A Case of Pancreatic Metastasis From a Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Mimicking Pancreatic Cancer / 대한내과학회지

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has a good prognosis and a low incidence of distant metastases. It is extremely rare for PTC to metastasize to the pancreas. Only five cases have been previously reported worldwide. Most cases are discovered incidentally by abdominal computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT) during follow-up studies after thyroidectomies. Pancreatic metastasis of PTC is usually unidentifiable by a whole-body I131 scan, a common follow-up modality. When a pancreatic mass is found in patients with PTC, it must be differentiated from pancreatic cancer. In previous reports, patients with pancreatic metastases of PTC underwent operations for therapeutic diagnosis or underwent fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB). However, it is unclear whether the benefit of an operation outweighs the risk. We experienced a case of PTC with pancreatic metastasis that was found on PET-CT. Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was performed to evaluate the characteristics of the pancreatic mass and pathological confirmation was obtained cytologically via EUS-FNA.

Hemoglobin Concentration and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in Korean Men and Women: The Korean Heart Study

This study investigated the relationship between hemoglobin concentration and the incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A total of 407,858 subjects (256,851 men, aged 30-94 yr), who underwent physical examination at 17 Korean nationwide health examination centers, was included in this study. Data regarding CVD incidence were obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance database. In Cox proportional hazard models, men with lower or higher hemoglobin level showed higher hazard ratios (HR) with total CVD (HR, 1.14; 95% Confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.21 for the 1st quintile; HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.09-1.21 for the 5th quintile), ischemic heart disease (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07-1.26 for the 1st quintile; HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.07-1.25 for the 5th quintile), and stroke (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02-1.25 for the 1st quintile; HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.07-1.30 for the 5th quintile) compared to those with mid-level of hemoglobin (3rd quintile). Women with higher hemoglobin level showed higher HR with total CVD (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.01-1.31 for pre-menopausal women; HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16 for post-menopausal women). We found an independent U-shaped association between hemoglobin level and CVD incidence in Korean population.

Prediction of Colorectal Cancer Risk Using a Genetic Risk Score: The Korean Cancer Prevention Study-II (KCPS-II)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the leading causes of cancer deaths and can be caused by environmental factors as well as genetic factors. Therefore, we developed a prediction model of CRC using genetic risk scores (GRS) and evaluated the effects of conventional risk factors, including family history of CRC, in combination with GRS on the risk of CRC in Koreans. This study included 187 cases (men, 133; women, 54) and 976 controls (men, 554; women, 422). GRS were calculated with most significantly associated single-nucleotide polymorphism with CRC through a genomewide association study. The area under the curve (AUC) increased by 0.5% to 5.2% when either counted or weighted GRS was added to a prediction model consisting of age alone (AUC 0.687 for men, 0.598 for women) or age and family history of CRC (AUC 0.692 for men, 0.603 for women) for both men and women. Furthermore, the risk of CRC significantly increased for individuals with a family history of CRC in the highest quartile of GRS when compared to subjects without a family history of CRC in the lowest quartile of GRS (counted GRS odds ratio [OR], 47.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.9 to 471.8 for men; OR, 22.3; 95% CI, 1.4 to 344.2 for women) (weighted GRS OR, 35.9; 95% CI, 5.9 to 218.2 for men; OR, 18.1, 95% CI, 3.7 to 88.1 for women). Our findings suggest that in Koreans, especially in Korean men, GRS improve the prediction of CRC when considered in conjunction with age and family history of CRC.

Smoking Is Associated With Abdominal Obesity, Not Overall Obesity, in Men With Type 2 Diabetes / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Abdominal obesity increases mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular disease and there is a possibility that smoking effects obesity. However, previous studies concerning the effects of smoking on obesity are inconsistent. The objective of this study was to examine whether smoking is positively related to abdominal obesity in men with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 2197 type 2 diabetic patients who visited Huh's Diabetes Center from 2003 to 2009. Indices of abdominal obesity were defined as visceral fat thickness (VFT) measured by ultrasonography and waist circumference (WC). Overall obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in WC and VFT by smoking status were identified. However, there was no statistical difference in BMI according to smoking status. Means of WC and VFT were not significantly higher in heavy smokers and lower in mild smokers. Compared to nonsmokers, the BMI confounder adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for VFT in ex-smokers and current-smokers were 1.70 (1.21 to 2.39) and 1.86 (1.27 to 2.73), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking status was positively associated with abdominal obesity in type 2 diabetic patients.

Cigarette Smoking and Serum Bilirubin Subtypes in Healthy Korean Men: The Korea Medical Institute Study / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: Cigarette smoking is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Bilirubin is a potent antioxidant and its concentration decreases in smokers. However, studies about the association between cigarette smoking and bilirubin are scarce and most are limited to total bilirubin. Additionally, bilirubin is highly related to hemoglobin. Therefore, this study evaluates the association between bilirubin subtypes and cigarette smoking in healthy Korean men independently of hemoglobin. METHODS: This study included 48 040 Korean men aged 30 to 87 years who visited the Korea Medical Institute for routine health examinations from January to December, 2007. The association of smoking with total, direct, and indirect bilirubin was assessed by logistic regression analysis taking into consideration differences in subjects and smoking characteristics. RESULTS: Current smokers had lower bilirubin concentrations than never-smokers and ex-smokers. Smoking amount and duration were inversely significantly associated with total, direct, and indirect bilirubin. In a multivariable adjusted model, compared to never-smokers, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of current smokers with the highest number of pack-years were 1.7 (1.6 to 1.9) for total, 1.5 (1.4 to 1.6) for direct, and 1.7 (1.6 to 1.9) for indirect bilirubin. After further adjustment for hemoglobin, this association became stronger (OR [95% CI], 2.1 [1.9 to 2.2] for total; 1.9 [1.8 to 2.0] for direct; 2.0 [1.9 to 2.2] for indirect bilirubin). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, bilirubin subtypes are inversely associated with smoking status, smoking amount, and smoking duration in healthy Korean men independently of hemoglobin. Further studies are needed to investigate this association in healthy Korean women.

Validity of the Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Korean National Medical Health Insurance Claims Data: The Korean Heart Study (1)

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical insurance claims (MIC) data are one of the largest sources of outcome data in the form of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. We evaluated the validity of the ICD codes from the Korean National MIC data with respect to the outcomes from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the Korean Heart Study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Baseline information was obtained from health examinations conducted from 1994 to 2001. Outcome information regarding the incidence of AMI came from hospital admission discharge records from 1994 to 2007. Structured questionnaires were sent to 98 hospitals. In total, 107 cases of AMI with ICD codes of I21- (93 men, 26-73 years of age) were included in the final analyses. ICD code accuracy and reliability (kappa) for AMI were calculated. RESULTS: A large number of AMI cases were from hospitals located in the Seoul area (75.9%). The accuracy of AMI was 71.4%, according to World Health Organization criteria (1997-2000, n=24, kappa=0.46) and 73.1% according to the European Society of Cardiology/American College of Cardiology (ESC/ACC) criteria (2001-2007, n=83, kappa=0.74). An age of 50 years or older was the only factor related to inaccuracy of codes for AMI (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-17.7) in patients diagnosed since January 2001 using ESC/ACC criteria (n=83). CONCLUSION: The accuracy for diagnosing AMI using the ICD-10 codes in Korean MIC data was >70%, and reliability was fair to good; however, more attention is required for recoding ICD codes in older patients.

Public Health Challenges of Electronic Cigarettes in South Korea / 예방의학회지

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarrettes) were recently introduced and advertised as a smoking cession device in South Korea. As the social norm to quit smoking has gained hold in the country, the number of e-cigarette users is growing rapidly. This phenomenon should be urgently considered, because of the lack of research that has been conducted to examine the safety of e-cigarettes and its efficacy as a smoking cessation aid. This paper raises several public health concerns on e-cigarettes in South Korea. Uncertain regulations of the government on e-cigarettes are contributing to an increase of e-cigarette users and allowing the e-cigarette industry to circumvent existing regulations. The aggressive marketing activity of this industry is also a core factor that is responsible for the rapid increase of e-cigarette use, in particular among the youth. Following the enforcement of tobacco control, some cigarette smokers may be encouraged to purchase e-cigarettes in order to circumvent the regulations, even though the dual use of e-cigarette and cigarette may be more harmful. Until there is clear evidence of the e-cigarette's safety, it is recommended that the industry's marketing and promotional activities be banned and closely monitored, and public campaigns be initiated to educate the public regarding e-cigarettes.

Adiponectin is Associated with Impaired Fasting Glucose in the Non-Diabetic Population / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVES: Adiponectin is strongly associated with diabetes in the Western population. However, whether adiponectin is independently associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in the non-obese population is unknown. METHODS: The serum adiponectin, insulin resistance (IR), and waist circumference (WC) of 27,549 healthy Koreans were measured. Individuals were then classified into tertile groups by gender. IFG was defined as a fasting serum glucose of 100-125 mg/dL without diabetes. IR was calculated using the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The association of adiponectin and IFG was determined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: WC and adiponectin were associated with IFG in both men and women. However, the association of WC with IFG was attenuated in both men and women after adjustment for the HOMA-IR. Adiponectin was still associated with IFG after adjustment for and stratification by HOMA-IR in men and women. Strong combined associations of IR and adiponectin with IFG were observed in men and women. Multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) among those in the highest tertile of IR and the lowest tertile of adiponectin were 9.8 (7.96 to 12.07) for men and 24.1 (13.86 to 41.94) for women. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that adiponectin is strongly associated with IFG, and point to adiponectin as an additional diagnostic biomarker of IFG in the non-diabetic population.

The Korean Prediction Model for Adolescents' Future Smoking Intentions / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop a prediction model for future smoking intention among Korean adolescents aged 13 to 15 in order to identify the high risk group exposed to future smoking. METHODS: The data was collected from a total of 5940 students who participated in a self-administrated questionnaire of a cross-sectional school-based survey, the 2004 Korea Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify the relevant determinants associated with intentions of adolescents' future smoking. Receiver Operation Characteristic (ROC) assessment was applied to evaluate the explanation level of the developed prediction model. RESULTS: 8.4% of male and 7.2% of female participants show their intentions of future smoking. Among non-smoking adolescents; who have past smoking experience [odds ratio (OR) 2.73; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.92 - 3.88]; who have intentions of smoking when close friends offer a cigarette (OR 31.47; 95% CI = 21.50 - 46.05); and who have friends that are mostly smokers (OR 5.27; 95% CI = 2.85 - 9.74) are more likely to be smokers in the future. The prediction model developed from this study consists of five determinants; past smoking experience; parents smoking status; friends smoking status; ownership of a product with a cigarette brand logo; and intentions of smoking from close friends' cigarette offer. The area under the ROC curve was 0.8744 (95% CI=0.85 - 0.90) for current non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: For efficiency, school-based smoking prevention programs need to be designed to target the high risk group exposed to future smoking through the prediction model developed by the study, instead of implementing the programs for all the students.

The Relationship between the Level of Fatness and Fitness during Adolescence and the Risk Factors of Metabolic Disorders in Adulthood / 당뇨병

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the association between the level of obesity and physical fitness (PF) during adolescence and the risk factors of metabolic disorders during adulthood. METHODS: In the current analysis, 3,993 Korean adults (mean age, 38.70 +/- 1.69 years) were recruited. The level of body index (BI) and PF were examined during adolescence through high school record, and their health examination data, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting glucose (FG), total cholesterol (TC), and current body mass index (BMI) were obtained from National Health Insurance Corporation Data. Gender-specific analyses were administered to compare health exam data across the level of BI, the level of PF, and a mixed level of BI and PF. RESULTS: Most obese males during high school had statistically higher SBP, DBP, FG, and BMI in adulthood, and most obese females had higher BMI, as compared to most lean males or females. Least fit males during high school had statistically higher BMI in adulthood, and least fit females had statistically higher SBP, DBP, FG, TC, and BMI, as compared to most fit males or females. There was a significant relationship between the mixed level of BI and PF and SBP, DBP, TC and current BMI in both genders. CONCLUSION: Maintaining a healthy level of body weight and PF during adolescence is recommended to prevent the development of metabolic diseases in adulthood.

The association between insulin resistance and Framingham risk score among type 2 diabetes / 한국역학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Insulin resistance has been known to be associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship with Framingham risk score among type 2 diabetes has not been well known. We investigated the relationship between insulin resistance (IR) and the Framingham risk score(FRS) among type 2 diabetes in Korea. METHODS: We estimated the 5-year risk of ischemic heart disease(IHD) based on Framingham equation among 1,941 diabetes patients(1,294 men and 647 women), who visited Huh's clinic, enrolled from January 2003 to June 2006. IR, which was measured by insulin tolerance test (ITT), was divided into five groups(Q1 to Q5). High risk of IHD was defined as upper 10 percentile of FRS. Multivariate regression and logistic regression models were used to see independent association of higher quintiles of IR level, compared with lowest quintile(Q1) for the risk of IHD. RESULTS: Mean (+/-standard deviation) 5-year FRS of study subjects were 8.40%(+/-6.89) for men and 5.92%(+/-5.23) for women. There were significant correlation between IR, body mass index, HbA1C, fasting glucose, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, C-peptide and FRS in both men and women. After adjusting for triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, C-peptide, multivariate regression model analysis showed that IR was independently associated with the FRS. A positive association between IR and high risk of IHD was observed in men: highest versus lowest quintile of IR (odds ratio 5.45 in men and 4.71 in women). CONCLUSION: Increased IR level was independently associated with risk of IHD measured by FRS among type 2 diabetes in Korea.

Development of ELISA-kit of Quantitative Analysis for Adiponectin and Their Correlation with Cardiovascular Risk Factors / 한국역학회지

PURPOSES: To develop a rapid, sensitive, qualitative ELISA-kit for serum adiponectin and examine correlation with adiponectin and cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: On the base of monoclonal antibodies against adiponectin, apply indirect ELISA to study the performance parameter of the kit. The correlation was examined between adiponectin and cardiovascular risk factors including waist circumference, body mass index, triglyceride, and HDL cholesterol. RESULTS: The limited concentration of detection of the ELISA-kit was 1ug/ml. Linearity with R&D system and AdipoGen with this ELISA-kit was acceptable: the linear equation with R&D system was y=1.0116x + 0.4629 (R2=0.97) and linear equation with AdipoGen was y=0.9562x + 1.1961 (R2=0.93), respectively. The average recovery rate of the ELISA-kit ranged 92 to 104%. The correlation coefficient of waist circumference with adiponectin was -0.2276 (p<0.0001) among men and -0.2328 (p<0.0001) among women. CONCLUSION: This ELISA-kit was quick, sensitive, and stable and can be used to determine adiponectin in serum.

The Association Between Adiponectin and Diabetes in the Korean Population / 한국역학회지

BACKGROUND: As indicators of obesity, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and adiponectin are well known risk factor for diabetes mellitus. The objectives of this study were to measure the independent association between these obesity indicators and diabetes and to examine the combined effect of these indicators on diabetes in a Korean population. METHODS: The WC, BMI, and serum adiponectin were measured in 6,505 healthy Koreans and were classified into tertile groups for men and women. The independent and combined associations of the obesity indicators with diabetes were measured using logistic regression analyses. Diabetes was defined as fasting serum glucose greater than 126 mg/dL or taking medication. RESULTS: Levels of adiponectin were inversely associated with BMI and WC and directly associated with age and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) cholesterol (P <0.001). After adjusting for age, WC, and other lifestyle factors, low levels of adiponectin were associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes. Further adjustment for HDL cholesterol and triglyceride attenuated this association in both men and women. The best cut-off value of adiponectin in terms of identifying the presence of diabetes was 5.5 /ml with a sensitivity and specificity of 46.7% and 63.9% for men and 9.5 /ml with a sensitivity and specificity of 68.2% and 55.2 for women. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that adiponectin was associated with diabetes. The association was independent of WC and was partly modified by HDL and triglyceride. There were no effect modifications of adiponectin with WC on diabetes.

Associations between Smoking, Screening, and Death Caused by Cervical Cancer in Korean Women

PURPOSE: Cervical cancer is a major women's health problem in the world today. The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and mortality rates and to investigate risk factors for cervical cancer in Korean women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reproductive factors, cigarette smoking, as well as the risk of incidence and death from cervical cancer were examined in a 12-year prospective cohort study of 475,398 Korean women aged 30 to 95 years who received health insurance from the National Health Insurance Corporation and who had a medical evaluation in 1992. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using the Cox proportional hazards model after adjusting for age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, alcohol use, menarche, parity, and Papanicolaou test status. RESULTS: This study showed that the RR of death due to cervical cancer among current smokers was two times higher compared with non- smokers (RR=2.00; 95% CI, 1.23-2.91). In addition, the RR of death due to cervical cancer among all women who smoked > 10 cigarettes/day was 2.4 times higher than the RR among women that had never smoked. More interestingly, those who had never been screened by Papanicolaou smears had twice the risk of death due to cervical cancer (RR =2.00; 95% CI, 1.37-1.81). CONCLUSION: Our prospective study concluded that current smokers had an increased risk of death due to cervical cancer. We suggest that the target age group for cervical cancer screening tests be reconsidered and should begin as early as possible.

MSX1 Polymorphism Associated with Risk of Oral Cleft in Korea: Evidence from Case-Parent Trio and Case-Control Studies

Orofacial clefts, including cleft lip with or without palate (CL/P) and cleft palate (CP), are one of the most common congenital malformations in Asian populations, where the rate of incidence is higher than in European or other racial groups. A number of candidate genes have been identified for orofacial clefts, although no single candidate has been consistently identified in all studies. We performed case-parent trio and case- control studies on 6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the MSX1 gene using a sample of 52 CL/P and CP probands from Korea. In the case-control study, the allele frequencies of 6 MSX1 SNPs were compared between 52 oral cleft cases and 96 unmatched controls. For the case-parent trio study, single-marker and haplotype-based tests of transmission disequilibrium using allelic and genotypic tests revealed significant evidence of linkage in the presence of disequilibrium for 1170 G/A of exon 2. With the GG genotype as a reference group among GG, GA, and AA genotypes at 1170G/A, the disease risk decreased with the presence of the A allele (AA genotype: OR=0.26, 95% CI=0.10-0.99). These results are consistent with evidence from other studies in the US and Chile and confirm the importance of the MSX1 genotype in determining the risk of CL/P and CP in Koreans.

Medical Expenditure of National Health Insurance Attributable to Smoking among the Korean Population / 예방의학회지

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the population-attributable risk (PAR) and estimate the total medical expenditure of the Korean National Health Insurance (KNHI) due to smoking. METHODS: We used data from the Korean Cancer Prevention Study of 1,178,138 Koreans aged 30 to 95. These data were available from 1992 to 2003 and covered a long-term follow-up period among the Korean population. RESULTS: The total medical expenditure of KNHI related to smoking increased by 27% from $324.9 million in 1999 to $413.7 million in 2003. By specific diseases, smokingattributable KNHI medical expenditure was the highest for lung cancer ($74.2 million), followed by stroke ($65.3 million), COPD ($50.1 million), CHD ($49 million) and stomach cancer ($30 million). A total of 1.3 million KNHI patients were suffering from smoking-related diseases in 2003. We predicted rises in total KNHI medical expenditure related to smoking to $675.1 million (63% increase compared with that of 2003) and in the total number of KNHI patients suffering from smoking-related diseases to about 2.6million (an approximate 100% increase compared with those in 2003) in 2015. CONCLUSIONS: We found a substantial economic burden related to the high smoking prevalence in South Korea.

Ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) Ala133Ser polymorphism is associated with cervical cancer in Korean women / 부인종양

OBJECTIVE: The ras association domain family 1A (RASSF1A) gene plays an important part in carcinogenesis by inactivation via promoter hypermethylation in several cancers. We aimed to examine the effect of the RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism on cervical carcinogenesis in reference to environmental factors, such as smoking and age at first sexual intercourse. METHODS: Seven hundred five patients who were diagnosed with cervical neoplasia and who had a positive results for human papillomavirus were enrolled to experimental group, and 641 of normal healthy women were enrolled as controls. All of the subjects were genotyped using the SNaPshot single base primer extension assay. RESULTS: Compared with RASSF1A TT/GT, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for RASSF1A GG was 1.4 (0.9-2.1) for invasive cervical cancer and 1.1 (0.7-1.7) for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II or III. The risks for cervical cancer were higher in patients under 40 years old at diagnosis (1.6, 1.0-2.6), than in patients over 40 years old at diagnosis (1.0, 0.7-1.5). Women with RASSF1A GG who currently smoke had a 2.7 (1.3-5.9) times higher risk of cervical cancer. Women with RASSF1A GG who had an early age of first intercourse, as compared with RASSF1A TT/GT, were also at increased risk. CONCLUSION: The RASSF1A Ala133Ser polymorphism is associated with a higher risk of cervical cancer and particularly with an early onset of cervical carcinogenesis.

Framingham Equation Model Overestimates Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease in Korean Men and Women / 한국역학회지

BACKGROUND: The prediction of the absolute risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is commonly based on the risk prediction equations, originated from the Framingham Heart Study. METHOD: Framingham equation model was applied to participants from 2001 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) to estimate the 5 year risk of IHD among Koreans ranging from 30 to 74 year-olds. The estimated risks were compared to the incidence and admission rates from two statistical reports among Koreans. Five year admission rate was estimated by the annual report from National Health Insurance Corporation (NHIC). RESULTS: The average ages (standard deviation) were 34.31(27.23) year-old for KNHNES and 48.26(12.87) year-old for Framingham population used in this study. The risk of IHD predicted by the Framingham equation model substantially exceeded the risks actually reported in Korea. Five-year predicted risks by Framingham equation model were 4.86% for men and 1.93% for women; whereas from incidence data in Korea, five-year risks for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were for 0.47% for men and 0.18% for women. These AMI incidence was similar to the admission rate (0.34 for men and 0.15 for women) estimated by NHIC. Also, 5-year admission rate of IHD were 1.16 for men and 0.78 for women. The magnitude of risk overestimation by Framingham mode is approximately at least 150 to 320%. CONCLUSION: Korean guidelines for the management for high risk group of IHD need to develop and correct for overestimation to avoid inflation of costs in primary prevention.

Smoking and cause of death in Korea: 11 years follow-up prospective study / 한국역학회지

OBJECTIVE: In Korea, male smoking prevalence is among the world's highest and mortality rates from smoking-caused cancers, particularly lung cancer, are escalating. This cohort study examined the effects of cigarette smoking on the risk of mortality from all causes, cancers and cardiovascular diseases(CVD), and characterized the relationship of the risk with the amount and duration of cigarette smoking. METHOD: A eleven-year prospective cohort study was carried out of on 1,207,592 Koreans, 30 to 95 years of age. The study population includes participants in a national insurance program, who completed a questionnaire on smoking and other risk factors. The main outcome measures were death from all causes, cancer and CVD, obtained through record linkage. At baseline, 482,997 men(60.0%) and 19,755(5.3%) women were current cigarette smokers. RESULTS: In multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, controlling for age, alcohol drinking, exercise, and obesity, current smoking among men increased the risks of mortality from all cause death (relative risk[RR], 1.56; 95% confidence interval[CI], 1.52~1.59), all cancer (1.75, 1.68~1.82), and CVD(1.46, 1.38~1.55). Similar results were found for mortality among women. Smoking also increased the risks of mortality for cancer of the lung(4.60, 4.09~5.33) and other cancers, including larynx, bile duct, esophagus, liver, stomach, pancreas, bladder, and also leukemia. Current smoking among women increased the risk of lung cancer mortality(RR=2.83, 95% CI 2.38~3.36). CONCLUSION: In Korea, smoking is an independent risk factor for death from all causes, CVD and a number of major cancers. The findings affirm the need for aggressive tobacco control in Korea in order to minimize the epidemic of smoking-caused disease.

Heritability and Segregation Analysis of the Level of LDL-Cholesterol

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the familial correlation and heritability of the LDL cholesterol level through a segregation analysis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This study was based on the data from 9,884 Korean individuals, ascertained as pedigrees, who had participated in the 1998 and 2001 Korean National Health & Nutrition Examination Survey. The subjects of the segregation analysis were 3,613 Korean with more than five family members. RESULTS: The LDL cholesterol level revealed a strong familial correlation among spouses, parental-offspring and siblings; a low correlation with spouses, but a high correlation with parental-offspring and siblings. The heritability of the LDL cholesterol level was 37.3%, when controlled for age, age2, gender, age x gender, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise and education. After the segregation analysis, models of the major gene effects were rejected in the general population. However, the Mendelian dominant and co-dominant models were found in high risk families. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the randomly ascertained Korean families of this study showed strong familial aggregation in the LDL cholesterol level. This suggested that variations in the level of LDL cholesterol may be influenced by a major gene effect.