Impact of Concomitant Use of Proton Pump Inhibitors and Clopidogrel on Recurrent Stroke and Myocardial Infarction.

Background/aims: Conflicting results have been reported regarding the interaction between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and clopidogrel. We investigated whether concomitant PPI use influenced the risk of recurrence in patients with stroke and myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: This study used two databases for two different designs, the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database for a self-controlled case series design, and the national sample cohort of the NHIS data base converted to the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership-Common Data Model version for a cohort study based on large-scale propensity score matching.

Pre-aspirin use has no benefit on the neurological disability and mortality after cardiovascular events: A nation-wide population-based cohort study.

To evaluate the effects of aspirin in the primary prevention, we evaluated disability grades and mortality after ischemic/hemorrhagic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI). A retrospective nation-wide propensity score-matched cohort study was performed using the Korean National Health Information Database. From 3,060,639 subjects who were older than 55 and performed national health examinations in 2004 and 2005, we selected the aspirin group (N = 8770) was composed of patients who had received aspirin prior to cardiovascular events.

Incidence and prevalence of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis among Korean women of childbearing age: a nationwide population-based study.

Background/aims: Women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are often diagnosed with the disease during their reproductive years; however, its incidence and prevalence among women of childbearing age have not been studied. The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (SPRA) among Korean women of childbearing age.

Methods: Women aged 20 to 44 years with SPRA were identified from National Health Insurance Service-National Health Information Database (2009 to 2016).

Feasibility of the acromion index as a reference of severity of stratified supraspinatus tendon injury: a secondary analysis.

Background: The acromion index (AI) is the acromial lateral extension above the head of the humerus. Some researchers have advocated that the AI indicates the severity of the tear size of the full-thickness supraspinatus tendon.

Purpose: To validate the reproducibility of the AI between shoulder magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and standard X-ray and to verify whether the AI is a useful index for stratifying the severity of supraspinatus tendon injuries, as well as full-thickness tears.

The effect of severity of white matter hyperintensities on loss of functional independency in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A CREDOS-LTCI (clinical research center for dementia of South Korea-long term card insurance) study.

Objective: By combining data from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea(CREDOS) study and long-term care insurance(LTCI), we aimed to assess whether the severity of white matter hyperintensity(WMH) predicted functional decline in cases of amnestic mild cognitive impairment(MCI).

Methods: WMH was evaluated in 3,569 patients with amnestic MCI using the visual rating scale developed for the CREDOS study. The participants were classified as having amnestic MCI with minimal WMH change(aMCI), with moderate WMH change(maMCI) and with severe WMH change(saMCI) according to the severity of the WMH measurements.

Epidemiology and diagnostic process of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis as distinct from myelopathy: 5-year cohort study of whole-population in South Korea.

Objective: To investigate the incidence, prevalence, and demographic factors of all amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients diagnosed in South Korea from 2011 to 2015, and to analyze cases misdiagnosed as myelopathy.

Methods: The whole population registered under the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS) was applied. All 4551 patients who were registered as having ALS code from 2011 to 2015 were included.

The relationship between rotator cuff tear and four acromion types: cross-sectional study based on shoulder magnetic resonance imaging in 227 patients.

Background: Rotator cuff tear (RCT) has been believed to be related to specific types of the acromion. However, most of the studies were performed on a small number of patients with surgical findings not considering the severity of RCT.

Purpose: To analyze the relationship between age, gender, the side of the shoulder, the acromion type, and the severity of RCT using shoulder magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA).

The development and implementation of stroke risk prediction model in National Health Insurance Service's personal health record.

Background And Objective: The purpose of this study was to build a 10-year stroke prediction model and categorize a probability of stroke using the Korean national health examination data. Then it intended to develop the algorithm to provide a personalized warning on the basis of each user's level of stroke risk and a lifestyle correction message about the stroke risk factors.

Methods: Subject to national health examinees in 2002-2003, the stroke prediction model identified when stroke was first diagnosed by following-up the cohort until 2013 and estimated a 10-year probability of stroke.

Decompression alone versus fusion for pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Background Context: A spinal infection is a serious problem for a spine surgeon, and there is currently much debate regarding how best to treat pyogenic spondylodiscitis using antibiotics and the instrumentations that have been developed to date.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine which method is better for treating pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Study Design: A retrospective chart review was performed.

The Number of Pulses Needed to Measure Corticospinal Excitability by Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Eyes Open vs. Close Condition.

: Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) obtained by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) enable measures of the corticospinal excitability (CSE). However the reliability of TMS-derived CSE measures is suboptimal due to appreciable pulse-to-pulse MEP amplitude variability. We thus calculated how many TMS-derived MEPs will be needed to obtain a reliable CSE measure in awake adult subjects, in the eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions.

Is poststroke complex regional pain syndrome the combination of shoulder pain and soft tissue injury of the wrist?: A prospective observational study: STROBE of ultrasonographic findings in complex regional pain syndrome.

Patients with poststroke complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) show different symptoms compared to other types of CRPS, as they usually complain of shoulder and wrist pain with the elbow relatively spared. It is thus also known by the term "shoulder-hand syndrome."The aim of this study is to present a possible pathophysiology of poststroke CRPS through ultrasonographic observation of the affected wrist before and after steroid injection at the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) tendon in patients suspected with poststroke CRPS.

Changes in allergen sensitization over the last 30 years in Korea respiratory allergic patients: a single-center.

Purpose: Determining the culprit allergen is important for the diagnosis and management of allergic diseases. The skin prick test (SPT) has been widely used to identify culprit allergens. Skin reactivity to allergens has changed due to changes in lifestyle and outdoor environments.

Persistent human papillomavirus DNA is associated with local recurrence after radiotherapy of uterine cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is considered as a hallmark of cervical cancer. We investigated whether persistent HPV DNA at the cervix is associated with local recurrence after radiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. A total of 156 patients with HPV-positive cervical cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB-IVB) treated with radiotherapy between July 2003 and December 2006 were analyzed.

[An epidemiological analysis of hepatitis A virus serologic markers during the recent four years in Korea].

Background: To establish effective preventive measures for hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, a nationwide epidemiologic study on seroprevalence of anti-HAV and the disease prevalence is needed. The aim of this study was to analyze the recent sero-epidemiological changes of hepatitis A markers in Korea.

Methods: The results of 11,068 anti-HAV total and 32,360 anti-HAV IgM tests by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) that had been requested in recent four years (2005-2008) to a reference medical laboratory from 1,699 institutions nationwide were retrospectively analyzed according to the distribution of year, sex, and age groups.

Dosimetric parameters that predict late rectal complications after curative radiotherapy in patients with uterine cervical carcinoma.

Background: Late rectal complication (LRC) was a major late complication in patients with uterine cervical carcinoma who were treated with a combination of external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation (HDR-ICR). For the current study, the authors retrospectively evaluated dosimetric parameters that were correlated with LRC > or = Grade 2 in patients with uterine cervical carcinoma who were treated with curative radiotherapy, and they analyzed the appropriate dose estimates to the rectum that were predictive for LRC > or = Grade 2.

Methods: Between July 1994 and September 2002, 157 patients who were diagnosed with Stage IB-IIIB cervical carcinoma and were treated with definitive radiotherapy were included.