Publications by authors named "Hae-Sung Nam"

Article Synopsis
  • This study examined how different obesity-related measurements relate to mortality among middle-aged and elderly people, comparing their effectiveness to the body mass index (BMI).
  • It involved analyzing data from nearly 20,000 participants over an average follow-up of 13.5 years, using various body measurements like waist and hip circumference.
  • The findings indicated that while alternative obesity indices improved mortality prediction compared to traditional methods, their effectiveness was not significantly better than that of the BMI model.
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Objectives: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea.

Methods: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics.

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Background And Objectives: In previous studies, high homocysteine levels were associated with high cardiovascular mortality. However, these results were inconsistent with those of randomized controlled trials. We aimed to evaluate the causal role of homocysteine on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the potential interaction between kidney function and the non-linear association between serum calcium levels and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.

Methods: This study included 8927 participants enrolled in the Dong-gu Study. Albumin-corrected calcium levels were used and categorized into 6 percentile categories: <2.

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  • * It analyzed data from 8,977 participants and found that while higher bilirubin levels correlated with an increased risk of AF in observational analysis, this connection didn't hold true in the MR analysis.
  • * The results suggest that the earlier observed association may not be causal, indicating the potential influence of reverse causality or other unmeasured factors.
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This study evaluated the associations of liver fibrosis biomarkers [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase/platelet ratio index (APRI), and BARD score] with mortality in Korean adults aged ≥50 years. We analyzed 7,702 subjects who participated in Dong-gu Study. The associations of liber fibrosis biomarkers with mortality were investigated using Cox proportional hazards models.

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Background And Objectives: Previous observational studies presented a positive association between alcohol and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, previous studies using genetic polymorphisms on the causal relationship between alcohol consumption and AF have reported conflicting results. This study aimed to evaluate the causality between alcohol consumption and AF using the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 () rs671 polymorphism, which is the genetic variant with the most potent effect on drinking behavior.

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Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a new infectious disease with a high mortality rate and increased incidence in Republic of Korea since the first case was reported in 2013. The average mortality rate varies by region and year but remains high in Asia. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of SFTS cases reported to the national Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

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Introduction: Many previous studies have reported a positive relationship between alcohol and bone mineral density (BMD). However, the causality between alcohol and BMD has not been fully evaluated.

Materials And Methods: This study enrolled 8892 participants from the Dong-gu study.

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Objectives: We examined the associations of individual and regional-level perceived stress and depression with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Korean adults.

Methods: We used data from the 2017 Korea Community Health Survey, which included 216,713 adults living within 254 municipal districts. As individual-level independent variables, perceived stress (higher vs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Several studies have shown mixed results on how alcohol affects cortisol levels, but this study aimed to investigate the causation further.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 8,922 participants and used a genetic marker (ALDH2 rs671) to predict alcohol consumption.
  • The findings revealed a positive link between predicted alcohol intake and cortisol levels in men, while no significant relationship was observed in women, indicating a potential causal effect of alcohol on cortisol.
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Objectives: This study aimed to identify regional differences in the high-risk drinking rate among yearly alcohol users in Korea and to identify relevant regional factors for each quintile using quantile regression.

Methods: Data from 227 counties surveyed by the 2017 Korean Community Health Survey (KCHS) were analyzed. The analysis dataset included secondary data extracted from the Korean Statistical Information Service and data from the KCHS.

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Objective: To assess the associations among the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR), and all-cause and CVD mortality rate and to compare the performances of eGFR, eGFR, and eGFR using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in Korean adults aged ≥ 50 years.

Methods: Of the 9,260 subjects who participated in the baseline survey of a prospective longitudinal study conducted in Korea, 9,009 (men: 3,574 (39.7%); women: 5,435 (60.

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Aim: This study investigated the change in self-rated health (SRH) status among elderly Koreans and sought influential factors affecting SRH by reference to data collected during the Korean Community Health Survey 2008-2017.

Methods: We obtained raw data from the Korea Community Health Survey for 10 years (2008-2017), which included sociodemographic and health information on Koreans aged ≥65 years (242 552 men and 349 586 women). SRH was measured using the SRH scale and divided into not-poor and poor.

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Ground glass opacities, consolidation, and pleural effusions are observed in herpes simplex virus (HSV) pneumonia. Neither necrosis nor cavitation has been reported in areas of parenchymal disease. We describe a case of HSV pneumonia with unusual multiple cavitary and necrotic changes in an immunocompetent person.

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Background: Elevated blood pressure is a major preventable cause of cardiovascular diseases. Alcohol consumption is a well-known risk factor of elevated blood pressure. The aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 () polymorphism is common in Eastern Asians, and inactive genotypes are associated with both avoiding alcohol consumption and aldehyde accumulation.

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Background: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphism is associated with neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases. Although the effects of the gene differ by ethnic group, few studies have examined Asians. Therefore, the association between APOE polymorphism and mortality in Koreans was evaluated in this study.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose a significant threat to global development, with slow progress in addressing these issues highlighted by the recent UN meeting; key barriers include a lack of situational analyses and prioritization for effective action against NCDs.* -
  • The study aims to provide comprehensive data on cancer burden across 29 cancer types in 195 countries from 1990 to 2017, utilizing the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) methods to analyze cancer incidence, mortality, and disability metrics.* -
  • In 2017, there were 24.5 million new cancer cases globally, with significant variations based on socio-demographic factors; the majority of cancer-related disabilities stemmed
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This study evaluated the association between falls and the fear of falling (FOF) with the risk of all-cause mortality in Korean adults. The study enrolled 4,386 subjects aged 50 years and over who participated in the Dong-gu Study. Falls in the past year were categorized as yes or no.

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Leukocytoclastic vasculitis is a disorder characterized by neutrophilic inflammation that is predominantly limited to the superficial cutaneous postcapillary venules. This condition may be idiopathic or may have a defined cause. Rivaroxaban and dabigatran have been widely used as warfarin alternatives, because of their efficacy and safety.

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Although the kidneys play a leading part in the biosynthesis of vitamin D, there is no consensus regarding the relationship of the vitamin D concentration with kidney function. Thus, we aimed to estimate the correlation among 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) in participants aged ≥50 y in Korea. This study consisted of 9,166 people who participated in a basic survey of the Dong-gu Study.

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Levels of vitamin D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) are closely associated with renal function. We evaluated the associations among 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels, PTH levels, and mortality, and whether these associations varied by renal function. We used data from the Dong-gu Study, a population-based cohort in Korean adults.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A serologic study investigated the rate of asymptomatic MERS coronavirus infection among healthcare and non-healthcare workers, focusing on individuals exposed to MERS patients during the 2015 outbreak.
  • - Out of 1,610 contacts tested, only 7 were found ELISA-positive, leading to an overall asymptomatic infection rate of 0.060%, with just one case confirmed through additional testing.
  • - The confirmed asymptomatic case involved a hospitalized individual with pre-existing health conditions and highlights the importance of expanding serologic studies to include asymptomatic hospital contacts.
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Increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) was associated with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in CKD patients. Our aim was to investigate the associations among estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and PTH independent of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). This study included 9,162 individuals who completed the baseline survey of the Dong-gu Study, which was conducted in Korea from 2007 to 2010.

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Purpose: We investigated associations between family history of diabetes (FHD) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, among people with and without diabetes.

Materials And Methods: In total, 7031 people without diabetes and 1918 people with diabetes who participated in the Dong-gu Study were included. Data on FHD in first-degree relatives (father, mother, and siblings) were obtained.

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