Effects of insulin resistance and β-cell function on diabetic complications in Korean diabetic patients.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is characterized by insulin resistance (IR) and dysfunctional insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between IR and β-cell function in relation to diabetic complications among Korean diabetic patients. This study aimed to examine the differential associations between IR and β-cell function and various diabetic complications among Korean diabetic patients.

The effect of menopause on cardiovascular risk factors according to body mass index in middle-aged Korean women.

Background: Menopausal status and obesity are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. However, there are few studies on the effect of menopause on cardiovascular risk factors according to the degree of obesity during the menopausal transition. We aimed to evaluate the effect of menopause on cardiovascular risk factors according to body mass index (BMI) in middle-aged Korean women.

BMI trajectory and inflammatory effects on metabolic syndrome in adolescents.

Background: Various life course factors can affect susceptibility to diseases during adolescence and adulthood, and those relationships are complex. However, few studies have assessed the potential mediating factors. Therefore, we assessed the mediating effects of factors related to growth and inflammation between perinatal factors and metabolic syndrome risk during adolescence.

Prospective association between phthalate exposure in childhood and liver function in adolescence: the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study.

Background: Phthalate exposure is ubiquitous due to the widespread use of plastic products in daily life, and affects several health outcomes, including metabolic diseases. In this study, we evaluated the effects of phthalate exposure in childhood on liver function in adolescence.  METHODS: Among 164 Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study participants followed up during two exposure periods (when the children were aged 3-5 and 7-9 years), 126 were followed up at age 10-15 years.

A Highly Sensitive and Flexible Capacitive Pressure Sensor Based on Alignment Airgap Dielectric.

Flexible capacitive pressure sensors with a simple structure and low power consumption are attracting attention, owing to their wide range of applications in wearable electronic devices. However, it is difficult to manufacture pressure sensors with high sensitivity, wide detection range, and low detection limits. We developed a highly sensitive and flexible capacitive pressure sensor based on the porous Ecoflex, which has an aligned airgap structure and can be manufactured by simply using a mold and a micro-needle.

Body mass index and stroke risk among patients with diabetes mellitus in Korea.

Background: Obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM) are both associated with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and stroke risk among patients with DM in Korea since relatively few studies have analyzed this area in detail.

Methods: We analyzed a total of 56,051 DM patients aged >30 years from the Korean National Health Insurance Service Cohort who had undergone at least one national health examination between 2002 and 2012.

Waist circumference and mortality or cardiovascular events in a general Korean population.

Background: Obesity is associated with cardiovascular diseases and is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. Until now, the associations between abdominal obesity and mortality or cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence have not been conclusive. We aimed to evaluate the associations between waist circumference (WC) and mortality or CVD incidence in a general Korean population.

Sex Differences in the Effects of CDKAL1 Variants on Glycemic Control in Diabetic Patients: Findings from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study.

Background: Using long-term data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study, we defined poor glycemic control and investigated possible risk factors, including variants related to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In addition, we evaluated interaction effects among risk factors for poor glycemic control.

Methods: Among 436 subjects with newly diagnosed diabetes, poor glycemic control was defined based on glycosylated hemoglobin trajectory patterns by group-based trajectory modeling.

Relationship between the characteristic traits of polycystic ovary syndrome and susceptibility genes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a highly complex disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on Han Chinese, Korean, and European populations identified multiple PCOS-susceptible loci; however, only a few studies reported the association of susceptibility genes with disease phenotypic traits. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association between PCOS susceptibility genes from GWAS and disease-related clinical features.

The association between metabolic components and markers of inflammatory and endothelial dysfunction in adolescents, based on the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study.

We assessed the association between metabolic health and markers of inflammation and of endothelial dysfunction using data from the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study. The data of 195 subjects aged 13-15 years were analyzed. To assess metabolic syndrome, continuous metabolic syndrome (cMets) scores were calculated.

Accuracy of Scanned Stock Abutments Using Different Intraoral Scanners: An In Vitro Study.

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of a digital manufacturing method for dental implant restorations on stock abutments using intraoral scanners and prefabricated stock-abutment libraries.

Materials And Methods: Two dental implants with internal hexagonal connections were placed in the mandibular second premolar and second molar areas of a partially edentulous dentoform model; stock abutments with a diameter of 5 mm, abutment height of 5.5 mm, and gingival cuff height of 2 mm were connected.

Fine particulate matter and incidence of metabolic syndrome in non-CVD patients: A nationwide population-based cohort study.

Background: It has been reported that particulate matter (PM) is associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) while metabolic syndrome is also an important risk factor for CVD. However, few studies have investigated the epidemiological association between PM and metabolic syndrome.

Objective: To investigate the association between one-year exposure to PM with an aerodynamic diameter <2.

Associations of phthalate exposure with lipid levels and insulin sensitivity index in children: A prospective cohort study.

We performed repeated measurements of phthalate metabolite concentrations during childhood and investigated the association of phthalate exposure with lipid levels and insulin resistance. This study included 164 subjects from the Korean Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort Study who underwent follow-up examinations at 3-5 and 7-9 years of age. We measured nine urinary phthalate metabolites, as well as fasting blood glucose, triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) value.

Insulin resistance is associated with hirsutism in unselected reproductive-aged women.

Objective: Hirsutism affects 5%-10% of reproductive-aged women worldwide and exhibits clinical importance as a cutaneous manifestation of underlying hyperandrogenism. Racial and genetic factors play roles in manifestation of hirsutism, and the prevalence of hirsutism seems to be low in East Asians. However, the reference value of the modified Ferriman-Gallwey (mFG) score to diagnose hirsutism and the prevalence of hirsutism have not been determined in Korean populations to date.