Publications by authors named "Jae H Kang"

Background: Previous studies yielded inconsistent results regarding the association between red meat intake and cognitive health. We aimed to prospectively examine the associations between processed and unprocessed red meat intakes and various cognitive outcomes.

Method: We assessed diet intake every 2-4 years using food-frequency questionnaires and ascertained incident dementia cases through self-report and death records in 87,424 participants free from Parkinson's disease or baseline dementia, stroke, cancer from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS).

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Background: There is an urgent need to identify novel, accessible and affordable strategies to prevent cognitive decline and progression in the Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD) continuum. Vitamin D3 and marine omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s) supplements show promise for cognitive protection, with potential variations in their effects by sex or race. However, to date, no randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have tested their impact on emerging plasma-based biomarkers with potential utility to predict ADRD pathogenesis.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A multi-ethnic meta-analysis revealed 22 risk loci linked to NTG, with 17 of these not previously identified, including significant new associations with BMP4 and TBKBP1.
  • * Findings suggest there’s a genetic overlap in risk factors between NTG and HTG, but NTG shows a generally lower risk effect, pointing to the potential for immunomodulatory treatments as neuroprotective options for glaucoma.
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Purpose: Laparoscopic colon surgery is now commonly used for colorectal cancer (CRC) resection. The objective of this study was to compare the oncologic outcomes between open conversion and laparoscopic surgery, and to identify risk factors for open conversion.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent curative resection for stage 0-III CRC at five Hallym University-affiliated hospitals between January 2011 and June 2021.

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Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with mortality and increased risk of diseases of aging, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examine associations of PTSD with one potential pathway, accelerated epigenetic aging. In a longitudinal cohort of trauma-exposed middle-aged women (n = 831, n observations = 1,516), we examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between PTSD, with and without comorbid depression, and epigenetic aging measured by six clocks at two time points approximately 13.

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Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced various aspects of colorectal cancer (CRC) patient care, including diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. This study assesses the pandemic's impact on CRC patients.

Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of medical records for CRC patients who underwent surgery at five hospitals affiliated with Hallym University from January 2017 to December 2022.

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Background: Significant early life adversities, such as childhood sexual and physical/emotional abuse, are associated with risk of poor health outcomes but are understudied risk factors for post-COVID-19 conditions. In this prospective study, we examined the associations between combined exposure to sexual and physical/emotional abuse during childhood with risk of post-COVID-19 conditions in adulthood. Additionally, we explored the extent to which lifestyle, health-related and psychological factors explain this association.

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Purpose: We used a polygenic risk score (PRS) to identify high-risk groups for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) within population-based cohorts.

Design: Secondary analysis of 4 prospective population-based studies.

Participants: We included four European-ancestry cohorts: the United States-based Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study 2, and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Rotterdam Study (RS) in The Netherlands.

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Purpose: Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) likely predict risk and prognosis of glaucoma. We compared the PRS performance for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), defined using International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes vs manual medical record review.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study examined the relationship between tea and coffee consumption and the incidence of biliary tract cancer (BTC) using data from 15 studies.
  • Drinking tea was linked to a lower risk of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and possibly intrahepatic bile duct cancer (IHBDC), while coffee consumption was associated with a higher risk of GBC.
  • The findings suggest that tea might be protective against certain types of BTC, whereas coffee could increase the risk of GBC, warranting further investigation into these associations.
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Introduction: Cancer risk factors are more common among sexual minority populations (e.g., lesbian, bisexual) than their heterosexual peers, yet little is known about cancer incidence across sexual orientation groups.

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Purpose: Excessive dietary sodium intake has known adverse effects on intravascular fluid volume and systemic blood pressure, which may influence intraocular pressure (IOP) and glaucoma risk. This study aimed to assess the association of urinary sodium excretion, a biomarker of dietary intake, with glaucoma and related traits, and determine whether this relationship is modified by genetic susceptibility to disease.

Design: Cross-sectional observational and gene-environment interaction analyses in the population-based UK Biobank study.

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We aimed to examine the association between the use of metformin and other anti-diabetic medications and breast cancer incidence within two large prospective cohort studies. We followed 185,181 women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1994-2016) and the NHSII (1995-2017), with baseline corresponding to the date metformin was approved for type 2 diabetes (T2D) treatment in the US Information on T2D diagnosis, anti-diabetes medications, and other covariates was self-reported at baseline and repeatedly assessed by follow-up questionnaires every 2 years. Breast cancer cases were self-reported and confirmed by medical record review.

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Prcis: In this cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank participants, we find no adverse association between self-reported oral health conditions and either glaucoma or elevated intraocular pressures.

Purpose: Poor oral health may cause inflammation, which accelerates the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the relationship between oral health and glaucoma.

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Purpose: Oligoprogressive lesions are observed in a subset of patients who progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), while other lesions remain controlled by systemic therapy. This study evaluates the impact of progression-directed therapy (PDT) on these oligoprogressive lesions.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 40 patients diagnosed with oligoprogressive CRPC.

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Topic: This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing evidence for the association of diabetes mellitus (DM) and exfoliation syndrome (XFS).

Clinical Relevance: Understanding and quantifying these associations may aid clinical guidelines or treatment strategies and shed light on disease pathogenesis. The role of DM in determining XFS risk may also be of interest from an individual or public health perspective.

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Background: Apolipoprotein E (APOE)-ε4 allele is associated with cognitive decline; however, its potential to modify effects of vitamin D3 and omega-3s supplementation on later-life cognition is unclear. Our objectives were to estimate among the in-clinic subset of a randomized trial: (1) associations between APOE-ε4 and global and domain-specific cognitive change, with exploration of potential sex and race differences; and (2) modification by APOE-ε4 of effects of vitamin D3 and omega-3s supplementation on cognitive change.

Methods: From an ancillary study of depression prevention within a completed 2 × 2 factorial trial testing vitamin D3 (2 000 IU per day), omega-3s (1 g per day), and/or placebos, we included 743 older adults with baseline in-person neuropsychiatric assessments and APOE genotyping data.

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This study aimed to investigate whether n-3 fatty acid supplementation reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in a novel analysis using hierarchical composite CVD outcomes based on win ratio in the VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL). This was a secondary analysis of our VITAL randomized trial, which assessed the effects of marine n-3 fatty acids (1 g/day) and vitamin D3 on incident CVD and cancer among healthy older adults ( = 25,871). The primary analysis estimated win ratios of a composite of major CVD outcomes prioritized as fatal coronary heart disease, other fatal CVD including stroke, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and non-fatal stroke, comparing n-3 fatty acids to placebo.

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Background And Objectives: Little is known regarding the association between intestinal motility patterns and cognitive function in individuals who are baseline cognitively healthy. The gut microbiome may contribute to the association. We examined the association between bowel movement (BM) pattern and cognitive function and explored the role of the gut microbiome in explaining this association.

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Importance: Calcium channel blocker (CCB) use has been associated with an increased risk of glaucoma in exploratory studies.

Objective: To examine the association of systemic CCB use with glaucoma and related traits among UK Biobank participants.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This population-based cross-sectional study included UK Biobank participants with complete data (2006-2010) for analysis of glaucoma status, intraocular pressure (IOP), and optical coherence tomography (OCT)-derived inner retinal layer thicknesses.

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Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cognitive impairments. It is unclear whether problems persist after PTSD symptoms remit.

Methods: Data came from 12 270 trauma-exposed women in the Nurses' Health Study II.

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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess metabolites associated with intraocular pressure (IOP) and inner retina structure.

Methods: We cross-sectionally assessed 168 non-fasting plasma metabolites measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with IOP (n = 28,195), macular retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (mRNFL; n = 10,584), and macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer thickness (mGCIPL; n = 10,554) in the UK Biobank. We used multiple linear regression models adjusting for various covariates with probit-transformed metabolite levels as predictors for each outcome.

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Background: Mortality increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many bereaved individuals were not able to gather to memorialize their loved ones, yet it is unknown if this contributed to worsening mental health.

Objective: Examine the association of bereavement in the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic with subsequent psychological distress and the role of memorial attendance in reducing psychological distress among the bereaved.

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Glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, is a complex human disease, with both genetic and environmental determinants. The availability of large-scale, population-based cohorts and biobanks, combining genotyping and detailed phenotyping, has greatly accelerated research into the aetiology of glaucoma in recent years. Hypothesis-free genome-wide association studies have furthered our understanding of the complex genetic architecture underpinning the disease, while epidemiological studies have provided advances in the identification and characterisation of environmental risk factors.

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