Dose-Response Relationship between Night Work and the Prevalence of Impaired Fasting Glucose: The Korean Worker's Special Health Examination for Night Workers Cohort.

Many studies have been conducted regarding the association between night work and diabetes, but the association between impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and night work is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate this association using the Special Health Examination (SHEW) for Korean night workers. Laboratory, questionnaire, and physical examination data were collected for 80,077 manual workers between 2014 and 2016 from Korea Medical Institute, and associations of the data with IFG were evaluated using a multivariate logistic regression model.

Validation of health screening questionnaire used for screening gastrointestinal disorder in worker's special health examination for night time work.

Background: Since the night time work was introduced as a 'harmful factor' for the worker's special health examination (WSHE) in 2014, the validation of the questionnaire used for screening gastrointestinal (GI) disorder has not been conducted. The purpose of this study is to verify the validity of the questionnaire using the data of specific health screening cluster.

Methods: We used WSHE screening data for 3 years, from 2014 to 2016, in health screening cluster.

The Effect of Special Medical Examination for Night Shift Workers and Follow-Up Management Against Hypertension.

Background: Special health examination is a screening program introduced in 1973 in Korea to examine health problems of workers who are regularly exposed to 177 hazardous substances and physical environments specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Shiftwork was added as a risk factor in 2013. The purpose of this study was to analyze changes of hypertension status after a special medical examination and subsequent follow-up management.

Work-related COPD after years of occupational exposure.

Background: Cigarette smoking is known as the most important risk factor of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, occupational exposure to other substances can result in COPD.

Case Report: A 76-year-old man with occupational exposures to mixtures of silica dust, gas, and fumes for 10 years and with a 25 pack-year smoking history was diagnosed with COPD.

Involvement of reactive oxygen species in TGF-beta1-induced tropoelastin expression by human dermal fibroblasts.

Chronic exposure to solar UV radiation causes marked changes in the dermal extracellular matrix that underlie the loss of resiliency and increased laxity observed in photoaged skin. In particular, the dermal elastin content increases substantially and the normal, well-organized elastic fibers are replaced by amorphous elastotic material. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) stimulates synthesis of elastin by dermal fibroblasts and may mediate the increase in elastin in chronically photodamaged skin.