The Study of Risk Factors for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis in Korea / 대한류마티스학회지

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk factors for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in Koreans METHODS: A total of 1,194 persons consisting of 588 men and 606 women (mean age+/-SD, 48.9+/-14.0 years) were enrolled in rural and urban areas or in a hospital of Korea between september 2000 and august 2001. All participants were interviewed about symptoms of knee OA and possible risk factors including age, sex, occupation, body mass index (BMI), smoking, age of menarche, menopause and hormone replacement therapy and examined. Knee radiograph was obtained in all participants with knee symptoms. Symptomatic knee OA was defined according to clinical criteria or clinical and radiographic criteria for classification of osteoarthritis of the knee by Altman. RESULTS: Of 1,194 participants, symptomatic knee OA was found in 189 persons (15.8%) and multivariate analysis showed that female (OR=5.66, 95% CI 3.42~9.38), aging (OR=1.10, 95% CI 1.08~1.12), living in rural area (OR=3.83, 95% CI 2.27~6.45) and BMI over 25 kg/m(2) (OR=2.26, 95% CI 1.42~3.59) were risk factors. Age (older than 70 years, OR=1.08, 95% CI 1.04~1.12) and living in rural area (OR=5.39, 05% CI 1.94~14.96) were associated with symptomatic knee OA in men and age (older than 40 years, OR=1.11, 95% CI 1.07~1.16), living in rural area (OR=2.46, 95% CI 1.17~5.17), and BMI over 25 kg/m(2) (OR=3.45, 95% CI 1.63~7.29) in women. CONCLUSION: The risk factors for symptomatic knee OA were aging, female, living in rural area and high BMI in Koreans.

Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis / 대한류마티스학회지

The conventional approach to treatment of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have been rather limited in the last decades. Evidence is accumulating that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker is highly effective in AS. This article reviews the most recent and the most pertinent advances in the treatment in AS. TNF blocker have been evaluated in a number of randomized controlled trials in AS and have been demonstrated to be effective in disease activity, function, and quality of life in these patients. TNF blocker is emerging as the best therapeutic option available for patients with AS.