Publications by authors named "Belong Cho"

Background: Owing to the rapid growth in the popularity of Large Language Models (LLMs), various performance evaluation studies have been conducted to confirm their applicability in the medical field. However, there is still no clear framework for evaluating LLMs.

Objective: This study reviews studies on LLM evaluations in the medical field and analyzes the research methods used in these studies.

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Introduction: Weight-loss strategies through meal replacements are effective and sustainable options. However, few studies have assessed their effects on weight loss including body composition through protein-supplemented meal replacements targeting the Asian population, including Koreans. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of a protein-supplemented very-low-calorie diet (PSVLCD) for weight reduction and changes in body composition in individuals with obesity over a 12-month long-term period.

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Purpose: Weight loss is a critical problem in gastric cancer survivor (GCS) associated with worse prognosis and quality of life. Nevertheless, modifiable factors related to weight loss of GCS seem limited. We investigated the factors with significant weight loss including dietary pattern change in GCS.

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Introduction/aims: The care burden of people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS) increases with disease progression. This study aimed to investigate the home care status and preparedness of care partners of pALS (cALS) in Korea.

Methods: An online survey was conducted with family care partners of patients diagnosed with ALS for over 1 year in 2022.

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Advancements in the treatment and management of patients with cancer have extended their survival period. To honor such patients' desire to live in their own homes, home-based supportive care programs have become an important medical practice. This study aims to investigate the effects of a multidimensional and integrated home-based supportive care program on patients with advanced cancer.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study highlights that physical inactivity after cancer treatment can raise ischemic stroke risk in survivors, prompting an analysis of how changes in physical activity levels impact this risk.
  • - Data from over 269,000 cancer survivors showed that remaining active pre- and post-diagnosis is linked to a 15% decreased risk of ischemic stroke, while those who changed their activity levels (either becoming active or inactive) also saw reduced risks of 16% and 11%, respectively.
  • - The findings suggest exercising can lower stroke risk for cancer survivors, indicating that encouraging physical activity should be a key part of care during and after cancer treatment.
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Objectives: Little is known about the disparities in underweight prevalence among the general population in high-income countries. We investigated the trends in underweight prevalence and disparities across sociodemographic groups among Korean adults and older adults.

Setting And Participants: A series of cross-sectional data on Korean national health checkups for adults aged ≥20 years were analyzed from 2005 to 2016.

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Background: Primary care physicians perform a comprehensive role by providing continuous, patient-centered, and accessible healthcare and establishing connections with specialized care. However, the association between the supply of primary care physicians and mortality rates in South Korea has not been thoroughly investigated.

Methods: This study utilized data from 229 si-gun-gu in South Korea from 2016 to 2020.

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Background And Purpose: Despite the growing demands and challenges faced by patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in accessing healthcare services, our understanding of this access remains poor. This study aimed to investigate the healthcare utilization patterns and timing of nutritional and respiration support in patients with ALS in South Korea.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients diagnosed with ALS at a single tertiary hospital between 2016 and 2019 and followed up for 2 years.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A total of 33 participants wore both devices simultaneously for 24 hours, allowing for a direct comparison of blood pressure readings derived from photoplethysmography (PPG) signals and conventional measurements.
  • * Results indicated that the CART-I Plus device provided comparable blood pressure readings with strong correlations to ABPM, suggesting it could be a viable option for continuous blood pressure monitoring in clinical settings.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over time for older adults living alone in South Korea and identifies factors influencing their HRQoL.
  • It involved a year-long survey of 789 adults over 65, focusing on aspects like physical health, mental health, and social support, revealing differences based on gender and time.
  • The findings underscore the importance of addressing physical and mental health, social support, and economic factors to improve HRQoL and mitigate issues like depression and loneliness among older adults.
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Objectives: This study systematically reviewed the literature on the effect of home-based supportive care (HbSC) programmes on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with advanced cancer.

Methods: The research question 'Do home-based supportive care programmes for patients with advanced cancer improve their QoL?' was addressed. After registering the plan with PROSPERO (CRD42022341237), literature published from 1 January 1990 to 30 May 2023 was searched on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane database, CINAHL and Web of Science, and reviewed for inclusion based on predefined criteria.

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The detailed comorbidity patterns of community-dwelling older adults have not yet been explored. This study employed a network-based approach to investigate the comorbidity patterns of community-dwelling older adults living alone. The sample comprised a cross-sectional cohort of adults 65 or older living alone in a Korean city (n = 1041; mean age = 77.

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Background: Several significant associations between air pollution and thyroid function have been reported, but few studies have identified whether these associations differ by obesity, particularly its regional distribution. We assessed the relationship between ambient air pollution and thyroid hormone, and whether this relationship is modified by abdominal adiposity, as indicated by the waist circumference, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio (VSR) in Korean men.

Methods: We included 2440 male adults in the final analysis and used each person's annual average exposure to four air pollutants: particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM), nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide (SO), and carbon monoxide (CO).

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Purpose: The factors associated with the dietary supplement (DS) use of Asian breast cancer survivors in consideration of the duration of use and types of DS have not been well established.

Methods: We recruited 693 Korean female breast cancer survivors at two university-affiliated hospitals and collected study data through a self-administered questionnaire and a review of medical records. A multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the multivariable-adjusted association between DS use and study variables.

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Blood pressure (BP) is a typical complex trait, and the genetic susceptibility of individuals to changes in BP induced by air pollution exposure is different. Although interactions of exposure to air pollutants with several candidate genes have been identified, genome-wide interaction studies (GWISs) are needed to understand the association between them with BP. Therefore, we aimed to discover the unique genetic loci for BP that interact with exposure to air pollutants in Korean adults.

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Underrepresentation of non-European (EUR) populations hinders growth of global precision medicine. Resources such as imputation reference panels that match the study population are necessary to find low-frequency variants with substantial effects. We created a reference panel consisting of 14,393 whole-genome sequences including more than 11,000 Asian individuals.

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Introduction/aims: Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) inevitably visit the emergency department (ED) due to their increased risk of respiratory failure and mobility limitations. However, nationwide data on ED visits by patients with ALS are limited. This study investigated the characteristics of patients with ALS-related ED visits.

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The current nutritional guidelines for stomach cancer survivors (SCSs) mainly focus on the influence of the surgical resection of the stomach, with limited guidance regarding a wider range of food options. We aimed to investigate the factors associated with healthier dietary changes in Korean adult SCSs. This cross-sectional study assessed dietary pattern changes after cancer treatment for 11 food categories, using a self-administered questionnaire.

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Respecting the preference for a place of care is essential for advance care planning in patients with advanced cancer. This retrospective study included adult patients with cancer referred to an inpatient palliative care consultation team at a tertiary acute care hospital in South Korea between April 2019 and December 2020. Patients' preference for place of care and demographic and clinical factors were recorded, and the actual discharge locations were categorized as home or non-home.

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Article Synopsis
  • IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a serious kidney disease linked to IgA buildup, and a large study identified 30 genetic risk factors associated with it.
  • Fourteen new loci were discovered that suggest a connection between genetic influences and abnormal IgA levels.
  • The research highlights inflammation-related pathways and potential drug targets, revealing that higher genetic risk scores are tied to earlier kidney failure.
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Background: Obesity is a socioeconomic problem, and visceral obesity, in particular, is related to cardiovascular diseases or metabolic syndrome. Fermented grains and various microorganisms are known to help with anti-obesity effects and weight management. Studies on the relationship between and anti-obesity effects are not well known, and studies on the application of fermented grains and microorganisms to the human body are also insufficient.

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Background: Smartphones and their associated technology have evolved to an extent where these devices can be used to provide digital health interventions. However, few studies have been conducted on the willingness to use (WTU) and willingness to pay (WTP) for digital health interventions.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate how previous service experience, the content of the services, and individuals' health status affect WTU and WTP.

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Background: South Korea has no official geriatric specialties or subspecialties. Moreover, studies on the unmet needs related to geriatric health problems in older Korean adults are scarce. Therefore, we investigated the unmet needs regarding geriatric health problems among older Korean adults.

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