Impact of antiresorptive agents on mortality risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: insights from a nationwide cohort study.

Importance: Osteoporosis-related fractures are associated with increased mortality risk among postmenopausal women, yet the impact of antiosteoporotic medications on mortality is not fully understood.

Objective: This study evaluates the effect of antiresorptive agents (ARs) on mortality risk in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Design: This is a nationwide cohort study using data from the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages (2008-2017).

Treatment Patterns and Preferences for Graves' Disease in Korea: Insights from a Nationwide Cohort Study.

Treatment patterns and preferences for patients with Graves' disease (GD) vary across countries. In this study, we assessed the initial therapies and subsequent treatment modalities employed for GD in real-world clinical practice in Korea. We analyzed 452,001 patients with GD from 2004 to 2020, obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service database.

Effects of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals on Bone Health.

This comprehensive review critically examines the detrimental impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on bone health, with a specific focus on substances such as bisphenol A (BPA), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), phthalates, and dioxins. These EDCs, by interfering with the endocrine system's normal functioning, pose a significant risk to bone metabolism, potentially leading to a heightened susceptibility to bone-related disorders and diseases. Notably, BPA has been shown to inhibit the differentiation of osteoblasts and promote the apoptosis of osteoblasts, which results in altered bone turnover status.

Secular trends in the incidence and treatment patterns of primary hyperparathyroidism in Korea: a nationwide cohort study.

Data on epidemiology and secular trend in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in adults are relatively limited in Asian countries. This study aims to provide an overview of the secular trends in incidence, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns of PHPT in South Korea. We used Korea's National Health Insurance Claim database (2005-2020) to identify newly diagnosed PHPT cases.

Bone Loss after Solid Organ Transplantation: A Review of Organ-Specific Considerations.

This review article investigates solid organ transplantation-induced osteoporosis, a critical yet often overlooked issue, emphasizing its significance in post-transplant care. The initial sections provide a comprehensive understanding of the prevalence and multifactorial pathogenesis of transplantation osteoporosis, including factors such as deteriorating post-transplantation health, hormonal changes, and the impact of immunosuppressive medications. Furthermore, the review is dedicated to organ-specific considerations in transplantation osteoporosis, with separate analyses for kidney, liver, heart, and lung transplantations.

Sexual Knowledge, Sexual Attitudes, and the Need for Sex Education Among Adolescent Defectors From North Korea.

Introduction: Adolescent North Korean defectors are vulnerable due to harmful environments during defection, limited access to sex education in North Korea, and exposure to different sexual norms in South Korea. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sexual knowledge, attitudes, and sex education needs of North Korean refugee adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive survey was administered to 102 North Korean refugee adolescents.

Cancer Risk in Graves Disease with Radioactive I Treatment: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Radioactive I (RAI) therapy has potential effects for the treatment of Graves disease (GD). However, whether RAI therapy for GD increases cancer risk remains controversial in medicine and public health. We aimed to investigate whether the risk of cancer increases in patients with GD receiving RAI therapy compared with those who did not.

Associations Between Physical Activity and the Risk of Hip Fracture Depending on Glycemic Status: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Context: Although physical activity (PA) is recognized to reduce fracture risk, whether its benefits differ according to glycemic status remains unknown.

Objective: We investigated the effect of PA on incident hip fracture (HF) according to glycemic status.

Methods: We studied 3 723 097 patients older than 50 without type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) or past fractures.

Uneven terrain affects metabolic cost and gait in simulated complex lunar surfaces.

. Upcoming missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the Moon will include extensive human exploration of the lunar surface. Walking will be essential for many exploration tasks, and metabolic cost during ambulation on simulated complex lunar surfaces requires further characterization.

Association Between Thyroid Radiation Dose and Hypothyroidism in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Regional Nodal Irradiation.

Background/aim: To investigate the association between the thyroid dysfunction and thyroid radiation dose in regional nodal irradiation (RNI) using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed medical data of 67 patients with breast cancer who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant radiotherapy, including RNI using VMAT, between 2018 and 2021. All patients had normal thyroid functional test results, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), T3, and free-T4.

Risk of dementia in primary aldosteronism compared with essential hypertension: a nationwide cohort study.

Background: Although hypertension is a critical risk factor for dementia, the association between primary aldosteronism (PA) and dementia has been scarcely reported. We aimed to investigate whether the risk of dementia in patients with PA was elevated compared with patients with essential hypertension (EH).

Methods: From the National Health Insurance Claim database in Korea (2003-2017), 3,687 patients with PA (adrenalectomy [ADX], n = 1,339, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist [MRA] n = 2,348) with no prior dementia were age- and sex-matched at a 1:4 ratio to patients with EH (n = 14,741).

Weight-adjusted waist as an integrated index for fat, muscle and bone health in adults.

Background: Unhealthy body composition, including high fat mass, low muscle mass and low bone mass, is a critical health issue in adults. The weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) estimates fat and muscle mass and may have implications for bone health. We examined its association with body composition outcomes in a large Korean adult cohort.

Effect of a Wearable Device-Based Physical Activity Intervention in North Korean Refugees: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Effective health interventions for North Korean refugees vulnerable to metabolic disorders are currently unelucidated.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of digital health interventions in North Korean refugees using a wearable activity tracker (Fitbit device).

Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, open-label study on North Korean refugees aged 19-59 years between June 2020 and October 2021 with a 12-week follow-up period.

All-cause and cause-specific mortality risks associated with calcium supplementation with or without vitamin D: A nationwide population-based study.

Background: Current evidence regarding the mortality outcomes associated with calcium supplementation with or without low-dose vitamin D is conflicting.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of calcium supplementation with or without vitamin D on all-cause and cause-specific mortalities in a large-scale cohort.

Methods: This study used data from the Korean National Health Insurance System database and National Death Registry.

Linear association between radioactive iodine dose and second primary malignancy risk in thyroid cancer.

Background: We aimed to investigate whether the risk of second primary malignancy (SPM) in patients with thyroid cancer (TC) receiving radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy rises in a cumulative, dose-dependent manner compared with those not undergoing RAI.

Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service National Health Information Database (2002-2019), we investigated hazard ratios of SPM associated with RAI in TC. SPM was defined as a second primary malignancy diagnosed at least 1 year after TC diagnosis.

Identification of Healthy and Unhealthy Lifestyles by a Wearable Activity Tracker in Type 2 Diabetes: A Machine Learning-Based Analysis.

Lifestyle is a critical aspect of diabetes management. We aimed to define a healthy lifestyle using objectively measured parameters obtained from a wearable activity tracker (Fitbit) in patients with type 2 diabetes. This prospective observational study included 24 patients (mean age, 46.

Effects of Radiation Dose on Liver After Free-breathing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Breast Cancer.

Background/aim: To evaluate the early effect of radiation dose on liver function in breast cancer patients undergoing free-breathing volumetric modulated arc therapy (FB-VMAT).

Patients And Methods: Medical records of 125 patients with breast cancer who underwent curative surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy using FB-VMAT during 2018-2021 were reviewed. Results of the liver function test (LFT), performed within 1-week before and 6-months after radiotherapy, were collected and compared.

Raloxifene Use After Denosumab Discontinuation Partially Attenuates Bone Loss in the Lumbar Spine in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis.

Discontinuation of denosumab (DMab) is associated with decline in bone density. Whether raloxifene can be effective to attenuate bone loss after DMab discontinuation in certain conditions when other antiresorptives cannot be used remains unclear. Data on postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who discontinued DMab treatment after short-term use (1-to-4 doses) at Severance Hospital, Seoul, Korea, between 2017 and 2021 were reviewed.

Optimization of GFAG crystal surface treatment for SiPM based TOF PET detector.

Coincidence timing resolution (CTR) is an important parameter in clinical positron emission tomography (PET) scanners to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of PET images by using time-of-flight (TOF) information. Lutetium (Lu) based scintillators are often used for TOF-PET systems. However, the self-radiation of Lu-based scintillators may influence the image quality for ultra-low activity PET imaging.

Novel Computerized Method for Automated Determination of Ventilatory Threshold and Respiratory Compensation Point.

The ventilatory threshold (named as VT) and the respiratory compensation point (named as VT) describe prominent changes of metabolic demand and exercise intensity domains during an incremental exercise test. A novel computerized method based on the optimization method was developed for automatically determining VT and VT from expired air during a progressive maximal exercise test. A total of 109 peak cycle tests were performed by members of the US astronaut corps (74 males and 35 females).

Statin Therapy and the Risk of Osteoporotic Fractures in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: a Nested Case-Control Study.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between statin use and the risk of major osteoporotic fractures in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: A nested case-control study was performed in patients with MetS (≥50 years) who had no history of osteoporotic fracture using the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Health Screening Cohort. This study included 17,041 patients diagnosed with new-onset osteoporotic fractures and controls matched in a 1:1 ratio by age, sex, body mass index, cohort entry date, and follow-up duration.