Dialysis specialist care and patient survival in hemodialysis facilities: a Korean nationwide cohort study.

Background: It is important for the dialysis specialist to provide essential and safe care to hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, little is known about the actual effect of dialysis specialist care on the survival of HD patients. We therefore investigated the influence of dialysis specialist care on patient mortality in a nationwide Korean dialysis cohort.

Cumulative exposure to metabolic syndrome in a national population-based cohort of young adults and sex-specific risk for type 2 diabetes.

Background: Metabolic syndrome is associated with type 2 diabetes and its prevalence is increasing worldwide in young adults. We aimed to determine whether cumulative exposure to metabolic syndrome is associated with type 2 diabetes risk in young adults.

Methods: Data of 1,376,540 participants aged 20-39 years without a history of type 2 diabetes and who underwent four annual health check-ups were collected.

Efficacy and safety of moderate-intensity statin with ezetimibe combination therapy in patients after percutaneous coronary intervention: a post-hoc analysis of the RACING trial.

Background: Moderate-intensity statin role with ezetimibe combination therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been thoroughly investigated, particularly compared to high-intensity statin monotherapy. We aimed to investigate the effect of ezetimibe combination with moderate-intensity statin in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease following PCI.

Methods: This was a post-hoc analysis of a subset of patients who underwent PCI in the RACING trial.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma: A National Survey from the Korean Pancreatobiliary Association.

Background/aims: Based on their anatomy, cholangiocarcinomas (CCAs) are classified into intrahepatic, hilar, and distal CCAs. Although the diagnosis and treatment of each type of CCA are thought to be different, real-world data studies on the current practice are limited. Therefore, this study was designed to capture the current practice of diagnosing and treating perihilar CCA in Korea.

Efficacy and safety of intravenous glucocorticoid therapy for IgG4-related ophthalmic disease.

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the efficacy and safety of intravenous (IV) glucocorticoid therapy with those of oral glucocorticoids as a first-line treatment for IgG4-related ophthalmic disease (IgG4-ROD).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent systemic glucocorticoid therapy for biopsy-proven IgG4-ROD from June 2012 to June 2022. Glucocorticoids were given either oral prednisolone at an initial dose of 0.

The efficacy and safety of an indocyanine green-hyaluronic acid mixture (LuminoMark™) for localization in patients with non-palpable breast lesions: A multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel phase 3 clinical trial.

Purpose: The incidence of early tumor detection is increasing due to popularization of breast cancer screening and the development of imaging techniques. Thus, suitable preoperative localization is required for proper diagnosis and treatment of non-palpable breast lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of indocyanine green (ICG)-hyaluronic acid (HA) mixture for lesion localization compared to activated charcoal.

Moderate-Intensity Rosuvastatin Plus Ezetimibe Versus High-Intensity Rosuvastatin for Target Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Goal Achievement in Patients With Recent Ischemic Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background And Purpose: Moderate-intensity statin plus ezetimibe versus high-intensity statin alone may provide a greater low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction in patients with recent ischemic stroke.

Methods: This randomized, open-label, controlled trial assigned patients with recent ischemic stroke <90 days to rosuvastatin/ezetimibe 10/10 mg once daily (ROS10/EZT10) or to rosuvastatin 20 mg once daily (ROS20). The primary endpoint was LDL-C reduction ≥50% from baseline at 90 days.

Time-Varying Risk Factors for Incident Fractures in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Nationwide Cohort Study in South Korea.

Little is known about the time-varying risk factors for fractures in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). Using the Korea Organ Transplantation Registry, a nationwide cohort study of KTRs, the incidence, locations, and time-varying predictors of fractures were analyzed, including at baseline and post-transplant 6-month variables in KTRs who underwent KT between January 2014 and June 2019. Among 4134 KTRs, with a median follow-up of 2.

Systemic Venous Air Emboli After Emergent Hyperbaric Therapy for Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

BACKGROUND A venous air embolism is a rare condition but could have a disastrous effect on vital organs. It usually occurs due to iatrogenic sources, such as central venous catheter insertion, neurosurgery, and other invasive procedures. In most cases, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the best treatment for those conditions.

Headache in Pediatric Moyamoya Disease after Revascularization Surgery.

Introduction: Patients with moyamoya disease (MMD) often have headaches after successful revascularization surgery. We aimed to characterize headache in surgically treated MMD patients and elucidate its clinical meaning and pathophysiology.

Methods: Headache and related symptoms were surveyed using structured questionnaires in pediatric MMD patients with follow-up for 6 months or longer after indirect revascularization surgery.

Neurological and Psychiatric Manifestations of Post-COVID-19 Conditions.

Background: We aimed to investigate the factors associated with neurological manifestations of post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) conditions.

Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 440 patients who visited our post-COVID-19 clinic more than 4 weeks after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. We analyzed the prevalence of different neurological symptoms (brain fog, memory impairment, headache, and dizziness) and assessed the associated factors.

Accuracy of administrative claim data for gastric adenoma after endoscopic resection.

Background/aims: Administrative databases provide valuable information for large-cohort studies. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an administrative database for resected gastric adenomas.

Methods: Data of patients who underwent endoscopic resection for benign gastric lesions were collected from three hospitals.

Clinical traits and systemic risks of familial diabetes mellitus according to age of onset and quantity: an analysis of data from the community-based KoGES cohort study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical trait of familial diabetes mellitus (DM) by analyzing participants' risk of DM according to the age of DM onset in parents and siblings, and to evaluate individuals' risk of DM-associated cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods: Altogether, 211,173 participants aged ≥40 years from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study were included in this study. The participants were divided into groups based on the number (1 or 2 relatives) and age of onset (no DM and early, common, or late onset) of familial DM.

Head and neck dermatitis is exacerbated by colonization, skin barrier disruption, and immune dysregulation.

Introduction & Objectives: Head and neck dermatitis (HND) is a refractory phenotype of atopic dermatitis (AD) and can be a therapeutic challenge due to lack of responsiveness to conventional treatments. Previous studies have suggested that the microbiome and fungiome may play a role in inducing HND, but the underlying pathogenic mechanisms remain unknown. This study aimed to determine the link between HND and fungiome and to examine the contribution of .

Increased Right Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Connectivity During Emotion Recognition Task in Adolescents With Self-Injurious Behavior: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study.

Objective: Research on neural correlates in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) associated with self-injurious behavior has mainly been performed in adults. However, studies on adolescents are scarce. We aimed to investigate the activation and connectivity of the PFC between adolescents with self-injurious behavior (ASI) and psychiatric controls (PC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Intravascular Imaging-Guided or Angiography-Guided Complex PCI.

Background: Data regarding clinical outcomes after intravascular imaging-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for complex coronary-artery lesions, as compared with outcomes after angiography-guided PCI, are limited.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, open-label trial in South Korea, we randomly assigned patients with complex coronary-artery lesions in a 2:1 ratio to undergo either intravascular imaging-guided PCI or angiography-guided PCI. In the intravascular imaging group, the choice between intravascular ultrasonography and optical coherence tomography was at the operators' discretion.

Effectiveness of An Intraoperative Lagophthalmos Formula for Levator Resection in Patients With Congenital Ptosis.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of an intraoperative lagophthalmos formula (IOLF) for levator resection in congenital ptosis and investigate the optimal preoperative conditions for IOLF application.

Methods: This retrospective interventional cohort study evaluated 30 eyelids of 22 patients with congenital ptosis who underwent levator resection using the IOLF to calculate the extent of surgical correction under general anesthesia. Surgical success was defined as margin reflex distance-1 (MRD1)≥3 mm in each eye and a difference of MRD1 1 mm between the eyes at 6 months postoperatively.

Incidence of Parkinson's disease and modifiable risk factors in Korean population: A longitudinal follow-up study of a nationwide cohort.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate the incidence of Parkinson's disease (PD) by age and year for each sex as well as the modifiable risk factors for PD. Using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service, 938,635 PD and dementia-free participants aged ≥40 years who underwent general health examinations were followed to December 2019.

Methods: We analyzed the PD incidence rates according to age, year and sex.

Atherosclerosis Imaging Quantitative Computed Tomography (AI-QCT) to guide referral to invasive coronary angiography in the randomized controlled CONSERVE trial.

Aims: We compared diagnostic performance, costs, and association with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of clinical coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) interpretation versus semiautomated approach that use artificial intelligence and machine learning for atherosclerosis imaging-quantitative computed tomography (AI-QCT) for patients being referred for nonemergent invasive coronary angiography (ICA).

Methods: CCTA data from individuals enrolled into the randomized controlled Computed Tomographic Angiography for Selective Cardiac Catheterization trial for an American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline indication for ICA were analyzed. Site interpretation of CCTAs were compared to those analyzed by a cloud-based software (Cleerly, Inc.