Interrelationships among common symptoms in the elderly and their effects on health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study in rural Korea.

BACKGROUND: Because the world population is aging, it has become increasingly important to focus on and meet the healthcare needs of elderly individuals. This study aims to evaluate the relationships among common symptoms experienced by the elderly, including fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, indigestion, and depression/anger/anxiety, and to assess how these symptoms affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the elderly population after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and diagnosed diseases. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 in a rural area of Korea, we extracted data on 1328 elderly individuals aged 60 years or older. Their HRQoL was assessed using the EuroQol Five-Dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The pairwise associations between each symptom and the influence of the symptoms on HRQoL were measured using logistic regression and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Each symptom was positively correlated with the other symptoms. The strongest association was observed between fatigue and pain (adjusted odds ratio = 8.127), and the weakest correlation was observed between sleep and indigestion (adjusted odds ratio = 2.521). Of the individuals experiencing symptoms other than sleep disturbance, those who reported comorbid symptoms tended to report higher symptom severity and a higher prevalence of symptoms persisting for ≥ 3 days compared with individuals who reported only one symptom. The number of symptoms was significantly correlated with the EQ-5D index (Spearman correlation coefficient = -0.370, p < 0.01) and the EQ Visual Analog Scale (EQ VAS) scores (Spearman correlation coefficient = -0.226, p < 0.01). Fatigue, pain, and sleep disturbance showed negative effects on all dimensions of EQ-5D. In multiple regression analysis, fatigue (ß = -0.073, p < 0.01), pain (ß = -0.140, p < 0.01), sleep disturbance (ß = -0.061, p < 0.05), and depression/anger/anxiety (ß = -0.065, p < 0.05) showed significant independent effects on the EQ-5D index when we adjusted for socioeconomic characteristics and diagnosed diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Fatigue, pain, sleep disturbance, and depression/anger/anxiety were correlated with one another, and they presented significant independent effects on the HRQoL of elderly individuals. Thus, multidisciplinary healthcare programs are required to address these common symptoms.

Cold Hypersensitivity in the Hands and Feet May Be Associated with Functional Dyspepsia: Results of a Multicenter Survey Study.

Aim. To investigate whether dyspepsia symptoms differ depending on the presence or absence of cold hypersensitivity in the hands and feet (CHHF). Methods. In all, 6044 patients were recruited and provided with a questionnaire about CHHF and dyspepsia. Based on their responses, subjects were divided into a CHHF group (persons who noted cold sensations; n = 1209) and a non-CHHF group (persons who noted warm or intermediate sensations; n = 1744). The groups were compared in terms of their usual digestion status, using chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses to calculate the propensity score and odds ratios (ORs). We analyzed the participants' responses to questions on dyspepsia symptoms. Results. After matching, chi-square tests indicated that the CHHF group had higher frequencies of the following symptoms: bad digestion, poor appetite, discomfort in the upper abdomen, motion sickness, epigastric burning, postprandial fullness, nausea, and bloating. Additionally, CHHF was associated with an increased OR for dyspepsia (bad digestion, vomiting, motion sickness, epigastric burning, postprandial fullness, nausea, epigastric pain, and bloating) compared with the non-CHHF group. Conclusion. This study confirmed that CHHF patients have elevated frequencies of most dyspepsia symptoms.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use among Physicians in Oriental Medicine Hospitals in Vietnam: A Hospital-Based Survey.

Interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing worldwide, even in Vietnam where traditional medicine is considered mainstream. We conducted a survey of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of CAM therapies among physicians in oriental medicine (OM) hospitals in Vietnam. A two-stage random selection process selected 337 physicians who were interviewed using a face-to-face method with a standardized structured questionnaire. Data from 312 physicians who completed the questionnaire suggested that oriental herbal medicine and acupuncture (Vietnamese OM version) were the more commonly used CAM modalities compared with Vietnamese folk medicine and other forms of CAM. A broad range of CAM modalities, particularly chiropractice, diet supplements, and dietary therapy, and an excessive proportion of western medication were employed in conjunction with OM in the physicians' daily practice. Their daily practice was influenced by the source of knowledge, education level, medical specialty, and working environment. These findings suggest that physicians in OM hospitals in Vietnam have interests in various forms of CAM therapies besides traditional modes.

Taeyeumjoweetang Affects Body Weight and Obesity-related Genes in Mice.

Taeyeumjoweetang (TYJWT) is a herbal medication that was mentioned in Jema Lee's Donguisusebowon, which is a book about Sasang constitutional medicine. Tae-eumnis, one of the four constitutions, tend to suffer from metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. It is widely used to treat the digestive problems and obesity of Tae-eumins. We divided mice that were fed a normal diet for 48 days into control, TYJWT 250 mg kg(-1) and TYJWT 500 mg kg(-1) groups. After carrying out the experiments, the serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, ghrelin and resistin were measured. The results showed that TYJWT significantly reduced the weights of mice that were fed a normal diet, and that this was due to a decrease in food intake. Also, the two TYJWT groups had lower serum levels of leptin compared to the control group, and the ghrelin levels were proportionately increased by the dosage of TYJWT given. These results show that TYJWT has obesity-suppressing effects similar to those previously reported using high fat diets. In addition, these results also provide evidence that TYJWT has anti-obesity effects.