Citations
New research into physical activity suggests that it is no longer sufficient just to meet minimum levels recommended by health guidelines in order to reduce cardiovascular risk. Both physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have their own health hazards and need to be addressed separately, in order to explore their different deleterious mechanisms. The aim of this review was to define and to characterize both concepts, and their relationship with major non-communicable chronic diseases. A PubMed database search was undertaken, using the following key words: physical activity, physical inactivity, sedentarism, sedentary behavior, and non-communicable chronic disease. This literature review provides an updated view on physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, and reevaluates their prevalence and association with major non-communicable chronic disease.
Citations
Low Elevation and Physical Inactivity are Associated with a Higher Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Ecuadorian Adults: A National Cross-Sectional Study
Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time with Metabolic Syndrome in Saudi Adult Males
The aim of this study was to compare breast and cervical cancer screening rates between female cancer survivors and a population without cancer to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening in cancer survivors.
We included 17,765 adults (738 cancer survivors and 17,027 individuals without cancer) in this study, all of whom who were 30 years of age or older and participated in the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys from 2007–2012. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening uptake in female cancer survivors.
The screening rate for breast cancer was 56.6%, which was higher than that in the non-cancer control group (P=0.001). The screening rate for cervical cancer was 51.4%, which was not different from that of the non-cancer control group. In terms of breast cancer screening, cancer survivors showed no significant difference in the rate of screening 5 years after their cancer diagnosis. However, cervical cancer survivors were less likely to have cervical cancer screening 10 years after their cancer diagnosis. There was no significant association between cancer screening and sociodemographic factors.
Breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Korean female cancer survivors are low. Secondary primary cancer screening of female cancer survivors needs to be planned in a comprehensive manner, with the consideration of influences beyond sociodemographic factors.
Citations
Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and has both beneficial and harmful effects in CVD. We hypothesized that weight gain following smoking cessation does not attenuate the CVD mortality of smoking cessation in the general Korean population.
Study subjects comprised 2.2% randomly selected patients from the Korean National Health Insurance Corporation, between 2002 and 2013. We identified 61,055 subjects who were classified as current smokers in 2003–2004. After excluding 21,956 subjects for missing data, we studied 30,004 subjects. We divided the 9,095 ex-smokers into two groups: those who gained over 2 kg (2,714), and those who did not gain over 2 kg (6,381, including weight loss), after smoking cessation. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association between weight gain following smoking cessation and CVD mortality.
In the primary analysis, the hazard ratios of all-cause deaths and CVD deaths were assessed in the three groups. The CVD risk factors and Charlson comorbidity index adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for CVD deaths were 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 to 1.75) for ex-smokers with weight gain and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.27) for ex-smokers with no weight gain, compared to one for sustained smokers. The associations were stronger for events other than mortality. The aHRs for CVD events were 0.69 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.88) and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.70 to 0.94) for the ex-smokers with and without weight gain, respectively.
Although smoking cessation leads to weight gain, it does not increase the risk of CVD death.
Citations
Several studies have shown that family meals promote a well-balanced and healthier diet and weight status. Metabolic syndrome is related to eating behavior. This study investigated the association between eating family meals and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
This cross-sectional study included 4,529 subjects who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2007–2012). A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess dietary status. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the guidelines of the modified version of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. We compared the overall quality of dietary intake in family meal.
Nutritional adequacy ratios for energy, protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, niacin, and potassium, and the mean adequacy ratio were significantly higher in the family meal group (P<0.05). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was lower in the family meal group (P<0.05). However, we observed no significant association between eating family meals and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome.
This study demonstrated that eating family meals appeared to be associated with nutrient adequacy. However, we observed no significant differences in prevalence of metabolic syndrome between the 2 groups.
Citations
It is recognized that socioeconomic status (SES) has a significant impact on health and wellbeing; however, the effect of SES on suicide is contested. This study explored the effect of SES in suicide deaths and decomposed inequality into its determinants to calculate relative contributions.
Through a cross-sectional study, 546 suicide deaths and 6,818 suicide attempts from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2014 in Ilam Province, Western Iran were explored. Inequality was measured by the absolute concentration index (ACI) and decomposed contributions were identified. All analyses were performed using STATA ver. 11.2 (Stata Corp., College Station, TX, USA).
The overall ACI for suicide deaths was -0.352 (95% confidence interval, -0.389 to -0.301). According to the results, 9.8% of socioeconomic inequality in suicide deaths was due to addiction in attempters. ACI ranged from -0.34 to -0.03 in 2010–2014, showing that inequality in suicide deaths declined over time.
Findings showed suicide deaths were distributed among the study population unequally, and our results confirmed a gap between advantaged and disadvantaged attempters in terms of death. Socioeconomic inequalities in suicide deaths tended to diminish over time, as suicide attempts progressed in Ilam Province.
Citations
Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Coffee has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to be inversely related to the mechanism of sarcopenia. While there have been some studies on the effect of coffee on sarcopenia in animals, studies on the topic in humans are rare. Therefore, we investigated this relationship in elderly Korean men.
The cross-sectional data were derived from the 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After applying the exclusion criteria, the study sample consisted of 1,781 men who were at least 60 years of age. Study participants were identified as having sarcopenia if their appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared was less than two standard deviations below the gender-specific mean of this value for young adults. Daily coffee consumption amounts were categorized as <1 cup, 1 cup, 2 cups, and ≥3 cups.
Compared to the group of individuals who drank less than one cup of coffee a day, people who consumed at least 3 cups (adjusted odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.20 to 0.94) showed significantly decreased sarcopenia; however, the decrease was not significant when the daily coffee consumption was 1 or 2 cups. In multivariate logistic regression models, significant associations were observed between sarcopenia and coffee consumption (P for trend=0.039).
The results of this study suggest that consuming at least 3 cups of coffee per day was associated with a lower prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly Korean elderly men.
Citations
The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has risen rapidly worldwide, including in South Korea. Factors related to lifestyle are closely associated with the development of MetS. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between MetS and a number of factors positively influencing health, namely non-smoking, low-risk drinking, sufficient sleep, regular exercise, and the habit of reading food labels, among Korean men.
This cross-sectional study included 3,869 men from the 2007–2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Information on five factors positively influencing their health was obtained using a self-reported questionnaire. We categorized subjects into four groups, depending on the number of positive factors reported (group I, 0–1 factor; group II, 2 factors; group III, 3 factors; group IV, 4–5 factors).
Men who reported a greater number of positive health factors had better laboratory and anthropometric values than men who reported fewer positive health factors. The prevalence of MetS was 29.1, 27.2, 20.7, and 14.6% in groups I to IV, respectively. Compared to group I, odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for MetS were 0.96 (0.78–1.19) in group II, 0.67 (0.52–0.87) in group III, and 0.52 (0.35–0.76) in group IV, after adjusting for confounding factors. Odds ratios for abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance, and hypertriglyceridemia were statistically significant.
A greater number of positive lifestyle factors influencing health were associated with a lower risk of developing MetS, in a nationally representative sample of Korean men.
Citations
Depression is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and continues to increase in elderly adults. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine the relationship between CKD and depression in older patients.
We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. In total, data of 973 subjects aged ≥65 years were analyzed, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation.
The prevalence of depression in older adults was 4.1% in men and 8.8% in women (P=0.004). The prevalence of depression did not differ according to CKD stage in women (normal eGFR and CKD stages 1 and 2 women, 41/474 [8.6%]) vs. CKD stages 3–5 women, 6/63 [9.5%]); however, the prevalence of depression in men with CKD stages 3–5 (8/83 [9.6%]) was significantly higher than in men with normal eGFR and CKD stage 1 and 2 (10/353 [2.8%], P=0.010). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio for depression in men with CKD stages 3–5 was 3.822 (95% confidence interval, 1.229 to 11.879) after adjusting for social status and chronic diseases (P=0.021).
The prevalence of depression was higher in elderly women than in men, while the prevalence of depression increased in elderly men with CKD stages 3–5 and was almost equal to that of women. Therefore, elderly men with progressive renal function impairment should be counseled and monitored for psychological problems.
Citations
Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) are a common form of reversible contraception owing to fewer systemic side effects and low cost, especially in a developing country like India. However, IUCDs are not without complications. Migration of a device into adjacent organs is the most morbid of all the documented complications. A patient who presents with a history that suggests loss or disappearance of an IUCD thread associated with urinary symptoms should raise suspicions that a device may have migrated into the bladder. Physicians should also be aware of possible secondary vesical calculus formation. Further radiological investigations and appropriate management are warranted. We present a case report describing the migration of an IUCD into the bladder with secondary calculus formation.
Citations
Superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome refers to a medical emergency resulting from compression of the SVC. It requires early diagnosis and treatment, and is usually caused by malignant tumors; rarely, mediastinal tuberculous lymphadenitis can cause SVC syndrome. Here, we present a case study of an immunocompetent 61-year-old woman who presented with acute onset SVC syndrome and was diagnosed with tuberculous lymphadenitis on thoracotomy; the symptoms resolved with anti-tuberculosis therapy. This unusual case highlights the importance of the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with acute onset SVC syndrome; a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment lead to complete recovery.
Citations
Citations
First
Prev
