Anemia and the risk of Parkinson's disease in Korean older adults: A nationwide population-based study.

Evidence of the association between anemia and risk of PD (Parkinson's disease) have been accumulating. This study aimed to examine the relationship between anemia and risk of PD in Korean older adults. Korean adults aged 50 years or older who participated in the Korean National Screening Program (n = 12,342,278) between 2009 and 2013 were followed until 2015. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of PD, and participants were followed for a mean period of 5.0 years. At the end of follow-up, 3,844 adults were diagnosed with PD. After adjusting for potential confounders, participants with anemia had decreased risk of PD compared to adults without anemia (adjusted HR (aHR) 0.894, 95% CI: 0.809-0.989). Furthermore, aHR of PD was 0.698 (95% CI: 0.546-0.891) in moderate to severe anemia and 0.938 (95% CI: 0.843-1.044) in mild anemia. The protective effect of anemia was also more profound in men (aHR 0.888, 95% CI: 0.774-1.02) than in women (aHR 0.905, 95% CI: 0.782-1.048). In conclusion, anemia was associated with lower risk of PD, particularly for patients with moderate to severe anemia. Our study suggests that further studies may be needed to clarify the relationship between anemia and PD.

Anemia and Risk of Fractures in Older Korean Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Anemia is a common health problem in older adults and is associated with risk factors for fracture such as low physical function and low bone mass. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between anemia and fracture risk in older adults. We conducted a retrospective cohort study from 2003 to 2013. The participants were community-dwelling Korean adults aged 65 years and older who participated in the National Health Screening Program (n = 72,131) between 2003 and 2008. Anemia (<12 g/dL for women and <13 g/dL for men) and severity of anemia (mild: 11 g/dL ≤ Hb < 12 g/dL; moderate to severe: Hb < 11 g/dL) were defined by World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The incidence of any fractures, vertebral fractures, and femur fractures was identified using ICD-10 codes. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess risk of fracture according to anemia. Anemia was associated with increased risk of fracture in men (any: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-1.41; vertebral: aHR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.03-1.40; femur: aHR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.44-2.04), and less strongly but still significantly in women (any: aHR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.11-1.41; vertebral: aHR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20; femur: aHR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.25-1.52). Higher risk was observed in subjects with moderate-to-severe anemia in both sexes. Considering the high prevalence of anemia in older adults, it is important that health professionals recognize increased fracture risk in older adults with anemia. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Behavior in Female Cancer Survivors: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2012.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare breast and cervical cancer screening rates between female cancer survivors and a population without cancer to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening in cancer survivors. METHODS: We included 17,765 adults (738 cancer survivors and 17,027 individuals without cancer) in this study, all of whom who were 30 years of age or older and participated in the Fourth and Fifth Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys from 2007-2012. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors related to cervical and breast cancer screening uptake in female cancer survivors. RESULTS: The screening rate for breast cancer was 56.6%, which was higher than that in the non-cancer control group (P=0.001). The screening rate for cervical cancer was 51.4%, which was not different from that of the non-cancer control group. In terms of breast cancer screening, cancer survivors showed no significant difference in the rate of screening 5 years after their cancer diagnosis. However, cervical cancer survivors were less likely to have cervical cancer screening 10 years after their cancer diagnosis. There was no significant association between cancer screening and sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSION: Breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Korean female cancer survivors are low. Secondary primary cancer screening of female cancer survivors needs to be planned in a comprehensive manner, with the consideration of influences beyond sociodemographic factors.

The Association Between Shift Work and Health Behavior: Findings from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BACKGROUND: Shift workers are increasing worldwide, and various negative health effects of shift work have been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between shift work and health behavior. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a total of 11,680 Korean adults (6,061 men and 5,619 women) aged ≥20 years old who participated in the Fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2010-2012. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between shift work and health behavior after adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: In men, shift work was associated with an increased risk of inadequate sleep (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.40) compared to day work. In women, shift work was associated with an increased risk of smoking (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.34 to 2.22) and inadequate sleep (OR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.47) compared to day work. In an age-stratified subgroup analysis, female shift workers aged ≥50 years old demonstrated an increased risk of smoking (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 3.60 to 8.55), alcohol consumption (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.53 to 3.23), and inadequate sleep (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.10 to 2.05) compared to female day workers. CONCLUSION: Shift work is associated with worse health behavior, and this is most evident in women aged ≥50 years. Targeted strategies to reduce the negative health effects of shift work should be implemented, with consideration of shift workers' demographic characteristics.