What Is Integrative Medicine? / 영남의대학술지

The demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. High-technology medicine is not always effective and is often accompanied by neglected self-care and high cost. Also, conventional medicine has become dependent on expensive technological solutions to health problems. Integrated medicine is not simply a synonym for complementary medicine. It involves the understanding of the interaction of the mind, body, and spirit and how to interpret this relationship in the dynamics of health and disease. Integrative medicine shifts the orientation of the medical practice from a disease-based approach to a healing-based approach. In South Korea, CAM education was first provided 20 years ago, and integrative medicine is becoming part of the current mainstream medicine. Increasing numbers of fellowships in integrative medicine are being offered in many academic health centers in the U.S. Also, it has emerged as a potential solution to the American healthcare crisis and chronic diseases, which are bankrupting the economy. It provides care that is patient-centered, healing-oriented, emphasizes the therapeutic relationship, and uses therapeutic approaches originating from conventional and alternative medicine.

What Is Integrative Medicine? / 영남의대학술지

The demand for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing worldwide. High-technology medicine is not always effective and is often accompanied by neglected self-care and high cost. Also, conventional medicine has become dependent on expensive technological solutions to health problems. Integrated medicine is not simply a synonym for complementary medicine. It involves the understanding of the interaction of the mind, body, and spirit and how to interpret this relationship in the dynamics of health and disease. Integrative medicine shifts the orientation of the medical practice from a disease-based approach to a healing-based approach. In South Korea, CAM education was first provided 20 years ago, and integrative medicine is becoming part of the current mainstream medicine. Increasing numbers of fellowships in integrative medicine are being offered in many academic health centers in the U.S. Also, it has emerged as a potential solution to the American healthcare crisis and chronic diseases, which are bankrupting the economy. It provides care that is patient-centered, healing-oriented, emphasizes the therapeutic relationship, and uses therapeutic approaches originating from conventional and alternative medicine.

The Association between Esophagogastroduodenoscopic Findings and the Related Risk Factors of Obesity / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: The reports that obesity could be associated with upper gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis have not been consistent. Therefore, we studied the association between esophagogastroduodenoscopic (EGD) findings and the related risk factors of obesity. METHODS: The study subjects include 2,210 adults who visited the Health Promotion Center of one university hospital from January 2006 to December 2006. All subjects had standard physical measurements as well as resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, serum lipids, and gastroendoscopic examination. BMI was classified into two groups (BMI > or = 23 kg/m2, normal; BMI < 23 kg/m2, overweight or obese). The study subjects were classified into four groups according to the EGD findings; normal, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis. RESULTS: Mean BMI of gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, and reflux esophagitis groups were higher than normal group after adjusting age, sex, alcohol and smoking (P < 0.001). Gastritis risk (OR, 2.098; 95% CI, 1.195 to 3.682; P = 0.01), gastric or duodenal ulcer risk (OR, 2.562; 95% CI, 1.282 to 5.117; P = 0.008), and reflux esophagitis risk (OR, 2.856; 95% CI, 1.522 to 5.360; P = 0.001) were significantly higher in overweight and obesity group compare with normal weight group after adjusting age, sex, alcohol and smoking. CONCLUSION: We suggest that overweight or obesity is the risk factor of gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, and reflux esophagitis.

The Association between Esophagogastroduodenoscopic Findings and the Related Risk Factors of Obesity / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: The reports that obesity could be associated with upper gastrointestinal disorders such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, duodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis have not been consistent. Therefore, we studied the association between esophagogastroduodenoscopic (EGD) findings and the related risk factors of obesity. METHODS: The study subjects include 2,210 adults who visited the Health Promotion Center of one university hospital from January 2006 to December 2006. All subjects had standard physical measurements as well as resting blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, serum lipids, and gastroendoscopic examination. BMI was classified into two groups (BMI > or = 23 kg/m2, normal; BMI < 23 kg/m2, overweight or obese). The study subjects were classified into four groups according to the EGD findings; normal, gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, reflux esophagitis. RESULTS: Mean BMI of gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, and reflux esophagitis groups were higher than normal group after adjusting age, sex, alcohol and smoking (P < 0.001). Gastritis risk (OR, 2.098; 95% CI, 1.195 to 3.682; P = 0.01), gastric or duodenal ulcer risk (OR, 2.562; 95% CI, 1.282 to 5.117; P = 0.008), and reflux esophagitis risk (OR, 2.856; 95% CI, 1.522 to 5.360; P = 0.001) were significantly higher in overweight and obesity group compare with normal weight group after adjusting age, sex, alcohol and smoking. CONCLUSION: We suggest that overweight or obesity is the risk factor of gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcer, and reflux esophagitis.

Correlations of C-reactive Protein Levels with Obesity Index and Metabolic Risk Factors in Healthy Adults

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein (CRP) is one of the increasing plasma proteins in inflammatory diseases and tissue necrosis and recent evidence show that increased elevated levels of CRP are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and obesity. To investigate the relationship of obesity and CRP, we evaluated the correlation of CRP with obesity index in healthy adults. METHODS: The subjects included 1,926 healthy adults (1,168 men and 758 women) who visited the Health Promotion Center of a general hospital from May to December 2004. We excluded subjects who had inflammatory diseases, and investigated based on age, physical examination, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, serum lipid profile, percentage of body fat, and body mass index (BMI). CRP was analyzed by method of Turbid Immuno Assay (TIA) which has high sensitivity-CRP. We evaluated serum level of CRP in relation to %body fat, BMI, and clustering of metabolic risk factors. RESULTS: Comparing the median CRP with the percentage of body fat, BMI, clustering of metabolic risk factors the value of CRP significantly increased according to increase in %body fat BMI and metabolic risk fakfor (P or =0.22 mg/dL) was increased as %body fat, BMI, and clustering of metabolic risk factor increased. The Odds Ratios for elevated levels of CRP were 1.5 (95% CI 1.0~2.1) in men and 2.9 (95% CI 1.7~4.8) in women for subjects with obesity (BMI> or =25 kg/m2), 2.0 (95% CI 1.3~2.9) in men with more than 25% %body fat, and 2.5 (95% CI 1.4~4.1) in women with more than 30% %body fat. CONCLUSION: As %body fat increased, the proportion of elevated CRP (> or =0.22 mg/dL) level increased in men and women. We conclude that obesity is related with CRP.