Background
A usual source of care (USC) is related to longitudinal and personalized services, which are attributes of primary care. Patient-centered communication, an important element of patient-centered care, helps physicians understand health problems from a patient’s point of view. We analyzed the association between USC and patient-centered communication.
Methods
Data from the Korea Health Panel 2018 were used in the analysis. Patient-centered communication scores were obtained by combining the four communication-related questionnaire items. Usual source of care types were categorized based on responses to two questionnaire items: no USC, a place without a regular doctor and with a regular doctor. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounders.
Results
Good communication rate was higher for those with a regular doctor (71.8%) than for those with no USC (61.8%) or a place only (61.5%). Those with a regular doctor had better communication (odds ratio, 1.49 for individuals with poor/moderate health, and 2.08 for those with good health) than those without a USC after adjusting for confounders. In terms of communication, no difference was observed between individuals with no USC and those with a place only.
Conclusion
Having a regular doctor promotes communication between patients and doctors. Good communication may be a mediator between having a regular doctor and related beneficial outcomes. Better communication by having a regular doctor, along with several other benefits identified in previous studies suggests the need for a health policy that encourages individuals to have regular doctors.

Citations

• Types of Usual Source of Care and Medication Adherence in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus
  Yoon-Eui Choi, Nak-Jin Sung
  Korean Journal of Family Practice.2025; 15(1): 47.     CrossRef
• Patterns of health literacy and influencing factors differ by age: a cross-sectional study
  Da Hae Kwon, Young Dae Kwon
  BMC Public Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Correlation between Usual Source of Care and Medication Adherence in Patients with Hypertension
  Han-Kil Kang, Nak-Jin Sung
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2024; 45(2): 82.     CrossRef
• Determinants of Patient-Centered Communication, Its Impact On Quality of Services, Overall Health Status And Trust In The Healthcare System In The United States
  Cuma Çakmak, İsmail Biçer
  Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi.2024; 11(4): 630.     CrossRef

Clinical practice guidelines (CPG) can be defined as systematically developed recommendations and related content obtained by reviewing scientific evidence, which help healthcare providers make decisions. CPG is one of the most powerful tools that helps clinicians make evidence-based decisions in practice. Methodologies in areas essential for CPG development, such as for systematic review, risk of bias (ROB) assessment, adaptation, and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations, are rapidly developing. Therefore, they must be well-understood and applied to evidence-based CPG development. In this regard, it is necessary to learn about the updates and changed in the methodologies for CPG development. This manuscript covers the following CPG development methodologies: (1) main principles of CPG, (2) managing conflict of interest, (3) considering patient value and preference, (4) determination of key questions, (5) ROB assessment, (6) adaptation, (7) rapid guideline development, (8) living guideline development, and (9) GIN-McMaster Guideline Development Checklist.

Citations

• RoBANS 2: A Revised Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for Nonrandomized Studies of Interventions
  Hyun-Ju Seo, Soo Young Kim, Yoon Jae Lee, Ji-Eun Park
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(5): 249.     CrossRef
• Association between Conflicts of Interest Disclosure and Quality of Clinical Practice Guidelines in Japan: A Meta-Epidemiological Study
  Norio Yamamoto, Akihiko Ozaki, Shunsuke Taito, Takashi Ariie, Hidehiro Someko, Hiroaki Saito, Tetsuya Tanimoto, Yuki Kataoka
  Journal of Personalized Medicine.2023; 13(12): 1722.     CrossRef

Background
Hearing loss (HL) has been suggested to be associated with impaired microcirculation of the inner ear. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate an association between HL and serum lipid levels.
Methods
The study comprised 10,356 Korean adults who participated in the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012). We defined HL as the average hearing thresholds exceeding 25 dB at predetermined frequency levels by pure tone audiometry. Serum lipid levels were measured using an enzymatic assay. The associations between lipid levels and HL were evaluated using a multiple logistic regression model after adjusting for covariates including age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, alcohol, physical activity, educational level, household income, and noise exposure. Stratified analyses were performed to examine the effect of the covariates on the association between lipid levels and HL.
Results
The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level was inversely associated with high-frequency (HF)-HL, with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 0.78 (0.64–0.96) for 1-mmol/L increase in the HDL-C level. Neither the triglyceride nor the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was associated with HF-HL. For low-frequency HL, association with any of the serum lipid components was absent. A stratified analysis showed that the inverse association between HDL-C levels and HF-HL was evident (P trend <0.05) in some subjects with specific characteristics such as older age (≥65 years), female sex, non-hypertensive state, and non-regular physical activity. However, a significant interaction between HDL-C levels and all of the stratified variables was absent (P for interaction >0.05).
Conclusion
The HDL-C level has a linear inverse association with the risk of HF-HL. Given the known protective role of HDL-C against atherosclerotic changes, this finding seems to support the concept of impaired microcirculation in the inner ear as a mechanism for HF-HL.

Citations

• Cardiovascular Diseases and Sensorineural Hearing Loss—A Systematic Review of the Literature
  Anna N. Berezovsky, Mana Espahbodi, Samantha L. LaPrade, David R. Friedland, Michael S. Harris
  Otology & Neurotology.2025; 46(1): 23.     CrossRef
• Which factors influence the deterioration in vestibular function? A nationwide, population-based study with video-head impulse test
  Jeon Mi Lee, Sung Goo Yoo, Hyun Jin Lee
  Journal of Vestibular Research.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Mendelian Randomization Reveals: Triglycerides and Sensorineural Hearing Loss
  Shun Ding, Yixuan Liu, Tingting Duan, Peng Fang, Qiling Tong, Huawei Li, Huiqian Yu
  Bioengineering.2024; 11(5): 438.     CrossRef
• Triglyceride to High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio and Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Community-Dwelling Adults: an NHANES Analysis
  Yang Yu, Zhi-Chao Yang, Li-Xin Wang
  Yonsei Medical Journal.2024; 65(12): 741.     CrossRef
• Association between Hyperuricemia and Hearing Impairment: Results from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
  Hyemin Jeong, Young-Soo Chang, Chan-Hong Jeon
  Medicina.2023; 59(7): 1273.     CrossRef

Background
In addition to its antidiabetic effects, metformin has pleiotropic effects, such as the inhibition of carcinogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the association between metformin use and pancreatic cancer risk in the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS)-National Health Screening Cohort (HEALS).
Methods
Of the individuals in the Korean NHIS-HEALS, 29,271 men and 19,091 women were included in the final analysis after propensity score matching based on age, body mass index, and smoking status. The study population was categorized into three groups: metformin non-users with diabetes mellitus (DM), metformin users with DM, and non-diabetic users. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine the association between metformin use and pancreatic cancer.
Results
The median follow-up period was 12.9 years. The estimated pancreatic cancer incidence was highest in metformin users with DM, regardless of sex (P<0.001), and lowest in non-diabetic men and female metformin non-users (P=0.053). The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for pancreatic cancer incidence in metformin users and non-diabetic individuals were 1.116 (0.648–1.923) and 0.447 (0.259–0.771) in men and 2.769 (1.003–7.642) and 1.451 (0.529–3.984) in women, respectively, after full adjustment.
Conclusion
Women with diabetes using metformin are at a higher risk of pancreatic cancer than women with diabetes not using metformin. Meanwhile, men with DM using metformin have a similar risk of pancreatic cancer as men with DM not using metformin.

Citations

• Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  Imran Rangraze, Adil Farooq Wali, Mohamed El-Tanani, Mohamed Anas Patni, Syed Arman Rabbani, Rasha Babiker, Shakta Mani Satyam, Yahia El-Tanani, Manfredi Rizzo
  Medicina.2025; 61(6): 1021.     CrossRef
• Metformin adverse event profile: a pharmacovigilance study based on the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from 2004 to 2022
  Yikuan Du, Jinfeng Zhu, Zhuoming Guo, Zhenjie Wang, Yuni Wang, Mianda Hu, Lingzhi Zhang, Yurong Yang, Jinjin Wang, Yixing Huang, Peiying Huang, Mianhai Chen, Bo Chen, Chun Yang
  Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology.2024; 17(2): 189.     CrossRef
• Metformin: A Dual-Role Player in Cancer Treatment and Prevention
  Mariam Ahmed Galal, Mohammed Al-Rimawi, Abdurrahman Hajeer, Huda Dahman, Samhar Alouch, Ahmad Aljada
  International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(7): 4083.     CrossRef
• Anti-Diabetic Therapies and Cancer: From Bench to Bedside
  Dimitris Kounatidis, Natalia G. Vallianou, Irene Karampela, Eleni Rebelos, Marina Kouveletsou, Vasileios Dalopoulos, Petros Koufopoulos, Evanthia Diakoumopoulou, Nikolaos Tentolouris, Maria Dalamaga
  Biomolecules.2024; 14(11): 1479.     CrossRef
• Exploring the Basic Molecular Pathways: Metformin as a Potential Treatment Option for Pancreatic Cancer
  Sepehr Ramezani, Dariush Moslemi, Faezeh Firuzpour, Hamidreza Didar, Seyedamirmohammad Mazloumi, Narjes rezaeiroushan
  Iranian Journal of Blood and Cancer.2024; 16(4): 56.     CrossRef
• Diabetes Mellitus in Pancreatic Cancer: A Distinct Approach to Older Subjects with New-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
  Jan Bures, Darina Kohoutova, Jan Skrha, Bohus Bunganic, Ondrej Ngo, Stepan Suchanek, Pavel Skrha, Miroslav Zavoral
  Cancers.2023; 15(14): 3669.     CrossRef

Background
Previous studies have shown a close relationship between skipping breakfast and nutritional deficiency. However, the impact of regular eating, including lunch and dinner, has not been studied well. We explored the correlation between regularity and frequency of daily meals and nutritional status.
Methods
We analyzed Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 2016 and 2018. A total of 7,725 adults aged 19–49 years were classified into four groups according to the regularity of meal intake: three-meal regular diet (3MRD), two-meal regular diet, one-meal regular diet, and irregular diet (IRD). Food and nutrient intake was assessed using the 24-hour recall method and estimated by a generalized linear model in complex sample weight variables.
Results
In IRD, there were relatively more females who were not married, lived alone, or reported low levels of education. As subjects ate more meals, more people felt thinner and healthier by themselves. Dietary intake of cereal, vegetables, seaweed, and fiber was directly proportional to the number of regular meals as well as essential components such as water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and micronutrients. Contrarily, alcohol and beverage consumption was inversely proportional to the number of regular meals. Intake level of legumes, fish, fruits, seasonings, milk, oils, sugars, and cholesterol was consistent regardless of meal frequency.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that 3MRD showed nutrient adequacy and a healthier profile on body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, serum fasting glucose, total cholesterol, and triglyceride.

Citations

• Eating patterns in Korean adults, 1998–2018: increased energy contribution of ultra-processed foods in main meals and snacks
  Sukyoung Jung, Jee Young Kim, Sohyun Park
  European Journal of Nutrition.2024; 63(1): 279.     CrossRef
• Analysis of dietary behavior and intake related to glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes aged 30 years or older in Korea: Utilizing the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019–2021)
  Jin-Ah Seok, Yeon-Kyung Lee
  Nutrition Research and Practice.2024; 18(2): 239.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for nutrition counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Gyeongsil Lee, Seung-Won Oh
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 278.     CrossRef
• A national cross-sectional study on breakfast skipping-related factors and comparison of nutritional status according to breakfast skipping in older adults based on the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2020)
  Anna Han, Yean Jung Choi
  The Journal of nutrition, health and aging.2024; 28(9): 100335.     CrossRef
• The Association between Personality Factors and Metabolic Parameters among Patients with Non-Alcoholic-Fatty Liver Disease and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus—A Cross-Sectional Study
  Marcin Kosmalski, Rafał Frankowski, Monika Różycka-Kosmalska, Kasper Sipowicz, Tadeusz Pietras, Łukasz Mokros
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2023; 12(13): 4468.     CrossRef
• Nutrition fact label (NFL) use is related to meeting the requirements for vitamins and minerals not listed on NFLs: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey VIII (2019–2021) for the prepandemic and pandemic periods
  Jung Min Cho, Niravkumar Joshi
  PLOS ONE.2023; 18(12): e0296268.     CrossRef
• Association between Prediabetes and Meal Patterns Related to Meal Sharing among Korean Young Adults: Eighth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2019–2020
  Saebom Kim, Sehee Kim, Youngmin Kim, Seonmi Seo, Yu Jin Chung, Sam Cheol Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Practice.2023; 13(3): 179.     CrossRef
• Meal Frequency, Metabolic Health, and Social Norms
  Young Gyu Cho
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(5): 275.     CrossRef

Background
Sleep duration is associated with various health conditions, including chronic kidney disease. However, the association between sleep duration and decline in kidney function in the South Korean population remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the impact of sleep duration on kidney function decline in adult patients with hypertension.
Methods
This cohort study was performed using data obtained from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study; 2,837 patients with hypertension who initially had normal kidney function were included. Glomerular filtration rates (GFRs) were estimated at baseline and throughout the 16 years of follow-up. A person was considered to have a decline in kidney function if they had a GFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m². Sleep duration data were obtained through interviewer-assisted questionnaires. Sleep durations were classified as short (<6 hours), normal (≥6 hours but <9 hours), and long (≥9 hours). The Cox proportional hazards model was applied, with adjustments for covariates.
Results
After adjusting for covariates, sleep duration was not associated with a decline in kidney function. However, among men with poorly controlled hypertension at baseline, compared to men with normal sleep durations, men with sleep durations <6 hours had a significantly higher risk of kidney function decline (hazard ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.36).
Conclusion
Short sleep duration did not seem to be associated with an increased risk of decline in kidney function; however, it may be a risk factor for the decline in kidney function in men with poorly controlled hypertension.

Citations

• The risk of chronic kidney disease or proteinuria with long or short sleep duration: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
  Meng Hu, Yongchong Wang, Wen Zhu, Xiaozhen Chen
  Clinical and Experimental Nephrology.2025; 29(3): 301.     CrossRef
• Short or long sleep duration was associated with chronic kidney disease in the general population
  Gang Wang, Ning Zhuo, Zhichun Liu
  International Urology and Nephrology.2024; 56(7): 2441.     CrossRef
• The association of sleep duration with the risk of chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  Jin Hean Koh, Brian Sheng Yep Yeo, Timothy Wei En Tan, Mark Yong Siang See, Adele Chin Wei Ng, Shaun Ray Han Loh, Joshua Gooley, Chieh Suai Tan, Song Tar Toh
  Clinical Kidney Journal.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association of plant and animal protein intake with sleep quality and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: a multicenter cross-sectional study
  Saber Jafari Maskouni, Hossein Bavi Behbahani, Meysam Alipour, Ahmad Zare Javid, Fatemeh Fayazfar, Pardis Tofighzadeh, Shiva Shokri, Sara Keramatzadeh, Haleh Soltaniyan Dehkordi, Morteza Sharifat, Siavash Babajafari Esfandabad, Shokouh Shayanpour
  Frontiers in Nutrition.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
The International Classification of Primary Care-2 (ICPC-2) is a classification method designed for primary care. Although previous studies have found that ICPC-2 is a useful tool for demonstrating the relationship between patients’ expectations and health providers’ diagnoses, its utility of ICPC-2 has yet to be fully studied in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the practicality of ICPC-2 in Korean primary care.
Methods
The study was conducted at primary care clinics in Seoul and Gyeonggi areas from October to November 2015. Third-year family medicine residents examined and analyzed the medical records of patients who visited primary care physicians using ICPC-2, and the results were compared with those obtained using the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) (Korean version: Korean Standard Classification of Diseases-7).
Results
A total of 26 primary care physicians from 23 primary care clinics participated in the study. Furthermore, 2,458 ICD-10 codes and 6,091 ICPC-2 codes were recorded from the data of 1,099 patients. The common disease codes were vasomotor and allergic rhinitis (J30), according to ICD-10, and acute upper respiratory infection (R74) in ICPC-2. Comparing disease status by body systems, the proportion of gastrointestinal disease with ICD-10 codes was significantly higher than that with ICPC-2 codes (P<0.001). Furthermore, patients with >4 diagnoses accounted for 36% of the ICD-10 classifications, whereas those with >4 diagnoses accounted for 4% of the ICPC-2 classifications.
Conclusion
Introducing ICPC as a complementary means for diagnosing common diseases could be a practical approach in Korean primary care.

Citations

• Evaluation of Diagnoses According to ICD‐10 and ICPC‐2 in Family Medicine Practice: A Retrospective Study
  Olgun Göktaş, Marta Laranjo
  International Journal of Clinical Practice.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
After the advent of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in 2017, domestic cigarette sales declined until 2019, but have increased in South Korea since 2020. This study aimed to analyze tobacco use and cessation behavior among HTP users compared with conventional cigarette (CC) users.
Methods
We analyzed data from the eighth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019). Of 6,188 study participants, 1,181 were current tobacco product users (single, dual, and triple), including all combinations of CCs, HTPs, and electronic cigarettes (ECs). Tobacco use and cessation behaviors among single and dual users of CCs and HTPs were assessed using various categorical methods.
Results
In 2019, proportions of HTP use in men and women aged ≥19 years in South Korea were 8.8% and 1.5%, respectively, and those of single, dual, and triple users were 23.6%, 58.0%, and 18.4%, respectively. Dual users had more tobacco use than CC only and HTP only users (all P<0.001). Each daily user accounted for a lower percentage of attempt and preparation stages for cessation than intermittent users (all P<0.001, except for dual users).
Conclusion
In this study, we analyzed the differences in tobacco use and cessation behavior among CC and HTP users in various populations in South Korea. Additionally, we found that all novel tobacco product users had already experienced CCs in adulthood. Further studies that address HTP’s harmful effects in humans are necessary.

Citations

• Relationship between insulin resistance surrogate markers with diabetes and dyslipidemia: A Bayesian network analysis of Korean adults
  Jaeyeop Choi, Jonghyun Kim, Hyun Sook Oh, Marwan Al-Nimer
  PLOS One.2025; 20(5): e0323329.     CrossRef
• Pharmacotherapy guidelines for smoking cessation in primary healthcare clinics
  Cheol Min Lee, Yu Jin Paek, Yoo Bin Seo, Eon Sook Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 230.     CrossRef
• Heated tobacco product use frequency, smoking quit attempts, and smoking reduction among Mexican adult smokers
  Lizeth Cruz-Jiménez, Inti Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Dèsirée Vidaña-Pérez, Katia Gallegos-Carrillo, Edna Arillo-Santillán, Rosibel Rodríguez-Bolaños, James W. Hardin, Minji Kim, James F. Thrasher
  Tobacco Induced Diseases.2024; 22(May): 1.     CrossRef
• A Scoping Review of Behavioural Studies on Heated Tobacco Products
  Ian M Fearon, Sarah F Cordery, Martin Fitzpatrick, Sarah Weaver, Matthew Stevenson, Erika Grandolfo, Layla Malt, Keith Thompson, Thomas Nahde
  Cureus.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Current status of tobacco use, cessation and control policy in Korea
  Cheol Min Lee
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 789.     CrossRef

Pharmacovigilance is used to detect, assess, understand, and prevent the adverse effects of medications. The need for safety monitoring has evolved around unfortunate incidents in history, with deaths caused by anesthesia and congenital malformations from thalidomide use. Reports from adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are stored in a global database and can be used to evaluate the associations between various medications and associated ADRs. Clinicians play an important role in the recognition and reporting of ADRs to national pharmacovigilance centers (NPCs). The purpose of NPCs is to make the clinicians understand their functions, including the monitoring, investigation, and assessment of ADR reports, along with periodical benefit-risk assessments of medications via multiple sources. A case study on NPCs and the types of safety issues evaluated by them are provided to illustrate their role in medicine safety surveillance. ADR monitoring was also combined with vaccine safety surveillance approaches. Overall, this study will provide insights to clinicians on the importance of pharmacovigilance in maintaining patient safety with the proper use of medications.

Citations

• Analysis of literature-derived duplicate records in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database
  Weiru Han, Robert Morris, Kun Bu, Tianrui Zhu, Hong Huang, Feng Cheng
  Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.2025; 103(2): 56.     CrossRef
• Leveraging Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Methods for Adverse Drug Event Detection in Electronic Health/Medical Records: A Scoping Review
  Su Golder, Dongfang Xu, Karen O’Connor, Yunwen Wang, Mahak Batra, Graciela Gonzalez Hernandez
  Drug Safety.2025; 48(4): 321.     CrossRef
• Patient Experience Regarding Medication-Related Information Received in a Rural Private Polyclinic Setting in Vietnam
  Quang Loc Duyen Vo, Minh Trung Nguyen, Thi Ngoc Yen Dang, Thi Hong Dung Quach, Huynh Kim Ngoc Truong, Rebecca Susan Dewey, Thi Thu Tran, Van De Tran
  Journal of Patient Experience.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Interações Fármaco-fármaco em Prescrições de Pacientes em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva Adulto em Hospital Público de Montes Claros
  Anna Lívia Lima, Kelly Cristiane Lopes, Esther Alves Marinho , Flávio Júnior Figueredo , Cecília Paiva Duarte , Viviane de Oliveira Vasconcelos, Izabella Mendes Lima , Thiago Santos Monção, Guilherme Henrique Azevedo dos Reis , Yves André Rodrigues Gomes
  Revista de Gestão e Secretariado.2025; 16(2): e4715.     CrossRef
• Safety of COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Lactation: A VigiBase Analysis
  Dayeon Kang, Ahhyung Choi, Suneun Park, Seung-Ah Choe, Ju-Young Shin
  Journal of Korean Medical Science.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Revolutionizing drug discovery: The impact of artificial intelligence on advancements in pharmacology and the pharmaceutical industry
  Seema Yadav, Abhishek Singh, Rishika Singhal, Jagat Pal Yadav
  Intelligent Pharmacy.2024; 2(3): 367.     CrossRef
• Drug Repurposing Using FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) Database
  Robert Morris, Rahinatu Ali, Feng Cheng
  Current Drug Targets.2024; 25(7): 454.     CrossRef
• Drug-Related Glomerular Phenotypes: A Global Pharmacovigilance Perspective
  Alexandre Baptista, Ana M. Macedo, Ana Marreiros, André Coelho, Mark A. Perazella
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 13(16): 4869.     CrossRef
• Postmarketing Surveillance: Review of Open Sources of Drug Safety Data
  E. V. Shubnikova
  Safety and Risk of Pharmacotherapy.2024; 12(3): 309.     CrossRef
• Exploring the community pharmacist’s knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding adverse drug reactions and its reporting in the United Arab Emirates: a survey-based cross-sectional study
  Javedh Shareef, Sathvik Belagodu Sridhar, Mullaicharam Bhupathyraaj, Atiqulla Shariff, Sabin Thomas
  Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Pharmacovigilance: A Comprehensive Review of Drug Safety Monitoring Practices
  Aniket Anil Pawar, Aftab Imtiyaz Patel, Suhani Balu Jadhav, Harshavardhan T. Suryawanshi, Suhani Balu Jadhav
  International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology.2024; : 314.     CrossRef
• Explicit potentially inappropriate medications criteria for older population in Asian countries: A systematic review
  Chee Tao Chang, Siew Li Teoh, Philip Rajan, Shaun Wen Huey Lee
  Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.2023; 19(8): 1146.     CrossRef
• A Real-World Data Driven Pharmacovigilance Investigation on Drug-Induced Arrhythmia Using KAERS DB, a Korean Nationwide Adverse Drug Reporting System
  Chaerin Go, Semi Kim, Yujin Kim, Yongjun Sunwoo, Sae Hyun Eom, Jiseong Yun, Sooyoung Shin, Yeo Jin Choi
  Pharmaceuticals.2023; 16(11): 1612.     CrossRef

Identifying and preventing modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease is very important. Vascular calcification has been studied clinically as an asymptomatic preclinical marker of atherosclerosis and a risk factor for cardio-cerebrovascular disease. It is known that higher homocysteine levels are associated with calcified plaques and the higher the homocysteine level, the higher the prevalence and progression of vascular calcification. Homocysteine is a byproduct of methionine metabolism and is generally maintained at a physiological level. Moreover, it may increase if the patient has a genetic deficiency of metabolic enzymes, nutritional deficiencies of related cofactors (vitamins), chronic diseases, or a poor lifestyle. Homocysteine is an oxidative stress factor that can lead to calcified plaques and trigger vascular inflammation. Hyperhomocysteinemia causes endothelial dysfunction, transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and the induction of apoptosis. As a result of transdifferentiation and cell apoptosis, hydroxyapatite accumulates in the walls of blood vessels. Several studies have reported on the mechanisms of multiple cellular signaling pathways that cause inflammation and calcification in blood vessels. Therefore, in this review, we take a closer look at understanding the clinical consequences of hyperhomocysteinemia and apply clinical approaches to reduce its prevalence.

Citations

• Methionine synthetase A2756G and Cystathionine-β-synthase 844ins68 polymorphisms and coronary artery disease: A meta-analysis
  Yan-yan Li, Hui Wang, Yang-yang Zhang
  The American Journal of the Medical Sciences.2025; 369(5): 574.     CrossRef
• Blood metabolites mediate causal inference studies on the effect of gut microbiota on the risk of vascular calcification
  Aoran Huang, Jianshuai Ma, Huijin Zhu, Yanli Qi, Yang Jin, Mingxuan Zhang, Li Yin, Minhong Luo, Sifan Chen, Chen Xie, Hui Huang
  Journal of Advanced Research.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Decoding post-myocardial infarction coronary microvascular dysfunction: The SP1-driven STAT3/KCa3.1/eNOS protective mechanism
  Zhen Wang, Yong Wang, Yan Cheng, Jingwen Zhang, Wenyang Nie, Xueqiang Liu, Hualiang Deng
  Cytojournal.2025; 22: 66.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for nutrition counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Gyeongsil Lee, Seung-Won Oh
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 278.     CrossRef
• Plasma Homocysteine Levels as Cardiovascular Disease Risk vis-a-vis Estrogen Levels in Pre and Postmenopausal Women
  Likhitha Munnangi, K. S. S. Sai Baba, Noorjahan Mohammed, Oruganti Sai Satish, M. Vijaya Bhaskar, Siraj Ahmed Khan, N. N. Sreedevi, Bhavya Sirivelu
  Indian Journal of Cardiovascular Disease in Women.2024; 9: 143.     CrossRef
• Impact of Hyperhomocysteinemia on Cytokine and Matrix Metalloproteinases Contents in Rat Skeletal Muscle
  Olha Kravchenko, Raksha Nataliia, Kostiuk Oleksandra, Liashevska Oleksandra, Tiron Oksana, Maievskyi Oleksandr
  Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Journal.2024; 8(3): 387.     CrossRef
• Vitamin K and age-related diseases
  K. A. Eruslanova, Yu. S. Onuchina, E. V. Ivannikova, E. N. Dudinskaya
  Russian Journal of Geriatric Medicine.2023; (4): 236.     CrossRef

Phytophotodermatitis, a cutaneous reaction caused by direct contact with photosensitive substances in plants and subsequent exposure to ultraviolet light, is commonly caused by psoralens in plants, including citrus fruits. We describe a case of phytophotodermatitis caused by a hand sanitizer containing a blood orange (Citrus sinensis) extract. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of phytophotodermatitis caused by a hand sanitizer. A 41-year-old woman presented with a 2-week history of pruritic cutaneous eruptions on her right thigh. Approximately 24 hours prior to the onset of her symptoms, she applied a new citrus-based hand sanitizer. Immediately after applying the hand sanitizer, her right thigh was exposed to sunlight for approximately 5 hours. Extracts from oranges are used in many cosmetics, including perfumes and fragrances. With the increased use of hand sanitizers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, physicians should note that phytophotodermatitis due to scented hand sanitizers may occur more frequently.

Citations

• New Insights Concerning Phytophotodermatitis Induced by Phototoxic Plants
  Cristina Grosu (Dumitrescu), Alex-Robert Jîjie, Horaţiu Manea, Elena-Alina Moacă, Andrada Iftode, Daliana Minda, Raul Chioibaş, Cristina-Adriana Dehelean, Cristian Vlad
  Life.2024; 14(8): 1019.     CrossRef
• Significance of Singlet Oxygen Molecule in Pathologies
  Kazutoshi Murotomi, Aya Umeno, Mototada Shichiri, Masaki Tanito, Yasukazu Yoshida
  International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2023; 24(3): 2739.     CrossRef
• Impacts of hand sanitizer on human health and environment: a review
  Shashi Bala , Faheem Ahamad
  Environment Conservation Journal.2023; 24(2): 413.     CrossRef

Background
The association between life-event stressors and low physical activity linked to the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) is poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the perceived stress status and physical activity level associated with the severity of CAD.
Methods
The study was conducted among 423 patients with newly discovered CAD (both sexes, aged 35–65 years) confirmed by coronary angiography results. CAD severity was classified according to the Gensini score as severe or non-severe. The fasting blood glucose and lipid profiles were also investigated. Anthropometric and brachial blood pressure measurements were obtained. A structured questionnaire including participants’ characteristics, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire were used via face-to-face interviews. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to assess the predictors of CAD severity using IBM SPSS ver. 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).
Results
Most participants were classified as having severe CAD (63.8%). Adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and history of hypertension, the severity of CAD increased by 9% for a onescore increase in the PSS (odds ratio [OR], 1.09; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–1.14; P=0.030). Moreover, sufficiently active (600–1,500 metabolic equivalents [METs]/wk) patients had lower odds of severe CAD (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.23–0.72; P=0.027) than those with insufficient activity. However, no significant association was found between physical activity (≥1,500 METs/wk) and CAD severity.
Conclusion
The odds of CAD severity significantly increased with increasing perceived stress score but decreased with sufficient physical activity.

Citations

• Relationship Between Perceived Stress and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography
  Assaire Mahamat Youssouf, Selda Arslan
  Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences.2025; 15(2): 362.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for physical activity counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Yun Jun Yang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 265.     CrossRef
• Moderating Effect of Physical Activity on the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Depression in Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Yue-Hee Yeom, Suk Jeong Lee
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2023; 35(3): 204.     CrossRef

Background
Although numerous studies have indicated that lower levels of physical activity correlate with a higher risk of depression, an association between the type of physical activity and depression has not been identified in Korea. This study aimed to examine whether the type and intensity of physical activity are associated with depression in Korean adults.
Methods
This cross-sectional study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 11,679 individuals were analyzed using multiple logistic regression analyses to identify any association between the type of physical activity and depressive disorders in the sample subjects.
Results
Measured weekly in units of energy expenditure, known as metabolic equivalents (METs), the amount of work-related physical activity was higher in individuals with depression according to the Patient Health Questionnaire- 9 than the participants without depression (386.7 vs. 206.7 MET-min/wk, P=0.01). Those diagnosed with depression tended to engage in less recreational activity per week (143.7 vs. 316.3 MET-min/wk, P<0.001) than those without depression. After controlling for covariates, the risk of depression among all participants was 1.012 times higher with a 100-unit increase in total work-related activity measured in METs (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.006–1.017; P<0.001) and 0.962 times lower with a 100-unit increase in total leisure activity measured in METs (95% CI, 0.937–0.987; P=0.003).
Conclusion
Different types of physical activity were shown to be differently associated with depressive disorders in Korean adults. This study might guide in reducing work-related physical activity and increasing leisure activity to prevent the occurrence of depression.

Citations

• Socioeconomic disparities in depression risk: Limitations of the moderate effect of physical activity changes in Korea
  Su Kyoung Lee, Yong Jin Kwon, Zulkarnain Jaafar
  PLOS ONE.2025; 20(2): e0314930.     CrossRef
• Physical activity and its specific domains associated with depressive symptoms: a cross-sectional large population survey
  Abtin Ansari, Keyvan Karimi, Fatima Rashidi, Amirhossein Memari, Sarmad Salehi, Khashayar Danandeh
  International Journal of Surgery: Global Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Guidelines for physical activity counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Yun Jun Yang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 265.     CrossRef
• Nutrient Inadequacy in Korean Young Adults with Depression: A Case Control Study
  Su-In Yoon, Hye-Ri Moon, So Rok Lee, Jingnan Zhang, Soojin Lee, Jin Ah Cho
  Nutrients.2023; 15(9): 2195.     CrossRef
• The association of work physical activity and recreational physical activity with periodontitis in the NHANES (2009–2014)
  Rui Pu, Mengdie Fu, Guoli Yang, Zhiwei Jiang
  Journal of Periodontology.2023; 94(10): 1220.     CrossRef
• Personalized training as a promoter for physical activity in people with depressive disorder—a randomized controlled trial in Germany
  Katriona Keller-Varady, Sven Haufe, Elisabeth Schieffer, Arno Kerling, Uwe Tegtbur, Kai G. Kahl
  Frontiers in Psychiatry.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Does Excessive Smartphone Use Reduce Physical Activity in Adolescents?
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(5): 247.     CrossRef
• Factors Associated with Undertaking Health-Promoting Activities by Older Women at High Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
  Jagoda Rusowicz, Anna Serweta, Karolina Juszko, Wojciech Idzikowski, Robert Gajda, Joanna Szczepańska-Gieracha
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2022; 19(23): 15957.     CrossRef

Background
Continuity of care in primary care settings is crucial for managing diabetes. We aimed to statistically define and analyze continuity factors associated with demographics, clinical workforce, and geographical relationships.
Methods
We used 2014–2015 National Health Insurance Service claims data from the Korean registry, with 39,096 eligible outpatient attendance. We applied multivariable logistic regression to analyze factors that may affect the continuity of care indices for each patient: the most frequent provider continuity index (MFPCI), modified-modified continuity index (MMCI), and continuity of care index (COCI).
Results
The mean continuity of care indices were 0.90, 0.96, and 0.85 for MFPCI, MMCI and COCI, respectively. Among patient factors, old age >80 years (MFPCI: odds ratio [OR], 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–0.89; MMCI: OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.76–0.92; and COCI: OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.74–0.89) and mild disability were strongly associated with lower continuity of care. Another significant factor was the residential area: the farther the patients lived from their primary care clinic, the lower the continuity of diabetes care (MFPCI: OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.70–0.78; MMCI: OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.66–0.73; and COCI: OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.70–0.78).
Conclusion
The geographical proximity of patients’ residential areas and clinic locations showed the strongest correlation as a continuity factor. Further efforts are needed to improve continuity of care to address the geographical imbalance in diabetic care.

Citations

• Association of rurality and decreased continuity of care prior to a diagnosis of prediabetes
  Bobbie L. Johannes, Arch G. Mainous, Alex R. Chang, H. Lester Kirchner, G. Craig Wood, Christopher D. Still, Lisa Bailey‐Davis
  The Journal of Rural Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Disease prevention measures applicable to primary healthcare clinics
  Jae-Heon Kang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 226.     CrossRef
• Association between continuity of care and inappropriate prescribing in outpatient care in Germany: a cross-sectional analysis conducted as part of the LoChro trial
  Aline Pfefferle, Nadine Binder, Julia Sauer, Mario Sofroniou, Gloria Metzner, Erik Farin, Sebastian Voigt-Radloff, Andy Maun, Claudia Salm
  BMJ Open.2024; 14(7): e082245.     CrossRef
• COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the continuity of care for chronic patients: evidence from a cross-sectional retrospective study in a developing country
  Abbasali Dehghani Tafti, Azadeh Fatehpanah, Ibrahim Salmani, Mohammad Amin Bahrami, Hossien Tavangar, Hossien Fallahzadeh, Ali Ahmadi Tehrani, Sajjad Bahariniya, Gholamreza Ahmadi Tehrani
  BMC Primary Care.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Evaluating the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on hypertension and diabetes care in South Korea: an interrupted time series analysis
  Boram Sim, Sunmi Kim, Eun Woo Nam
  BMC Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Impact of Continuity of Care on Health Indicators in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Family Medicine Clinics in Riyadh
  Ghada Hussein, Aljoharah A Al Saud, Ahmad M Siddiqi, Abdallah Khasawinah, Ahmad Alenezi, Riham A Mohammed, Yaser A Alendijani
  Cureus.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The Role of Continuity of Care in the Management of Chronic Disease
  Seung-Won Oh
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(4): 207.     CrossRef

Background
Folic acid is involved in inflammatory reactions; however, the association between folic acid and allergic diseases, particularly asthma, remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association between serum folic acid levels and asthma in Koreans.
Methods
This study analyzed the serum folic acid levels of 6,615 individuals included in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The prevalence of asthma was determined using a questionnaire that identified cases of physician-diagnosed asthma. The relationship between serum folic acid levels and asthma was analyzed using logistic regression analysis.
Results
Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that a 1 ng/mL increase in serum folic acid level significantly reduced the risk of asthma after adjusting for confounding factors including sex, age, household income, current smoking, current alcohol use, and body mass index (odds ratio [OR], 0.930; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.876– 0.987; P=0.017). The relationship between the adjusted odds of asthma and serum folic acid levels were consistently inverse (OR, 2.266; 95% CI, 1.126–4.420; P for trend=0.038).
Conclusion
Serum folic acid levels are inversely associated with physician-diagnosed asthma in the Korean population.

Citations

• Association between serum folate levels and blood eosinophil counts in American adults with asthma: Results from NHANES 2011–2018
  Jun Wen, Changfen Wang, Mohan Giri, Shuliang Guo
  Frontiers in Immunology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
The use of topical antibiotics (TA) for prophylactic purposes after clean dermatologic procedures (CDP) is generally not recommended, and the prescription of TA needs to be individualized in consideration of each patient’s situation and underlying disease. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of patients who underwent CDP in outpatient settings and were prescribed TA inappropriately, as well as the factors that may affect the prescription of TA.
Methods
Outpatient visits coded for CDP were selected using claims data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in 2018. Of these, patients receiving TA prescriptions were classified as having inappropriate TA use, and the proportion was estimated through technical analysis. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors influencing inappropriate prescriptions.
Results
Data were analyzed using 423,651 visits, and TA was prescribed for approximately 1.9% of the visits. TA usage was higher among women (2.0%), 0–19 years of age (2.2%), medical aid (2.2%), clinic settings (2.4%), and metropolitan areas (2.0%). TA was prescribed more frequently in urology (8.6%), pediatrics (5.0%), and dermatology (4.2%) than in other specialties.
Conclusion
The prescription rate of TA after CDP was 1.9% using the 1.4 million patient sample from the national health insurance claims data in Korea, which is equally weighted to represent 50 million people. Although the proportion of inappropriate TA prescriptions in Korea is lower than that in other nations, it cannot be overlooked because of the large number of cases. Efforts to improve quality are required to reduce the number of inappropriate prescriptions.

Background
Since the era of “thyroid cancer epidemic,” many Korean academic societies discouraged the use of ultrasonography in healthy individuals and revised the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System to address the overscreening and overdiagnosis issues. This study aimed to evaluate the change in the diagnostic effectiveness of thyroid cancer screening over the last decade.
Methods
This single-center, retrospective observational study analyzed the data of 125,962 thyroid nodules obtained during cancer screening at the health promotion center of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital from 2010 to 2019. Only 327 thyroid cancer cases pathologically confirmed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA) were included in the study. The strength of the association between the number of FNA and (1) the number of thyroid cancer diagnoses, (2) the positive predictive values (PPVs), and (3) the difference in PPV from the previous year were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation analysis.
Results
The number of thyroid FNA biopsies as well as the thyroid cancer diagnoses decreased from 2010 to 2019 (166 to 48 [-71.1%] vs. 43 to 22 [-48.8%]). The PPV of FNA biopsies increased from 25.9% to 45.8% (+76.8%) and was negatively correlated with the number of FNA biopsies performed (R=-0.87, P<0.001). The difference in PPV from the previous year increased similarly but without statistical significance (R=-0.59, P=0.09).
Conclusion
The diagnostic efficiency of thyroid cancer screening has increased over the last decade, as evidenced by the increasing PPV of FNA biopsies.

Citations

• Impact of Incretin Mimetics on Thyroid Cancer Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Cohort Time-to-Event Analysis
  Michael W. Strand, Daniel Chow, Weining Shen, Jonathan H. Watanabe
  Pharmacoepidemiology.2025; 4(2): 9.     CrossRef

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected several countries worldwide, including Malaysia, with the first reported case occurring in January 2020. Terengganu, a state on the east coast of Malaysia, is finding it challenging to contain the disease by aggressively instituting all public health measures to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases and community transmission. Our primary health clinic, which is situated in a semi-rural district in Terengganu, is also involved in the implementation of containment measures, community risk measurement, and the initial management of COVID-19 cases. The health clinic changed the clinic system for the delivery of healthcare services to avoid overcrowding of patients and adapted innovative ways of providing medical services, such as telemedicine and “drive-through” pharmacy. It also provided continuous health education and awareness regarding COVID-19 to both patients and clinic attendees. The essential element of combating the infection is the effective control of infection in a small, isolated clinic in which space and adequate facilities are known challenges. This study aimed to highlight the flow of COVID-19 management starting from screening, triaging, and management based on protocol, implementation of infection control measures, and training of healthcare workers in our health clinic. The mental health of these workers was managed by the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Unit, as recommended by the Ministry of Health Malaysia. The role of primary care clinics in the ongoing pandemic is currently increasing. Hence, higher authority and the government must increase the number of facilities, human resources, and financial budget to ensure that all initiatives can be implemented effectively.

Citations

• Promoting Health Literacy: Preparing for Future Health Crises
  Dalmacito A. Cordero Jr.
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(2): 124.     CrossRef
• Post-pandemic period in N. Macedonia: an opportunity to expand the role of pharmacist
  Iskra Jordanovska, Katerina Anchevska Netkovska, Aleksandra Kapedanovska Nestorovska, Aleksandra Grozdanova
  Macedonian Pharmaceutical Bulletin.2022; 68(03): 577.     CrossRef

The health benefits of physical activity have been well established. However, more than a quarter of the adult population in the world is insufficiently active (not performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two), and there has been little improvement since 2001. In South Korea, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 54.4% in adults and 94.1% in adolescents in 2020. There was continuous decrease in the prevalence of sufficient aerobic physical activity, from 58.3% in 2014 to 45.6% in 2020. However, daily duration of sedentary behavior increased from 7.5 to 8.6 hours in the same period. Interventions to promote physical activity are necessary in various fields including clinical and policy approaches. As physical activity has decreased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, safer and more effective strategies to promote physical activity are required.

Citations

• Retrospective observational study of the association between changes in physical activity and frailty in middle-aged and older adults: evidence from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (2006–2022)
  Ye Jun Jung, Junhyuk Kim, Yun Seo Jang, Eun-Cheol Park
  BMJ Open.2025; 15(1): e092072.     CrossRef
• Sedentary Behavior and Its Association With Psychological Well-Being and Sleep Quality in Adolescents: Evidence from a Propensity Score Analysis
  Lirong Zhang, Shaocong Zhao, Shuangyin Zhao, Hua Zheng, Yizhen Ke, Weichen Yang, Mingxing Lei
  Psychology Research and Behavior Management.2025; Volume 18: 281.     CrossRef
• Application of the Multi-Process Action Control model framework to predict physical activity: a study on Korean university students
  Doheung Lee, Heejung Jung, Seungjoo Lee, Sungho Kwon
  Psychology & Health.2025; : 1.     CrossRef
• Maintaining optimal cardiovascular health metrics and carotid intima-media thickness among Korean adolescents
  Fumie Kaneko, Hokyou Lee, Jee-Seon Shim, Hyeon Chang Kim
  Clinical Hypertension.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Assessing adherence to physical activity guidelines and correlates among older Korean adults with a focus on 10-minute bout duration using subjective and objective measures
  Junhui Park, Su Hyun Kim, Young Hoon Kim, Chang-Hyung Lee, Timoteo Salvador Lucas Daca
  PLOS One.2025; 20(6): e0324342.     CrossRef
• Trends in obesity, leisure-time physical activity, and sedentary behavior in Korean adults: Korea national health and nutritional examinations survey from 2014 to 2021
  Yunmin Han, Hoyong Sung, Younghwan Choi, Yeon Soo Kim, Hee-Taik Kang
  PLOS ONE.2024; 19(1): e0296042.     CrossRef
• Effect of alcohol consumption on risk of hypertension based on alcohol-related facial flushing response: From the health examinees study
  Seung Yeon Cho, Jiwon Jeong, Sangah Shin
  Alcohol.2024; 121: 133.     CrossRef
• Feasibility of Mobile Health App-Based Home Aerobic Exercise for Physical Performance in Healthy Young Adults
  Je Shik Nam, Hyun-Ah Kim, Tae-Jin Kwak, Kang Hee Cho, Il-Young Jung, Chang-Won Moon
  Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine.2024; 48(1): 75.     CrossRef
• Racial Differences in Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke: An Ecological Epidemiological Study
  Dong-Seon Kang, Pil-Sung Yang, Daehoon Kim, Eunsun Jang, Hee Tae Yu, Tae-Hoon Kim, Jung-Hoon Sung, Hui-Nam Pak, Moon-Hyoung Lee, Gregory Y. H. Lip, Boyoung Joung
  Thrombosis and Haemostasis.2024; 124(09): 883.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for physical activity counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Yun Jun Yang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 265.     CrossRef
• Exploring the meanings and aspects of urban walking in Seoul for active living
  Eunbyeol Cho, Chaerim Lee, Dong Ha Kim, Seunghyun Yoo
  Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion.2024; 41(1): 89.     CrossRef
• Effects of public transportation use on non-exercise activity thermogenesis and health promotion: a mini-review
  Sung-Woo Kim, Deunsol Hwang, Sunghwan Kyun, Inkwon Jang, Taeho Kim, Jongwon Kim, Inseop Shin, Kiwon Lim
  Physical Activity and Nutrition.2024; 28(1): 031.     CrossRef
• Physical Inactivity and Sedentariness in Older Hearing Loss patients: Restoration With Hearing Aids
  Sang‐Yoon Han, Hee Won Seo, Seung Hwan Lee, Jae Ho Chung
  The Laryngoscope.2024; 134(12): 5109.     CrossRef
• Impacts of smoking on alcoholic liver disease: a nationwide cohort study
  Jeong-Ju Yoo, Dong Hyeon Lee, Sang Gyune Kim, Jae Young Jang, Young Seok Kim, Log Young Kim
  Frontiers in Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of an e-Book on Bone Health as Educational Material for Adolescents: Single-Group Experimental Study
  Nor Aini Jamil, Jashwiny Dhanaseelan, Nurin Athirah Buhari
  JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting.2024; 7: e56611.     CrossRef
• The impact of fear of falling on health-related quality of life in community-dwelling older adults: mediating effects of depression and moderated mediation effects of physical activity
  Eun Sook Lee, Boyoung Kim
  BMC Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Handgrip strength thresholds associated with metabolic syndrome risk in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
  Hye Ah Lee, Seunghee Jun, Hyesook Park
  Epidemiology and Health.2024; 46: e2024047.     CrossRef
• Increased Intake of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Is Associated with Reduced Odds of Low Hand Grip Strength in Korean Adults
  Yoonjin Shin, Eugene Chang
  Nutrients.2023; 15(2): 321.     CrossRef
• A Cross-Sectional Investigation of the Association between Arterial Stiffness and Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety Symptoms, and Quality of Life
  Tae-Kyung Yoo, Seunghee Lee, Soo-Young Hwang, Curie Ahn, Saejong Park, Jong-Young Lee
  Medicina.2023; 59(3): 477.     CrossRef
• Combinations of lifestyle behaviors and cancer risk among Korean adults
  Ngoc Minh Luu, Thi Tra Bui, Thi Phuong Thao Tran, Thi Huyen Trang Nguyen, Jin-Kyoung Oh
  Scientific Reports.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Does Excessive Smartphone Use Reduce Physical Activity in Adolescents?
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(5): 247.     CrossRef
• Discordance in Secular Trends of Bone Mineral Density Measurements in Different Ages of Postmenopausal Women
  Kwang Yoon Kim, Jaesun Park, Sungwon Yang, Junghwa Shin, Ji Hyun Park, Bumhee Park, Bom Taeck Kim
  Journal of Korean Medical Science.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• The role of collegiate sport experience in social adjustment and quality of college life: moderating role of the school year
  Weisheng Chiu, Heetae Cho, Seungmo Kim
  Asia Pacific Journal of Education.2023; : 1.     CrossRef
• Physical activity trajectories of different grade levels of male adolescents in association of academic performance and mental health
  Haemi Jee
  Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation.2023; 19(5): 258.     CrossRef
• Age and sex differences in coronal lower extremity alignment in a healthy Asian population
  Doohyun Hwang, Min Wook Choi, Seong-Hwan Kim, Hyuk-Soo Han, Chong Bum Chang, Myung Chul Lee, Na-Kyoung Lee, Du Hyun Ro
  The Knee.2023; 45: 198.     CrossRef
• Trends in the effects of socioeconomic position on physical activity levels and sedentary behavior among Korean adolescents
  Hunju Lee, Hyowon Choi, Sang Baek Koh, Hyeon Chang Kim
  Epidemiology and Health.2023; 45: e2023085.     CrossRef
• The Difference in the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome According to Meeting Guidelines for Aerobic Physical Activity and Muscle-Strengthening Exercise: A Cross-Sectional Study Performed Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 201
  Du Ho Kwon, Young Gyu Cho, Hyun Ah Park, Ho Seok Koo
  Nutrients.2022; 14(24): 5391.     CrossRef
• Current status of physical activity in Korea and exercise prescriptions
  Yun Jun Yang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 810.     CrossRef

Citations

• Disease prevention measures applicable to primary healthcare clinics
  Jae-Heon Kang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 226.     CrossRef
• Continuity and sustainability of care in family medicine: Assessing its association with quality of life and health outcomes in older populations—A systematic review
  Mohammed Nasser Albarqi, Simone Borsci
  PLOS ONE.2024; 19(12): e0299283.     CrossRef
• In Doctors We Trust! Addressing Trust Issues for an Enhanced Continuity of Care
  Dalmacito A. Cordero
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2023; 44(1): 64.     CrossRef

Background
Evidence regarding the association between handgrip strength (HGS) and insulin resistance in a non-diabetic population is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the association between relative HGS and insulin resistance in older men without diabetes, using a representative sample of the Korean male population.
Methods
The study population comprised 206 participants aged 65–80 years, selected from the 2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Insulin resistance was defined as the upper tertile of the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for insulin resistance were assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses after adjusting for confounding variables.
Results
The prevalence of insulin resistance decreased with increasing relative HGS. The prevalence in the T1, T2, and T3 groups was 46.0%, 32.2%, and 26.4%, respectively. Compared with the individuals in the highest tertile of relative HGS, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for insulin resistance in individuals in the lowest quartile was 2.82 (1.10–7.21) after adjusting for age, smoking, alcohol consumption, aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, residential area, household income, and education level.
Conclusion
Lower relative HGS was inversely associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance in older Korean men without diabetes. In clinical practice, relative HGS, which is a simple and inexpensive tool, could be a useful measure for identifying older men with insulin resistance. Moreover, these findings suggest that muscle strengthening exercises should be considered to reduce insulin resistance and increase insulin sensitivity.

Citations

• Analysis of Handgrip Strength with Insulin Resistance in Male and Female Indonesian Adults
  Liong Boy Kurniawan, Sabilla Sheridan, Andi Wali Syafaat, Andi Ainun Zulkiah Surur, Naurah Nadhifah, Ichlas Nanang Afandi, Andi Ariyandy, Muhammad Iqbal Basri, Aminuddin Aminuddin
  INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PATHOLOGY AND MEDICAL LABORATORY.2025; 31(2): 145.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for physical activity counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Yun Jun Yang
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 265.     CrossRef
• Dietary patterns and the risk of diabetes in Korean adults: A cross-sectional and prospective cohort study
  Jiyoung Hwang, Hyesook Kim, Oran Kwon
  Nutrition.2024; 125: 112491.     CrossRef
• Correlation between low handgrip strength and metabolic syndrome in older adults: a systematic review
  Joana da Costa d'Avila, Talel Georges Moreira El Nabbout, Hayfa Georges Moreira El Nabbout, Aline dos Santos Silva, Antonio Carlos Barbosa Ramos, Eliana Rosa da Fonseca, Aluana Santana Carlos, Rodrigo de Azeredo Siqueira
  Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Handgrip strength in type 2 diabetics and nondiabetics: A comparative cross-sectional study among adults in rural Mysore
  Deepak ANIL, M. RAKESH, Shabeena AKBAR, Vijaylakshmi Rao VADAGA, D. Sunil KUMAR
  Journal of Integrative Nursing.2024; 6(3): 150.     CrossRef
• Association of relative handgrip strength on the development of diabetes mellitus in elderly Koreans
  Yeo Ju Sohn, Hong Soo Lee, Hasuk Bae, Hee Cheol Kang, Hyejin Chun, Insun Ryou, Eun Jee Chang, Sungchan Kang, Sang Wha Lee, Kyung Won Shim, Mario Ulises Pérez-Zepeda
  PLOS ONE.2024; 19(10): e0309558.     CrossRef
• Association between handgrip strength and mortality risk among cardiovascular disease patients: A cohort study from the NHANES 2011–2014
  Zhengjie Qin, Youhua Guo, Weilin Yang, Zhuoran Kuang, Guoming Li
  Journal of the Formosan Medical Association.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia among patients undergoing hemodialysis
  Ting Xiang, Ping Fu, Li Zhou
  Frontiers in Endocrinology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Relationships of neck circumference and abdominal obesity with insulin resistance considering relative handgrip strength in middle-aged and older individuals
  Kayoung Lee
  Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.2023; 114: 105097.     CrossRef

Background
White matter hyperintensity (WMH) is a risk factor for dementia and ischemic stroke. The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a simple and cost-effective marker for the prediction of various vascular diseases. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between AIP and WMH in adults without cerebrovascular accidents.
Methods
We analyzed the data of 281 adults, aged ≥26 years, who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the health promotion center of an education hospital between January 2014 and December 2018. Participants were divided into three categories according to tertiles of the AIP scores (T1: <0.20; T2: 0.20–0.48; and T3: >0.48). WMH was defined as a modified Fazekas scale score of 1–3 on brain MRI. A cubic spline curve was used to determine the linearity of the relationship between AIP and WMH. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the AIP and WMH.
Results
The prevalence of WMH was 45.7% in T1, 57.0% in T2, and 66.0% in T3 (T3 vs. T1, P for post-hoc analysis=0.005). The increased odds of WMH were associated with increased AIP. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for WMH of T2 and T3 compared with T1 were 1.57 (0.88–2.80) and 2.30 (1.28–4.14), respectively. After adjusting for confounding variables, the OR with a 95% CI for WMH in the T2 and T3 groups vs. the referent T1 were 1.55 (0.76–3.13) and 2.27 (1.06–4.84), respectively.
Conclusion
AIP is independently and positively associated with WMH in a healthy population.

Citations

• Association between atherogenic index of plasma and dementia: A longitudinal observational study
  Jie Lin, Yan Li, Hao Li
  Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.2025; 106(1): 197.     CrossRef
• Relationship between white matter hyperintensity and atherogenic index of plasma in migraine
  Gulhan Sarıcam, Fahrettin Ege, Memet Aslanyavrusu
  Neurological Research.2025; : 1.     CrossRef
• Triglyceride glucose index and Atherogenic index of plasma for predicting colorectal neoplasms in patients without cardiovascular diseases
  Muzhou Han, Hao Wang, Shuyue Yang, Siying Zhu, Guiping Zhao, Haiyun Shi, Peng Li
  Frontiers in Oncology.2022;[Epub]     CrossRef

Background
Honey has been used in medicine since ancient times. Limited reports are available to indicate its antibacterial, antiviral, and antidiarrheal properties. This study aimed to determine the effect of honey on acute diarrhea in children.
Methods
This randomized clinical trial included 80 children with acute diarrhea. Forty children received honey and zinc gluconate (trial group) and 40 received only zinc gluconate (control group). After treatment, vomiting/diarrhea duration, the recovery time, and the duration of hospitalization were compared between the groups.
Results
Among the 40 children in the trial group, 19 were male and 21 were female. In the control group, 25 children were male and 15 female (P=0.26). After initiating treatment, the duration of diarrhea, recovery time, and the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in the trial group than in the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion
This study showed that honey with zinc gluconate reduces the duration of diarrhea, accelerates the recovery time, and shortens the duration of hospitalization.

Citations

• Honey as a Natural Antimicrobial
  Matthew Chidozie Ogwu, Sylvester Chibueze Izah
  Antibiotics.2025; 14(3): 255.     CrossRef
• Guidelines for nutrition counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Gyeongsil Lee, Seung-Won Oh
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 278.     CrossRef
• Evaluation of Anti-Diarrheal Activities of the 80% Methanol Extract and Solvent Fractions of Maesa lanceolata Forssk (Myrsinaceae) Leaves in Mice
  Alemayehu Megersa, Beyene Dereje, Meaza Adugna, Kefyalew Ayalew Getahun, Eshetie Birru
  Journal of Experimental Pharmacology.2023; Volume 15: 391.     CrossRef
• Application of Honey Therapy to Decrease Stool Frequency in Children with Diarrhea: A Case Study
  Nehemia Mutiara Saragih, Kurniawati Kurniawati, Nia Khusniyati, Fathul Jannah
  Journal of Health Sciences and Epidemiology.2023; 1(3): 93.     CrossRef
• Complementary Honey Therapy To Reduce The Frequency Of Diarrhea In Toddlers: Literature Review
  Uci Nurhayati Puspita, Abdul Muhith, Chilyatiz Zahro
  Journal of Applied Nursing and Health.2023; 5(2): 245.     CrossRef

Background
The rapid rise in coronavirus disease worldwide has drastically limited the availability of hospital facilities for patients. Residential treatment centers were opened in South Korea for the admission of asymptomatic or patients with mild symptoms. This study discusses the appropriateness of the admission criteria set by the centers in a pandemic situation, the prioritization of patients for admission, and ways to minimize the risk of self-isolation.
Methods
A total of 217 low-risk patients (n=217) were admitted to the Nowon Residential Treatment Center between August 22 and October 14, 2020. The following criteria were met at the time of admission: patients (1) were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, (2) had either a controlled or no underlying chronic disease, and (3) did not need oxygen treatment. Among them, 202 patients who were eligible for inclusion in the study were retrospectively investigated through periodic interviews.
Results
Of the 202 patients, 153 satisfied the criteria for symptomatic isolation standards, and 25 for asymptomatic isolation standards. The clinical conditions of 24 patients were aggravated, and these patients were transferred to other hospitals, among which 12 had persistent fever and 13 were suffering dyspnea with oxygen saturation (SpO₂) <95%.
Conclusion
In the event of another large-scale epidemic, it would be appropriate to prioritize accommodating patients who are elderly or have underlying diseases and self-isolate young patients with no underlying diseases and provide them with SpO₂ meters and thermometers to self-measure SpO₂ and body temperature.

Background
Vitamin D may enhance immune system function and provide a protective effect against infections. Feto-maternal circulation plays an important role in supplying the developing fetus with nutrients and antibodies for its development and health during pregnancy and for its early years of life after birth. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness of maternal vitamin D supplementation in preventing respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children.
Methods
We searched the Central and MEDLINE databases and went through all the reference lists in the related articles. We also searched for ongoing trials at http://www.who.int/ictrp/en/ and www.clinicaltrials.gov. Randomized controlled trials comparing vitamin D supplementation with a placebo or no treatment in pregnant women published in the English language up to March 2019 were included. Two reviewers extracted data independently using a predefined protocol and assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, with differences agreed upon by consensus. The predefined primary outcome was the number of offspring who had RTIs. The secondary outcome was the presence of measurable serum immunoglobulin E levels.
Results
Three trials involving 3,224 participants (mother–child pairs) met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The present analysis reported that maternal supplementation with vitamin D had no effect on RTIs among children (n=1,486 offspring; risk ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.82–1.11; random effects; I² statistics, 0%).
Conclusion
Maternal vitamin D supplementation had no effect on RTIs in children. Therefore, consideration of other prevention methods in this regard is recommended.

Citations

• The effects of prenatal vitamin D supplementation on respiratory and allergy-related outcomes in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
  Qin Li, Xiaoshuang Xu, Ying Liu, Shao Yin, Qian Hu, Qiang Ji, Yue Zhong, Fengya Zhu
  World Allergy Organization Journal.2025; 18(7): 101075.     CrossRef
• Women’s Health and Primary Care
  Seung-Won Oh
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2024; 45(1): 1.     CrossRef
• The Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Respiratory Infections in Children under 6 Years Old: A Systematic Review
  Larisa Mihaela Marusca, Gowry Reddy, Mihaela Blaj, Reshmanth Prathipati, Ovidiu Rosca, Felix Bratosin, Iulia Bogdan, Razvan Mihai Horhat, Gabriela-Florentina Tapos, Daniela-Teodora Marti, Monica Susan, Raja Akshay Pingilati, Florin George Horhat, Mavrea A
  Diseases.2023; 11(3): 104.     CrossRef
• Maternal vitamin D intakes during pregnancy and child health outcome
  Erdenebileg Nasantogtokh, Davaasambuu Ganmaa, Shirchinjav Altantuya, Bayarsaikhan Amgalan, Davaasambuu Enkhmaa
  The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.2023; 235: 106411.     CrossRef
• Effectiveness of Maternal Vitamin D Supplementation in Preventing Respiratory Tract Infections in Children
  Soo Young Kim
  Korean Journal of Family Medicine.2022; 43(3): 155.     CrossRef

A health check-up is one of the best ways to prevent diseases and maintain health by screening for risk factors and diagnosing diseases early. As the burden of illness shifts from infectious to chronic diseases, the importance of health check-ups is emphasized. Korean health authorities began the National Health Screening Programs (NHSPs) for public servants and private school staff in 1980. The NHSP is composed of the National Cancer Screening Programs (NCSPs) and general health checkups. NCSPs, started in 1999, included screenings for stomach, liver, colorectal, breast, and uterine cervical cancers, and they may have contributed to the improved cancer survival rate from 42.9% in 1993–1995 to 77.5% in 2013–2017 in Korea. General health check-ups included lifestyle questionnaires, anthropometric measurements; blood pressure measurement; visual acuity test; hearing test; laboratory tests including fasting glucose, lipid profile, liver function tests, creatinine, and urinalysis; and, chest radiography. Additionally, bone density, cognitive function, and depression were assessed. Testing for non-communicable diseases has improved the control rates of chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Favorable changes in the risk factors for cardio-cerebrovascular diseases may lead to a decline in age-standardized mortality and heart disease over several decades. However, many areas of the programs need to be improved. NHSPs should be designed on the basis of individual health conditions, medical needs, and scientific evidence. Greater opportunities to receive NHSPs should be provided to socioeconomically vulnerable individuals. In addition, stricter quality control of NHSPs is required. Follow-up management after the NHSPs should be systematized. In conclusion, NHSPs have contributed to the improvement of public health; however, several aspects of these programs must be addressed.

Citations

• Impact of mild traumatic brain injury on health behaviors
  Yookyung Lee, Yoonjeong Choi, Jooeun Jeon, Ja-Ho Leigh, Don-Kyu Kim, Byung-Mo Oh
  Scientific Reports.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Increases the Risk of Lung Abscess: Findings from a Nationwide Cohort Study
  Eunso Lee, Jungok Kim, Sun-Young Yoon
  Journal of Clinical Medicine.2025; 14(2): 542.     CrossRef
• Utilization of preventative health checkup services in China among middle-aged and older adult population: evidence from China’s 28 provinces
  Jingyu Shen, Weiji Fang, Yating Zhu, Chunli Ye, Yanhua Zhu, Yanling Tao
  Frontiers in Public Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Indonesia's first nationwide health screening programme
  Aqsha Nur, Dante Harbuwono
  The Lancet Global Health.2025; 13(4): e620.     CrossRef
• Association of Precarious Employment With Unmet Healthcare Needs and Health Checkup Participation
  Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
  American Journal of Preventive Medicine.2025; 68(6): 1120.     CrossRef
• Artificial Intelligence-Driven Biological Age Prediction Model Using Comprehensive Health Checkup Data: Development and Validation Study
  Chang-Uk Jeong, Jacob S Leiby, Dokyoon Kim, Eun Kyung Choe
  JMIR Aging.2025; 8: e64473.     CrossRef
• Diabetes status, duration, and risk of dementia among ischemic stroke patients
  Jonguk Kim, Kyung-Do Han, Jeong-Yoon Lee, Ye Seul Yang, Dae Young Cheon, Jae-Jun Lee, Minwoo Lee
  Alzheimer's Research & Therapy.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association Between Suicidal Ideation and Cancer Screening Uptake: Results from Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Korea
  Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
  Cancers.2025; 17(6): 956.     CrossRef
• Current status of elevated blood pressure and hypertension among adolescents in Asia: a systematic review
  Binish Islam, Tasiu Ibrahim Ibrahim, Wang Tingting, Mingyang Wu, Qin Jiabi
  Journal of Global Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Cohort profile: the Korean National Health Examination Baseline (KNHEB) cohort for longitudinal health monitoring in South Korea
  Suyoung Jo, Eunsil Cheon, Heewon Kang, Min Kyung Lim, Wankyo Chung, Sun Ha Jee, Keum Ji Jung, Yeun Soo Yang, Seong Yong Park, Sunmi Lee, Jin-Kyoung Oh, Kyoungin Na, Soyeon Kim, Jieun Hwang, Sung-il Cho
  BMC Public Health.2025;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Trajectories of Health Screening Uptake: Focusing on Perceived Barriers Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Korea
  Sunha Choi
  Journal of Gerontological Social Work.2025; : 1.     CrossRef
• Unmet Needs Mediate the Impact of Fear of Cancer Recurrence on Screening Participation Among Cancer Survivors: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Mi-Lee Kim, Yeol Kim, Yu-Ri Choe
  Healthcare.2025; 13(10): 1184.     CrossRef
• Regularity of cervical cancer screening in Korea: analysis using national public data for 12 years
  Jong-Yeup Kim, Jeeyoung Hong, Juhee Yoon, Jinsol Park, Tae-Hyun Kim
  Journal of Gynecologic Oncology.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• External Validation of the BACES Score in Canadian Patients With Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease
  Marie Yan, Brooke Fraser, Eric McArthur, Matty Mehrabi, Sarah K. Brode, Theodore K. Marras
  CHEST.2024; 165(3): 521.     CrossRef
• Association between long working hours and engagement in preventive healthcare services in Korean workers: Findings from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
  Seong-Uk Baek, Yu-Min Lee, Jin-Ha Yoon
  Preventive Medicine.2024; 180: 107849.     CrossRef
• Extrahepatic Malignancies Are the Leading Cause of Death in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B without Cirrhosis: A Large Population-Based Cohort Study
  Young Eun Chon, Sung Jun Park, Man Young Park, Yeonjung Ha, Joo Ho Lee, Kwan Sik Lee, Eileen L. Yoon, Dae Won Jun
  Cancers.2024; 16(4): 711.     CrossRef
• Risk of Cardiovascular Disease according to Baseline Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level in Different Age Groups in Korean Diabetes Population: A Cohort Study
  Tae Kyung Yoo, Kyung-Do Han, Eun-Jung Rhee, Won-Young Lee
  Diabetes & Metabolism Journal.2024; 48(2): 265.     CrossRef
• Temporal Trend in Uptake of the National General Health Checkups and Cancer Screening Program among Korean Women with Breast Cancer
  Thi Xuan Mai Tran, Soyeoun Kim, Chihwan Cha, Boyoung Park
  Cancer Research and Treatment.2024; 56(2): 522.     CrossRef
• Age-specific association of physical activity on visceral obesity: Cross-sectional study
  Hana Moon, Yoon Jeong Cho, Yun-A Kim, Min Jeong Ju
  Obesity Medicine.2024; 48: 100542.     CrossRef
• Cardiovascular disease risk and associated physical activity factors in gastrointestinal cancer survivors
  Su Young Kim, Hye Jung Kang, Ki-Hyun Kim, Dong Uk Kim, Seung-Joo Nam, Jae Kook Yang, Dong Kee Jang, Hyuk Soon Choi, Dae Gon Ryu, Jung Wook Lee, Jong Yoon Lee, Sohee Park, Hyun Jung Lee
  BMC Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Insurance Types and All-Cause Mortality in Korean Cancer Patients: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
  Jinyoung Shin, Yoon-Jong Bae, Hee-Taik Kang
  Journal of Personalized Medicine.2024; 14(8): 861.     CrossRef
• Disparities in Overall Survival Rates for Cancers across Income Levels in the Republic of Korea
  Su-Min Jeong, Kyu-Won Jung, Juwon Park, Hyeon Ji Lee, Dong Wook Shin, Mina Suh
  Cancers.2024; 16(16): 2923.     CrossRef
• Association between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and health checkup participation: A population-based longitudinal study in South Korea
  Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
  Preventive Medicine.2024; 189: 108127.     CrossRef
• Regional Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Screening
  Jongho Park, Yeaeun Kim, Jae-Hyun Park
  Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health.2024; 36(8): 760.     CrossRef
• The effect of the expansion of the Personal Assistance Service Program on the uptake of the National Health Screening in people with severe disability
  Woorim Kim, Mingee Choi, Jaeyong Shin
  Journal of Public Health.2024; 46(4): 537.     CrossRef
• Global obesity epidemic and rising incidence of early-onset cancers
  Jianjiu Chen, Piero Dalerba, Mary Beth Terry, Wan Yang
  Journal of Global Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• A 5-Year Mortality Prediction Model for Prostate Cancer Patients Based on the Korean Nationwide Health Insurance Claims Database
  Joungyoun Kim, Yong-Hoon Kim, Yong-June Kim, Hee-Taik Kang
  Journal of Personalized Medicine.2024; 14(10): 1058.     CrossRef
• Health screening disparities in people living with HIV; A nationwide organized screening setting
  Boyoung Park, Yoonyoung Jang, Taehwa Kim, Yunsu Choi, Kyoung Hwan Ahn, Jung Ho Kim, Hye Seong, Youn Jeong Kim, Jun Yong Choi, Joon Young Song, Shin-Woo Kim, Sang Il Kim
  Journal of Infection and Public Health.2024; 17(12): 102567.     CrossRef
• Association between depressive symptoms and participation in influenza vaccination and health checkups: Findings from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
  Seong-Uk Baek, Jin-Ha Yoon
  General Hospital Psychiatry.2024; 91: 180.     CrossRef
• Disparities in the first-ever diagnosed liver cancers between the emergency department and outpatient department in Taiwan: a population-based study
  Tai-Yi Hsu, Jhu-Jing Ye, Sih-Yun Ye, Hsiao-Yuan Tseng, Wen-Yu Chou, Pei-Tseng Kung, Wen-Chen Tsai
  BMC Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Association of physical activity, smoking, and socioeconomic factors on health checkup participation in community-dwelling stroke survivors aged 50 years or older
  Mina Park, Jung Soo Lee, Yeo Hyung Kim
  BMC Public Health.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Diagnostic Value of Clinical Parameters for the Prediction of Osteoporosis in Menopause Iranian Women
  Ghazaleh Fazli, Malieheh Arab, Samaneh Saraeian, Behnaz Ghavami, Behnaz Nouri, Tayebeh Jahede Bozorgan
  Jundishapur Journal of Chronic Disease Care.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Sex and Tumor-Site Differences in the Association of Alcohol Intake With the Risk of Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
  Eun Hyo Jin, Kyungdo Han, Cheol Min Shin, Dong Ho Lee, Seung Joo Kang, Joo Hyun Lim, Yoon Jin Choi
  Journal of Clinical Oncology.2023; 41(22): 3816.     CrossRef
• Association of triglyceride/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio with severe complications of COVID-19
  Yoonkyung Chang, Jimin Jeon, Tae-Jin Song, Jinkwon Kim
  Heliyon.2023; 9(6): e17428.     CrossRef
• Large gastric hamartomatous inverted polyp accompanied by advanced gastric cancer: A case report
  Gyerim Park, Jihye Kim, Sung Hak Lee, Younghoon Kim
  World Journal of Clinical Cases.2023; 11(28): 6967.     CrossRef
• Possible Applications of the Korean Experience in the Development of Croatian Healthcare System
  Predrag Bejakovic, Romina P Družeta, Ohmin Kwon
  Science, Art and Religion.2023; 2(1--2): 26.     CrossRef
• Weight maintenance and gain were significantly associated with lower risk of all-cause and cancer-related mortality in Korean adults who were newly diagnosed with cancer based on the Korean NHIS-HEALS cohort
  Yong-June Kim, Seung Park, Won Tae Kim, Yoon-Jong Bae, Yonghwan Kim, Hee-Taik Kang
  Medicine.2023; 102(47): e36184.     CrossRef
• Disparities in Cancer Incidence across Income Levels in South Korea
  Su-Min Jeong, Kyu-Won Jung, Juwon Park, Nayeon Kim, Dong Wook Shin, Mina Suh
  Cancers.2023; 15(24): 5898.     CrossRef
• Colon Cancer Screening—Is It Necessary to Start under the Age of 50?
  Jongbeom Shin
  Journal of Digestive Cancer Research.2023; 11(3): 141.     CrossRef
• Prediction Model for Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus Using Korean Public Health Examination Data (2002–2017)
  Yong Whi Jeong, Yeojin Jung, Hoyeon Jeong, Ji Hye Huh, Ki-Chul Sung, Jeong-Hun Shin, Hyeon Chang Kim, Jang Young Kim, Dae Ryong Kang
  Diagnostics.2022; 12(8): 1967.     CrossRef

Dementia is a neurological condition characterized by numerous types of central nervous system diseases, which gradually deteriorates an individual’s reasoning, rational thinking, and judgment abilities. As a serious public health concern that currently affects more than 50 million older adults, dementia is one of the most significant causes of incapacity, disability, and dependency among older adults. As new cases are expected to increase exponentially in the next three decades, dementia, which is not a normal feature of healthy aging despite the fact that it generally affects older adults disproportionately, requires enormous management and care efforts due to its associated socioeconomic, psychological, and physical burdens that involve the patient, their caregivers, guardians, family members, and society at large. Presently, there is no cure for dementia; however, this condition could be prevented. This narrative review aimed to provide a broad overview of studies detailing the alternative lifestyle modification-centered preventive measures against dementia. A comprehensive search of key databases to find articles related to this topic revealed that participating in regular physical activities, healthy eating and dieting, avoiding all forms of smoking, avoiding air pollutants, halting or reducing alcohol consumption, exercising the mind and being socially dynamic, getting enough rest and establishing good sleeping habits, infection prevention, stress prevention, avoidance of injuries, preventing the effects of social isolation and lockdowns, continuing education, and depression prevention are protective measures against the development of dementia.

Citations

• Guidelines for nutrition counseling in primary healthcare clinics
  Gyeongsil Lee, Seung-Won Oh
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(4): 278.     CrossRef
• A Genome-Wide Association Study of Dementia Using the Electronic Medical Record
  Xiaowen Cao, Yao Dong, Li Xing, Xuekui Zhang
  BioMedInformatics.2023; 3(1): 141.     CrossRef
• Health promotion: the essence of primary healthcare
  Sung Sunwoo
  Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2022; 65(12): 772.     CrossRef