Mediating Effects of Diet Quality between Meal Frequency and Cardiometabolic Risk among Korean Adults: Data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) / 중환자간호학회지

Purpose@#: The 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee specifically noted that meal frequency is associated with risks for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality, although the current evidence on meal frequency is conflicting. As meal frequency itself is affected by various factors, the aim of the study was not only to examine its relationships with cardiometabolic risk but also to identify the mediating effects of dietary quality. @*Methods@#: This study used a descriptive correlational design. In all 8,141 healthy adults participated in the study. Measurements included meal frequency, cardiometabolic risk, and diet quality. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis, and process macro bootstrapping model 4. @*Results@#: The meal frequency was 3.52±0.61 times per day, the risk of cardiovascular metabolic diseases was 0.01±0.61 points, and the diet quality was 62.08±13.87 points. In mediation analysis, the effect of meal frequency on cardiometabolic risk score was completely mediated by diet quality. @*Conclusion@#: Improved diet quality in healthy adults should be considered when designing meal frequency interventions aimed at reducing their cardiometabolic risk, as the effect of meal frequency support on cardiometabolic risk was found to be mediated by diet quality.

Increased expression of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 subunit in adenomyosis

OBJECTIVE: Nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) is a critical proinflammatory regulator that has been suggested to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of endometriosis. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether the expression of NF-κB p65 subunit is increased in the eutopic endometrium and/or in the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis. METHODS: Thirty-three women with histologically confirmed adenomyosis after laparoscopic or transabdominal hysterectomy were recruited. Women with carcinoma in situ of uterine cervix without evidence of adenomyosis or endometriosis (n=32) served as controls. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissues were sectioned and immunostained utilizing a monoclonal anti-human NF-κB p65 subunit antibody, and the immunoreactivity of NF-κB p65 subunit was compared between women with and without adenomyosis. RESULTS: The immunoreactivities of both the nuclear and the cytoplasmic NF-κB p65 subunit were significantly increased in the stromal cells in the eutopic endometrium as well as in the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis compared with controls, respectively. The nuclear expression of NF-κB p65 subunit was significantly higher in the glandular cells in the eutopic endometrium as well as the adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis compared with controls, respectively. CONCLUSION: The expression of NF-κB p65 is increased in the eutopic endometrium and adenomyosis nodule of women with adenomyosis, which strongly suggest that NF-κB plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and/or pathophysiology of adenomyosis.

Awareness and Experience of Menopausal Symptom and Hormone Therapy in Korean Postmenopausal Women

OBJECTIVES: To investigate awareness and experience of menopausal symptom and hormone therapy in Korean postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 570 postmenopausal women were accepted our survey. The women filled out the questionnaires composed of medical and surgical history, menopausal age and symptom, demand of treatment on menopausal symptom, and personal method for overcoming the symptom. Also, we make inquiries about experience of hormone therapy, concern about hormone therapy, improvement of menopausal symptom after therapy, adverse effect, and cause of cease the therapy. RESULTS: According to the survey, 80% (456/570) of the women experienced menopausal symptom. When they felt the symptom at first, 47% (213/570) of women was 46-50 years old. The most common menopausal symptom was hot flushes (141/570). A number of Korean women regarded that menopause was a natural process of ageing (69%). Eighty two % of women thought to need to have treatment on menopausal symptom. However, only half (43%) visited doctor. The most concerned disease after menopause they had answered was osteoporosis (60%) but only 22% of women were taken regular check-up of bone mineral density. The common causes were unwilling to do treatment were concern about adverse effect (51%) and indefinite fear of cancer (32%). Moreover, many women got diverse information about menopause from the mass media than professional advice. CONCLUSION: Only a minority of Korean postmenopausal women with menopausal symptoms had taken a hormone therapy. We should provide appropriate education and counsel to Korean peri-menopause women.

Development of Renal Dosing System at a University Hospital / 대한의료정보학회지

OBJECTIVE: This report is describing the development and implementation process of the knowledge-based renal dose adjustment system at a university hospital. METHOD: From the hospital drug formulary which included about 1500 medications, clinical pharmacists selected 243 nephrotoxic medications which require dose adjustment in patients with renal impairment. Through literature review and consultation of clinical pharmacists, nephrologist, and infectious disease specialist, we developed an accordant renal dosing knowledge-base and used them to build the rules for dosage adjustment alerts and to provide information related to alerts such as patients' age, gender, most recent weight, latest serum creatinine, calculated creatinine clearance, and recommended dosage for renal insufficiency. STATUS REPORT: As of August 2006, the renal dosing system which monitored drug prescription and generated real-time alerting window to help physician to adjust drug doses in patients with renal impairment was implemented and has been operated well since initial implementation. CONCLUSION: Renal dosing system based upon knowledge-based renal dosing guideline was successfully developed and implemented into a local clinical practicesetting.