Tolerability and adequate therapeutic dosage of oral clomipramine for the treatment of premature ejaculation: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, parallel-grouped clinical study.

To evaluate the adequate therapeutic dosage of clomipramine 15 mg/day and clomipramine 30 mg/day in male patients with premature ejaculation (PE), this study enrolled men aged 20-65 years who met diagnostic criteria for PE including Intravaginal Ejaculation Latency Time (IELT) less than 2 min for at least 75% of their sexual intercourses. Subjects received placebo, clomipramine 15 mg, or clomipramine 30 mg prn (2~6 h before intercourse) for 4 weeks. Efficacy was assessed using fold change, percentile change, and mean change of IELT, as well as Drug Coitus Interval Time (DCIT). A total of 101 patients were randomized into the placebo group, clomipramine 15 mg group, and clomipramine 30 mg group. Analyses of fold changes of IELT in each group revealed that the IELT of both the clomipramine 15 mg group and clomipramine 30 mg group was significantly increased 4 weeks after administration than the placebo group. Adverse events were reported by 11.76, 32.35, and 57.57% of patients in the placebo group, clomipramine 15 mg group, and clomipramine 30 mg group, respectively. Most common adverse events in the clomipramine treatment groups were gastrointestinal disorders and psychiatric disorders of mild to moderate severity. On-demand regimen of clomipramine 15 mg resulted in a significant improvement in IELT and was superior to a regimen of clomipramine 30 mg in terms of risk-to-benefit ratio.

Risk of Sarcopenia and Osteoporosis in Male Tuberculosis Survivors: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Short-term prospective studies have suggested that pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) preludes permanent loss of lean tissue and fat mass even when TB treatment is effective. The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of sarcopenia and osteoporosis among Korean male TB survivors. Data of the population-based, Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2008-2011) were analyzed, including 3,228 males aged 50 years or older who underwent chest X-ray (CXR) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). TB survivors having both medical history and TB scars on CXR had increased risk of sarcopenia (odds ratio [OR] 3.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79-6.68) and osteoporosis (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.04-2.95) after adjusting for age, height, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone level, education, and fat mass index. Having TB scars on CXR without medical history of TB was an independent risk factor of sarcopenia (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.05-4.00), but not a risk factor of osteoporosis. Sarcopenia and low bone mineral density are prevalent in pulmonary TB survivors with TB scars on CXR. Medical history of TB with TB scars on CXR is an independent risk factor for sarcopenia and osteoporosis.

Relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and lung function among Korean adults in Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2008-2010.

CONTEXT: The relationship between vitamin D status and pulmonary function has not been investigated for an East Asian population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with lung function in Korean adults. DESIGN AND SETTING: The analysis used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a cross-sectional survey of Korean civilians, conducted from 2008 to 2010. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 10 096 people aged 19 years and older were selected from 16 administrative districts in South Korea. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum 25(OH)D levels with lung function [forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC)]. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D concentration was positively associated with lung function after controlling for age, sex, height, and season. For FEV1 and FVC, the differences between top and bottom quartiles in 25(OH)D were 51 mL (SE, 17 mL, P trend <.001) and 58 mL (SE, 20 mL, P trend <.005) greater volume, respectively. Association of serum 25(OH)D with FEV1 and FVC was only slightly attenuated after adjustment for body mass index, lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, and respiratory illness. The subjects with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis showed a much higher increase in FEV1; the difference between top and bottom quartiles in 25(OH)D was 229 mL (SE, 87 mL, P trend <.01). CONCLUSION: Serum 25(OH)D levels have a positive correlation with pulmonary function. This relationship appears prominent in subjects with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Quality of life and disease severity are correlated in patients with atopic dermatitis.

Quantification of quality of life (QOL) related to disease severity is important in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), because the assessment provides additional information to the traditional objective clinical scoring systems. To document the impact of AD on QOL for both children and adults as well as to quantify the relationship with disease severity, QOL assessments were performed over a 6-month period on 415 patients with AD. A questionnaire derived from the Infants' Dermatitis Quality of Life Index (IDQOL), the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to determine the QOL for 71 infants, 197 children and 147 adults, respectively. To measure AD severity, both the Rajka & Langeland scoring system and the Scoring of Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index were used. The mean scores were as follows: 7.7 ± 5.5 for IDQOL, 6.6 ± 6.3 for CDLQI, and 10.7 ± 7.9 for DLQI. In conclusion, these QOL scores are correlated with AD severity scores as estimated by the Rajka & Langeland severity score and the SCORAD. The outcome of the QOL instruments in this study demonstrates that atopic dermatitis of both children and adults affects their QOL.