Use of antipsychotic drugs during radiotherapy in adult cancer patients in Korea: a nationwide retrospective cohort study based on the national health insurance service database.

Background: Antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are used for treating mental illnesses and are also used by cancer patients. This study aimed to evaluate APD use in adult cancer patients who received radiotherapy (RT) in South Korea and assess the effects of APD use during RT on survival.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service database database of Korea.

Epidemiologic Trends and Socioeconomic Disparities of Ankylosing Spondylitis in South Korea: A Nationwide Population-Based Study, 2010-2021.

Purpose: To investigate the epidemiological trends and socioeconomic disparities associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in South Korea over a decade (2010-2021) using National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) claims data.

Materials And Methods: Employing data from the NHIS database, this study identified 31753 incident AS patients in 2010-2021. We calculated the annual age-standardized prevalence and incidence rates and analyzed crude incidence rates and diagnostic patterns across age groups.

Impact of TNF-α inhibitor therapy on cardiovascular outcomes in ankylosing spondylitis: a nationwide population-based study.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor (TNFi) therapy and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes, as well as all-cause mortality, in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 24,986 patients newly diagnosed with AS between 2010-2019 without a history of CV diseases, using data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. CV events were observed through the end of 2021.

Development and Validation of a Real-Time Service Model for Noise Removal and Arrhythmia Classification Using Electrocardiogram Signals.

Arrhythmias range from mild nuisances to potentially fatal conditions, detectable through electrocardiograms (ECGs). With advancements in wearable technology, ECGs can now be monitored on-the-go, although these devices often capture noisy data, complicating accurate arrhythmia detection. This study aims to create a new deep learning model that utilizes generative adversarial networks (GANs) for effective noise removal and ResNet for precise arrhythmia classification from wearable ECG data.

Estimation of Attributable Risk and Direct Medical and Non-Medical Costs of Major Mental Disorders Associated With Air Pollution Exposures Among Children and Adolescents in the Republic of Korea, 2011-2019.

Background: Recent studies have reported the burden of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD], and depressive disorder. Also, there is mounting evidence on the effects of environmental factors, such as ambient air pollution, on these disorders among children and adolescents. However, few studies have evaluated the burden of mental disorders attributable to air pollution exposure in children and adolescents.

A cohort study of the effects of social support on cerebral cardiovascular disease in subjects with metabolic syndrome.

Introduction: Previous studies have extensively examined the relationship between social support and various health outcomes. However, little is known about the distinct longitudinal associations between perceived social support and the development of cardiovascular events in patients with metabolic syndrome. In this cohort study, we investigated whether the levels of perceived social support in patients with metabolic syndrome were associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events.

The Association between Social Support, Metabolic Syndrome, and Incidence of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in Older Adults: The ARIRANG Study.

Purpose: We investigated the association between social support, metabolic syndrome, and incident cardio-cerebrovascular disease (CCVD) in rural Koreans aged ≥50 years.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a prospective study using the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study on Atherosclerosis Risk of Rural Areas in the Korean General Population (KoGES-ARIRANG) dataset. From the baseline of 5169 adults, 1682 participants were finally included according to the exclusion criteria.

GraphMHC: Neoantigen prediction model applying the graph neural network to molecular structure.

Neoantigens are tumor-derived peptides and are biomarkers that can predict prognosis related to immune checkpoint inhibition by estimating their binding to major histocompatibility complex (MHC) proteins. Although deep neural networks have been primarily used for these prediction models, it is difficult to interpret the models reported thus far as accurately representing the interactions between biomolecules. In this study, we propose the GraphMHC model, which utilizes a graph neural network model applied to molecular structure to simulate the binding between MHC proteins and peptide sequences.

Efficacy and Safety of High Density LED Irradiation Therapy for Patients With Hand Osteoarthritis: A Single-Center Clinical Study.

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of high-density light-emitting diode (LED) irradiation therapy in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA) and compare the pre- and post-intervention symptoms.

Methods: Twenty-three patients with hand OA underwent eight sessions of high-density LED irradiation therapy directed at the five most painful areas in the finger joints. Each session lasted for 18 minutes; and the sessions were conducted twice a week, for 4 weeks.

Repeated measurements and mixture effects of urinary bisphenols, parabens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other chemicals on biomarkers of oxidative stress in pre- and postpartum women.

The association between oxidative stress and exposure to bisphenols, parabens, phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been investigated by many in vitro and in vivo studies. However, most of these findings are based on cross-sectional studies, as a result of which the combined effects of these compounds have been rarely analyzed. In this study, our objective was to assess urinary bisphenols, parabens, PAHs, and VOCs, in relation to oxidative stress during pre-and postpartum periods, analyze the association between these chemicals and oxidative stress via repeated measurements using a linear mixed model (LMM), and evaluate the combined effects exerted by these chemicals on oxidative stress using Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR).

Gout and the Prevalence of Dementia: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Background: Hyperuricemia in patients with gout is associated with a low risk of neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. However, the prevalence of dementia in patients with gout has not yet been reported.

Objective: To analyze the prevalence of dementia among patients diagnosed with gout by utilizing the Health Insurance and Review Assessment database, a nationwide registry of the South Korean population.

Survival Benefit of Kidney Transplantation in Patients With End-Stage Kidney Disease and Prior Acute Myocardial Infarction.

Patients with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and a previous acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have less access to KT. Data on ESKD patients with an AMI history who underwent first KT or dialysis between January 2007 and December 2018 were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients who underwent KT ( = 423) were chronologically matched in a 1:3 ratio with those maintained on dialysis ( = 1,269) at the corresponding dates, based on time-conditional propensity scores.

Risk Factors for Lower Extremity Amputation in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

Individuals with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis are at a high risk of developing foot ulcerations and undergoing subsequent lower extremity amputation (LEA), which can exert significant impacts on their quality of life and contribute to rising healthcare costs. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with LEA in patients with ESKD to predict LEA progression and eventually prevent it. We used 18 years (2002-2019) of data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service (KNHIS).

Risk of uterine cervical cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: There are limited data on the association between uterine cervical cancer (UCC) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the risk of UCC in patients with IBD. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.

Pregnancy complications and endometrial cancer in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a Korean National Health Insurance Service study.

Objective: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is associated with diverse pregnancy related complications and endometrial cancer. However, research on the relationship between pregnancy complications and endometrial cancer in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome is scarce. We aimed to examine the association between gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy induced hypertension, and preterm birth and the risk of endometrial cancer in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.

Factors Predicting Older People's Acceptance of a Personalized Health Care Service App and the Effect of Chronic Disease: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) services enable real-time measurement of information on individuals' biosignals and environmental risk factors; accordingly, research on health management using mHealth is being actively conducted.

Objective: The study aims to identify the predictors of older people's intention to use mHealth in South Korea and verify whether chronic disease moderates the effect of the identified predictors on behavioral intentions.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 500 participants aged 60 to 75 years.

Hemostatic efficacy of a flowable collagen-thrombin matrix during coronary artery bypass grafting: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Flowable hemostatic agents have the advantage of being able to be applied to irregular wound surfaces and difficult to reach areas. We sought to compare the effectiveness and safety of the flowable hemostatic sealants Collastat® (collagen hemostatic matrix, [CHM]) and Floseal® (gelatin hemostatic matrix, [GHM]) during off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB).

Methods: In this prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 160 patients undergoing elective OPCAB surgery were enrolled between March 2018 and February 2020.

Elevated risk of cervical cancer in elderly women with incident ulcerative colitis in South Korea.

The association between ulcerative colitis (UC) and uterine cervical cancer is still unclear. To investigate cervical cancer risk in South Korean women with UC, we analyzed the Korean National Health Insurance claims data. UC was defined using both ICD-10 codes and UC-specific prescriptions.