). We measured hormonal and metabolic parameters, as well as the plasma adiponectin concentration of each participant. We estimated the insulin sensitivity according to the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI). The PCOS group displayed significantly lower level of adiponectin (P < 0.001) after adjustment for age, BMI, mean blood pressure, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and several metabolic parameters. Adiponectin levels were positively correlated with QUICKI in the PCOS group (P < 0.001) and the control group (P = 0.03). Following step-wise multiple regression analysis, however, adiponectin level was positively correlated with QUICKI in the control group only (P = 0.03). In addition, adiponectin level was found to be independently associated with HDL-cholesterol level (P < 0.001) and BMI (P = 0.02) in the PCOS group and independently associated with HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.02) in the control group. We report decreased adiponectin level in PCOS patients in relation to controls independently of insulin resistance or other metabolic factors. And adiponectin is associated with both lipid metabolism and obesity, which, in turn, is related to insulin resistance in PCOS. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism of adiponectin in PCOS. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
To develop a Korean version of the Integrative Medicine Attitude Questionnaire (IMAQ) in order to evaluate physician attitudes toward integrative medicine/complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). We developed a Korean IMAQ through careful translation of the 28-item questionnaire developed by Schmidt et al. A web-based survey was sent via email to 118 primary care physicians in Korea. The complete respose rate wasa 52.5%. The questionnaire's reliability and validity were verified using Cronbach's α, factor analysis, and discriminant analysis. Although the Korean IMAQ exhibited excellent internal consistency, its validity was insufficient. Our results suggest that Western and Korean physicians may have different understandings of CAM and the concept of holism, as factor analysis showed that incorrectly classified items were mainly part of the holism conceptual domain. Furthermore, the sum of the items within the holism conceptual domain was not significantly different for physicians who had previously received CAM education. This study developed and tested the first Korean IMAQ. We found that this version of the questionnaire lacks sufficient validity and requires further modification. Citations Citations to this article as recorded by
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