Journal of Korean medical science
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2017
Lack of Retirement Preparation is Associated with Increased Depressive Symptoms in the Elderly: Findings from the Korean Retirement and Income Panel Study.
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between retirement preparation and depressive symptoms among Koreans 50 years of age or older. We used data from the 2009 to 2013 Korean Retirement and Income Panel Study (KReIS), which included data from the 365 baseline participants of 50 years of age or older. Our sample included only newly retired participants who worked in 2009, but had retired in the 2011 and 2013. ⋯ In addition, individuals who had not prepared for retirement and who had low household income had the highest increase in depression scores (β = 4.43, P < 0.001). Individuals, who had not prepared for retirement and without a national pension showed a considerable increase in depression scores (β = 3.02, P < 0.001). It is suggested that guaranteed retirement preparation is especially important for mental health of retired elderly individuals with low economic strata.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2017
Comparison of Baseline Characteristics between Community-based and Hospital-based Suicidal Ideators and Its Implications for Tailoring Strategies for Suicide Prevention: Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior.
In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to identify distinguishing factors between populations with suicidal ideation recruited from hospitals and communities to make an efficient allocation of limited anti-suicidal resources according to group differences. We analyzed the baseline data from 120 individuals in a community-based cohort (CC) and 137 individuals in a hospital-based cohort (HC) with suicidal ideation obtained from the Korean Cohort for the Model Predicting a Suicide and Suicide-related Behavior (K-COMPASS) study. First, their sociodemographic factors, histories of medical and psychiatric illnesses, and suicidal behaviors were compared. ⋯ The results revealed that the HC had more severe clinical features: more psychiatric diagnosis including current and recurrent major depressive episodes (odds ratio [OR], 4.054; P < 0.001 and OR, 11.432; P < 0.001, respectively), current suicide risk (OR, 4.817; P < 0.001), past manic episodes (OR, 9.500; P < 0.001), past hypomanic episodes (OR, 4.108; P = 0.008), current alcohol abuse (OR, 3.566; P = 0.020), and current mood disorder with psychotic features (OR, 20.342; P < 0.001) besides significantly higher scores in depression, anxiety, alcohol problems, impulsivity, and stress. By comparison, old age, single households, and low socioeconomic status were significantly associated with the CC. These findings indicate the necessity of more clinically oriented support for hospital visitors and more socioeconomic aid for community-dwellers with suicidality.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2017
ABCG2 Polymorphism Is Associated with Hyperuricemia in a Study of a Community-Based Korean Cohort.
The purpose of the present study was to find novel loci associated with hyperuricemia using data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) conducted on healthy Koreans. We conducted a GWAS using data from a community-based cohort study where 3,647 subjects aged 40-89 were recruited by the Korea National Institute of Health (KNIH). The community-based cohort consisted of subjects who did not suffer from any of 6 major diseases (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, heart diseases, brain diseases, and cancers). ⋯ We identified a hyperuricemia susceptible loci (rs2054576 in ABCG2, OR, 1.883; P = 4.7 × 10⁻⁸) that passed a genome-wide significance threshold, adjusted by clinical variables (male, age, BMI, current alcohol, and creatinine). It was first identified that rs2054576 in ABCG2 is associated with hyperuricemia. Our results should be validated through replication studies among other Korean subjects or various ethnic groups.
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J. Korean Med. Sci. · Sep 2017
Cadmium Exposure Is Associated with Monocyte Count and Monocyte to HDL Ratio, a Marker of Inflammation and Future Cardiovascular Disease in the Male Population.
Cadmium is a heavy metal that humans can be exposed to the in environment and occupation, and its relationship with cardiovascular diseases has been reported. in various reports. Epidemiological studies have also been associated with various inflammatory markers of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we examined the relationship between monocyte count and monocyte to high density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio (MHR) and blood cadmium, which are one of the inflammatory markers of cardiovascular diseases. ⋯ In univariate and multivariate analysis, MHR was significantly higher in the third and fourth quartile groups than in the first quartile group, and the linear trend was also significant. This study showed the significant relationship between blood cadmium and monocyte count and MHR among male fire officers. This was also statistically significant in the model adjusted for possible confounders and other cardiovascular risk factors and showed a linear trend.