Background
Serum-ferritin levels may be associated with psychiatric symptoms among the elderly; however, this association has not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serumferritin levels and mental health issues in older Koreans.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included large-scale national data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2012. In total, 1,802 older Koreans (≥65 years old) were included. The assessed psychiatric symptoms included short sleep duration, stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation. Any association between serum-ferritin levels and mental health issues according to sex was examined using logistic regression analysis.
Results
The prevalence of short sleep duration, stress, depressed mood, and suicidal ideation was 50.9%, 21.7%, 18.2%, and 22.5%, respectively. In men, suicidal ideation decreased with increased serum-ferritin levels after multivariate adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and comorbidities. The odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of suicidal ideation by quartiles of serum-ferritin level were 1 (reference), 1.132 (95% CI, 0.569–2.252), 0.453 (95% CI, 0.217–0.945), and 0.608 (95% CI, 0.295–1.253), respectively, (P for trend=0.039). In women, no trend was observed. However, compared to the lowest quartile, short sleep duration (<7 h) and stress perception were significantly decreased in the third quartile, with odds ratios of 0.601 (95% CI, 0.461–0.888), and 0.606 (95% CI, 0.386–0.952), respectively.
Conclusion
Moderate serum-ferritin levels were associated with decreased risk for suicide ideation in men, and were associated with decreased short sleep duration and stress perception in women.

Citations

• Association between suicide attempts and anemia in late-life depression inpatients
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  BMC Geriatrics.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sleep quality and Laboratory Findings in Patients with Varicose Vein Leg Pain
  Acır Ibrahim, Atay Zeynep Vildan Okudan , Atay Mehmet , Yayla Vildan
  Journal of Neuroscience and Neurological Disorders.2023; 7(1): 022.     CrossRef
• Alteration of Inflammatory Parameters and Psychological Post-Traumatic Syndrome in Long-COVID Patients
  Irma Clemente, Gaia Sinatti, Antonio Cirella, Silvano Junior Santini, Clara Balsano
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(12): 7103.     CrossRef
• Psychological and Cognitive Effects of Long COVID: A Narrative Review Focusing on the Assessment and Rehabilitative Approach
  Rosaria De Luca, Mirjam Bonanno, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2022; 11(21): 6554.     CrossRef
• Suicidal Ideation in Major Depressed Individuals: Role of Type D Personality
  Mokhtar Abdelhakim Laoufi, Benjamin Wacquier, Tristan Lartigolle, Gwenolé Loas, Matthieu Hein
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2022; 11(22): 6611.     CrossRef

Background
: To determine the relationship between nutrient intake and bone mineral density (BMD), we have investigated this issue by the use of a semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire.

Methods : A total 312 women aged 33-77 was divided into two groups, 187 premenopausal and 125 postmenopausal women, Dietary intake was assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire. DMD was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine (lumbar vertebrae 2-4). Pearson correlation and partial correlation coefficients were calculated for each nutrient at the lumbar spine MBD.

Results : The mean age of the 32 participants was 48 years, and their mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.7±2.8 kg/m² . Forty percent of the women were in postmenopausal state. The mean lumbar BMD was 1.117g/cm2. Age was negatively correlated with BMD in postmenopausal women, but smoking and exercise were not correlated with BMD. In premenopausal women, nutrient intakes were not associated with BMD. A significant association was found between intakes of fat, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C and BMD in postmenopausal women, but after adjusting for age, body mass index, energy intake, smoking, exercise, and use of hormone replacement therapy, there was no association.

Conclusion : There was no significant association between nutrient intakes and BMD of the lumbar spine.

Background
: The purpose of this survey was to assess knowledge of the public on family medicine through the analysis of medical counseling by PC communication and compare them with that of internal medicine.

Methods : This survey analyzed the content of medical counseling by PC communication according to ICPC from Oct. 1996 to Jun. 1998. The survey was done by means of E-mail in Nownuri eyes and the selected medical departments were those of family medicine and internal medicine in Pusan National University Hospital.

Results : The total number of questions was 342, including 181 in the department of family medicine and 161 in internal medicine. In the analysis of medical counseling according to ICPC, there was a significant difference between family medicine and internal medicine in the reasons for questions by components(P<0.001). In family medicine, the reasons were symptoms, complaints(66.9%), diagnoses, diseases(18.8%), treatment, procedure, medication(17.2%), and diagnostic, screening, prevention(5.5%). In internal medicine, the reasons for questions were symptoms, complaints(64.6%), diagnoses, diseases(21.1%), treatment, procedure, medication(9.3%), and test results(4.3%).
There was a significant difference between family medicine and internal medicine in the questions by chapters(P<0.05). In family medicine, the questions about digestive system were 28 cases(15.5%), neurological system were 26 cases(14.4%), musculoskeletal system were 25 cases(13.8%), and unspecified were 25 cases(13.8%). In internal medicine, the questions about digestive system were 76 cases(47.2%), circulatory system were 21 cases(13.0%), and respiratory system were 15 cases(9.3%). The most common symptom was headache in family medicine and generalized abdominal pain in internal medicine.

Conclusion : There were significant differences in the age distribution, the reasons for questions, and the contents of questions between family medicine and internal medicine.

Background
: Hypertension is a common disease and one of the most important risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Majority of patients with hypertension are unaware of their conditions until complications develop. Awareness of hypertension is important in treating and controlling of hypertension. Therefore, we conducted a study o the factors related to awareness of hypertension.

Methods : Awareness of hypertension was evaluated by measuring blood pressure(BP) in 3,344 subjects visiting a health promotion center in Pusan National University Hospital from June 1996 to May 1997. All subjects completed a questionnaire including socio-demographic factors and family history. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP above 140mmHg and/or diastolic BP above 90mmHg. 135 subjects were diagnosed as hypertension.

Results : Among 315 hypertensive, only 135 subjects(42.9%) were aware of their conditions. With respect to sex, women had a getter awareness of hypertension than men(51.6% vs. 36.9%, P<0.005). The awareness was greater for the subjects aged over 60 years than for the subjects aged 30-49 years(53.3% vs. 36.5%), and it was statistically significant(P<0.005). The subjects with stage III hypertension had a better awareness of hypertension than the subjects with stage I (65.5% vs. 32.6%, P<0.005). In the occupation-types, the awareness was highest in the group without occupations. But except the group without occupations(56.2%), the awareness was highest in the group of domestic affairs (housewives, 53.2%). Education level and monthly mean income were not related to awareness of hypertension. With respect to marital state, the rate of awareness is highest in the group of widows or widowers(55.8%, P<0.05). The subjects with family history of hypertension had a better awareness of hypertension than the subjects without(59.6% vs. 35.7%, P<0.05). The rate of alcohol drinking(47.4% vs. 66.7%), smoking(21.5% vs. 31.6%) and high salt intake(17.0% vs. 25.0%) were lower and the performance rate of regular exercise(24.4% vs. 13.3%) was higher in those who were aware of their hypertension than those who were not.

Conclusion : The awareness of hypertension was also associated with sex, age, marital state, occupation, stage of hypertension, family history of hypertension, and was related too the performance of life-style modification (alcohol drinking, smoking, salt intake, exercise).

Background
: Physicians who provide primary care should be trained specifically to manage the problems encountered in a primary care practice. This study was carried out to know the residents' concerns and problems during outpatient care by analysing case discussions as an outpatient teaching.

Methods : We used 533 records discussed by 3 residents' teams for 1 year. Of discussion contents, symptoms or diseases were classified into codes and chapters using the ICPC (International Classification of Primary Care) coding system and the main topics of discussion into 12 types. We compared data among 3 residents' teams and also between the discussed contents and the diseases of patients who vis-ited a family practice for 1 year. We used relative discussion ratio to compare data.

Results : Of 533 discussed records, 106 kinds of symptoms or diseases were used and the 20 most common kinds accounted for 61.7%. Contents about menopausal symptom/complaint were 47 records(8.8%) and was the most frequent. Digestive part was the most frequent chapter(22.0%). Distribution of discussed main topics were diagnosis(35.5%), medication(26.8%), other treatment(11.6%), followup(5.8%), etc. There was some difference among 3 residents' teams by chapters and topics.
Visiting patients were 3,436 persons with 79 kinds of symptoms and diseases and prior 20 kinds accounted for 86.6%. Visited patients were some what different with the discussed contents by chapters.

Conclusion : Contents of case discussion in ambulatory setting were some what different among each teams and more diverse than the visiting patients. The residents could exchange many informations and find problems during ambulatory care. We think case discussion can be a good method for outpatient teaching.