Body Mass Index, relative weight and Waist-hip ratio of school children and adolescents in Seoul

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to obtain the accurate information on the obesity indices, such as body mass index(BMI), relative weight and waist-hip ratio(WHR) and to investigate their relationship in order to assess the childhood and adolescent obesity more appropriately. METHODS: In May, 1995, a total of 6943(male; 3469, female; 3474) students from primary, middle and high schools in Seoul were selected and each students height, weight, waist and hip circumference data were collected. RESULTS: The BMI increased with age in both sexes. From age 12 to 16, values of BMI 50th percentiles for females exceeded those for males. And the BMI 95th percentiles at the age of 13 to 14 years were higher for females than for males. The prevalence of obesity by relative weight was higher in males than in females(male ; 17.9%, female ; 13.1%). The WHR was higher in males than females in all age group and decreased with age in both sexes, showing more sharp reduction in females. Strong correlations were observed between the BMI and the relative weight, and the BMI and the relative weight correlated closely with WHR. The WHR was significanly higher in obese group' than in non-obese group. In the female obese group aged 6 to 11 years, no significant correlation was found between the relative weight and the WHR. CONCLUSIONS: There were significant relationships between the indices of obesity and body fat distribution. This study suggests that WHR as well as BMI and relative weight might be useful in assessing the childhood and adolescent obesity.

The Usefulness of Clock Drawing Test as Screening for Dementia On the basis of the correlation between clock drawing and MMSE-K

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of dementia is estimated to be as high as 11.3% among coummunity-dwelling persons over 65 years of age in Korea. The fear of dementia for both patients and families is growing because of the chronicity and progressiveness of the disease. Though the recognition, evaluation, and management of patients with dementia are important for the care of older pateint, unfortunately, MMSE takes 5 to 10 minutes to administer and is cumbersome to carry for all elderly patients in busy office. The Clock Drawing Test has been known as valid, easily administered and low cost screening procedure for the congnitive impaiment associated with dementia in general geriatric clinic population. In this study, we assessed the usefulness of this measure as a screening test for dementia, on the basis of the correlation between clock drawing and MMSE-K. METHODS: The subjects for this study consisted of 47 elderly who visited to two elderly clubs in Seoul from April 1996 through June 1996 or the outpatient department of Family medicine of the Ehwa Mok-dong hospital. They received the Mini-Mental Status Exam and the Clock Drawing test. Three observers evaluated them by ratings from 10(best) to 1(worst). Inter-rater reliability of scores from the Clock Drawing Test was assessed and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationships between scores from the Clock Drawing Test and MMSE-K. RESULTS: Their mean age was 75.4 years with range of 65 to 91 years. There were 34 women and 13 men. Correlations between individual raters was highly significant(y=0.8939, 0.8552, and 0.8698, respectively ; P<0.01). Compared to scores on MMSE-K, rating from clock drawings by each of 3 raters revealed statistically significant correlations(y=0.7164, 0.7398, and 0.6884, respectively ; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The clock drawings can be rated reliably by even untrained observers and performance on this task relates significantly to performance on MMSE-K of severity. We confirmed the usefulness of clock drawings as a simple, easily administered, low cost, and reliable general screening tool for dementia in a general geriatric clinic population.

Prevalence of Dyslipidemic hypertension

BACKGROUND: The studies about that hypertension commonly associated with dyslipidemia and that dyslipidemic hypertension increased mortality compared with hypertension only and dyslipidemia only, suggests an important clinical entity. Therefore, this study aimed to identify prevalence and describe potential insulin resistance of dyslipidemic hypertension, and compare about them with two other groups(dyslipidemia only, hypertension only). METHODS: The data in this study was analyzed from 1,296 persons who had visited Health examination center in Ewha Womans University Mok-dong Hospital from Jan. to April, 1996. Prevalence of dylipidemia, hypertension and dislipidemic hypertension were measured. Average age, and frequency of male, obesity and NIDDM in three groups were measured. Odds ratios of sex, obesity, smoking, and DM according to two age group consisting of persons before and after 50 years were calculated for three groups. RESULTS: Frequency of dyslipidemia only was 27% and of hypertension only was 8%.; conjoint frequency(dyslipidemic hypertension) was 7%, which is 1.5 times greater than expected value(4.7%) if the two diseases were independent. In characteristics for age, sex, obesity and NIDDM, All three groups(dyslipidemic hypertension, dyslipidemia only, hypertension only) w-normal subjects. Dyslipidemic hypertension was more likely to be obese and had a greater frequency of NIDDM than two other group(dyslipidemia only, hypertension only). Odds ratio was contrasted with three groups for sex, smoking, obesity, NIDDM stratified by age to more indentify association with insulin resistance. Sex was associated with male in two groups(dyslipidemia only, dyslipidemic hypertension) of younger group and dyslipudemia only group of older group, but associated with female in hypertension only and dyslipidemic hypertension of older group. Smoking was associated with dyslipidemia only group of younger group. Obesity was associated with increased odds of dyslipidemia only(2.03) and hypertension only(2.02), dyslipidemic hypertension (4.38) in younger group, and dyslipidemic hypertension(2.24) in older group, but associated with decreased odds with dyslipidemia only(0.56). NIDDM was associated with increased odds of dyslipidemia only(2.39) and dyslipidemic hypertension(3.32) in youger group. CONCLUSIONS: Dyslipidemic hypertension is common and more often than would be dictated by chance alone, which is consistent with a distinct syndrome. Dyslipidemia and hypertension were associated with potential insulin resistant states of obesity and DM in this study. So, treatment of dislipidemic hypertension should focus on weight control and exercise, which increase insulin sensitivity.

Prevalence of Dyslipidemic hypertension

BACKGROUND: The studies about that hypertension commonly associated with dyslipidemia and that dyslipidemic hypertension increased mortality compared with hypertension only and dyslipidemia only, suggests an important clinical entity. Therefore, this study aimed to identify prevalence and describe potential insulin resistance of dyslipidemic hypertension, and compare about them with two other groups(dyslipidemia only, hypertension only). METHODS: The data in this study was analyzed from 1,296 persons who had visited Health examination center in Ewha Womans University Mok-dong Hospital from Jan. to April, 1996. Prevalence of dylipidemia, hypertension and dislipidemic hypertension were measured. Average age, and frequency of male, obesity and NIDDM in three groups were measured. Odds ratios of sex, obesity, smoking, and DM according to two age group consisting of persons before and after 50 years were calculated for three groups. RESULTS: Frequency of dyslipidemia only was 27% and of hypertension only was 8%.; conjoint frequency(dyslipidemic hypertension) was 7%, which is 1.5 times greater than expected value(4.7%) if the two diseases were independent. In characteristics for age, sex, obesity and NIDDM, All three groups(dyslipidemic hypertension, dyslipidemia only, hypertension only) w-normal subjects. Dyslipidemic hypertension was more likely to be obese and had a greater frequency of NIDDM than two other group(dyslipidemia only, hypertension only). Odds ratio was contrasted with three groups for sex, smoking, obesity, NIDDM stratified by age to more indentify association with insulin resistance. Sex was associated with male in two groups(dyslipidemia only, dyslipidemic hypertension) of younger group and dyslipudemia only group of older group, but associated with female in hypertension only and dyslipidemic hypertension of older group. Smoking was associated with dyslipidemia only group of younger group. Obesity was associated with increased odds of dyslipidemia only(2.03) and hypertension only(2.02), dyslipidemic hypertension (4.38) in younger group, and dyslipidemic hypertension(2.24) in older group, but associated with decreased odds with dyslipidemia only(0.56). NIDDM was associated with increased odds of dyslipidemia only(2.39) and dyslipidemic hypertension(3.32) in youger group. CONCLUSIONS: Dyslipidemic hypertension is common and more often than would be dictated by chance alone, which is consistent with a distinct syndrome. Dyslipidemia and hypertension were associated with potential insulin resistant states of obesity and DM in this study. So, treatment of dislipidemic hypertension should focus on weight control and exercise, which increase insulin sensitivity.