Background
: Hyperhomocysteinemia as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease is well known. Our aim of this study was to demonstrate positive association between elevated homocysteine levels and cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans.

Methods : With a case-control design, 186 stroke (infarction 134, hemorrhage 52) patients, diagnosed by brain CT or MRI and 359 control patients were evaluated. We used multiple logistic regression analyses conditioned on the matching variables (sex, age, hypertension, DM, smoking, hyperlipidemia, hyperhomocysteinemia) and calculated odds ratio and 95% CIs.

Results : Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (OR) for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hypertension compared with normal blood pressure were 2.45 (95% CI, 1.16 to 5.15) in prehypertension and 3.33 (95% CI, 1.56 to 7.10) in stage 1 hypertension and 3.77 (95% CI, 1.32 to 10.74) in stage 2 hypertension. OR for cerebrovascular diseases associated with hyperhomocysteinemia compared with ＜10μmol/L were 2.06 (95% CI, 1.09 to 3.91) in 13.0 to 16.9μmol/L and 3.17 (95% CI, 1.70 to 5.90) in ≥17μmol/L.

Conclusion : Not only hypertension but also hyperhomocysteinemia was a significant risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases in Koreans.

Background
: Dyspepsia is a common symptom and bacause functional dyspepsia is a heterogeneous disorder its pathophysiology is not well established. We need to conceptualize in a so called "biopsychosocial model". Many Koreans tend to consider the importance of dietary habits in causes and treatment of diseases and actually many physicians recommend dietary modification for patients of functional dyspepsia. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine if dietary habits was associated with functional dyspepsia.

Methods : Functional dyspepsia was defined and classified by Rome II criteria. This study was performed by case and control method at the outpatient department of family medicine of six university hospitals in Seoul. Self-administered questionnaire for the demographic characteristics and dietary habits were performed in 472 functional dyspeptic patients and 236 normal controls.

Results : Only the economic status among the demographic factors was associated with functional dyspepsia and on the dietary factors. The functional dyspeptic patients reported less than 2 days regular eating for one week (OR=2.01, P=0.019, 95% CI: 1.12∼3.60) and more than 3 days overeating for one week (OR= 2.01, P=0.020, 95% CI: 1.12∼3.63), but no significant difference was found in the daily eating frequency, meal duration, frequency of spicy food comsumption, and breakfast.

Conclusion : Functional dyspepsia was associated with irregular eating patterns and overeating behavior for one week. To prevent functional dyspepsia behavioral modification such as eating regularly and avoiding overeating should be advised.