Effects of Physical Activity on Medical Expenses among Individuals with Obesity in Korea: Insights from a Nationwide Study.

Background: Research on the relationship between physical activity and medical expenses among individuals with obesity has been sparse. This study investigates that association using nationwide data from Korea.

Methods: We analyzed data from the National Sample Cohort of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, including 112,531 adults with obesity who underwent at least two health screenings within a 2-year interval between 2009 and 2015.

Development and psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Novice Nursing Practitioner Role Transition scale.

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to develop and test the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Novice Nursing Practitioner Role Transition (K-NNPRT) scale.

Methods: This scale was developed through forward translation, expert panel endorsement, and back translation and revised based on cognitive interviews. Data for the psychometric test were collected from 248 nurses who provide advanced care in Korea.

Clinical Utility of Salivary Steroid Profiling for the Differential Diagnosis of Adrenal Diseases.

Context: Although salivary steroid sampling offers several advantages, the diagnostic potential of salivary steroid metabolites remains largely unexplored.Objective To evaluate the diagnostic utility of salivary steroid profiling in patients with adrenal diseases.

Design: Prospective multicenter study.

Recommendation for use of a long-acting monoclonal antibody to prevent respiratory syncytial virus infection in infants and young children.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and young children. In April 2024, the Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved nirsevimab (Beyfortus), a long-acting monoclonal antibody, as a passive immunization to prevent RSV-associated LRTI among infants and young children. Nirsevimab was launched in Korea in February 2025.

Long-term Outcomes of Hypertension and Antihypertensive Drugs in Healthy Young Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study in Korea.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of hypertension (HTN) and antihypertensive medications on the incidence of cardiovascular disease in healthy young adults (approximately 20 to 45 years).

Patients And Methods: In total, 4,590,597 young Korean adults without comorbidities who underwent regular health examinations were included in this study. They were stratified into 4 groups according to their blood pressure (BP) (optimal BP, normal BP, high normal BP, and HTN).

Diagnostic Accuracy of Serological Tests for Infections in Children with Pneumonia, Based on Symptom Onset.

Background: is a major cause of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, with a rising incidence of macrolide resistance. Early diagnosis is crucial for reducing the disease burden; however, current diagnostic tools have limitations. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of serological assays and their performance based on symptom onset in children with CAP.

The elucidation of the dual role of Beclin-1 in ischemic stroke through systems biology modeling.

Beclin-1 plays a pivotal role in the interplay between autophagy and apoptosis in ischemic stroke, influencing both cell survival and death. We developed a mathematical model incorporating the dual role of Beclin-1 to simulate Beclin-1-induced autophagy and apoptosis under varying ischemic stress conditions. The model predicts a critical threshold of Beclin-1 expression, beyond which apoptosis is triggered, with this threshold decreasing as stress severity increases.

Changes in antiviral treatment rate for hepatitis B virus before hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis: a nationwide Korean study.

Background And Aims: Antiviral treatment (AVT) reduces hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and hepatocsellular carcinoma (HCC) development; however, the impact of AVT timing - before versus after HCC diagnosis - on prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the current status, changes, and clinical outcomes of AVT before HCC diagnosis in Korea.

Methods: Data were extracted from the Korean National Health Insurance Service for patients newly diagnosed with HBV-related HCC from 2008 to 2018.

Oxiracetam and physical activity in preventing cognitive decline after stroke: A multicenter, randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: This multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, commissioned by South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, evaluated the effect of oxiracetam for preventing post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) and explored potential interaction with physical activity using neuroimaging.

Patients And Methods: Patients at high risk of PSCI, reporting subjective cognitive decline ⩾3 months after stroke, were randomized 1:1 to receive oxiracetam or placebo for 36 weeks. Physical activity was tracked via wrist-worn actigraphy.

Temporal modulation of antiplatelet therapy in high-risk patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention: the TAILORED-CHIP randomized clinical trial.

Background And Aims: Limited data exist on optimal antiplatelet strategies for high-risk patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of tailored antiplatelet treatment with temporal modulation of the intensity of platelet inhibition in patients undergoing complex high-risk PCI.

Methods: We randomly assigned 2018 patients with high-risk anatomical or clinical characteristics undergoing complex PCI to a tailored antiplatelet strategy with early escalation (low-dose ticagrelor at 60 mg twice daily plus aspirin <6 months) and late de-escalation (clopidogrel monotherapy >6 months) or dual antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel plus aspirin for 12 months).

Synthetic data generation method improves risk prediction model for early tumor recurrence after surgery in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is aggressive with high recurrence rates, necessitating accurate prediction models for effective treatment planning, particularly for neoadjuvant chemotherapy or upfront surgery. This study explores the use of variational autoencoder (VAE)-generated synthetic data to predict early tumor recurrence (within six months) in pancreatic cancer patients who underwent upfront surgery. Preoperative data of 158 patients between January 2021 and December 2022 was analyzed, and machine learning models-including Logistic Regression, Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), and Deep Neural Networks (DNN)-were trained on both original and synthetic datasets.

Pharmacologic Potential of Statins in Cancer Prevention: Colo-Rectal Cancer Risk in Dyslipidemic Patients from a Korean Nationwide Cohort.

: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a growing public health concern in South Korea, with incidence rising alongside dyslipidemia. Statins, widely prescribed for lipid control, have been proposed to reduce CRC risk, but evidence remains inconsistent, particularly in Asian populations. : Using Korean National Health Insurance Service data (2002-2019), we conducted a nested case-control study of 9920 CRC patients and 39,680 matched controls.

Development and Validation of a Machine Learning Model for Early Prediction of Acute Kidney Injury in Neurocritical Care: A Comparative Analysis of XGBoost, GBM, and Random Forest Algorithms.

Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) is a pivotal concern in neurocritical care, impacting patient survival and quality of life. This study harnesses machine learning (ML) techniques to predict the occurrence of AKI in patients receiving hyperosmolar therapy, aiming to optimize patient outcomes in neurocritical settings. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 4886 patients who underwent hyperosmolar therapy in the neurosurgical intensive care unit (ICU).

Update of the Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Stroke: Blood Pressure Management.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, and appropriate management of blood pressure (BP) is crucial for both prevention and treatment. Since the 2009 publication of the Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) by the Korean Stroke Society (KSS), significant advances have been made in BP management for stroke patients, particularly in cases involving intracerebral hemorrhage and in the context of endovascular reperfusion therapy for ischemic stroke. In light of recent evidence, the CPG Committee of the KSS initiated an update of the guidelines for BP management in acute stroke.

Development of a Noble On-Site Dual Screening System for Male Fertility of Sperm Count and Hyaluronidase Activity.

Purpose: To develop a noble on-site dual screening system for sperm concentration and hyaluronidase (HAdase) activity of male fertility based on lateral-flow assay methods, and to evaluate the effectiveness of this dual screening system.

Materials And Methods: A chromogenic reaction for sperm count was established using a sperm-specific antibody against sperm antigen-10 (SP-10). Substrate-enzyme reaction was developed in which the activity of sperm HAdase on hyaluronic acid (HA) substrates could be measured through a color reaction.

Influence of urinary creatinine concentration and specific gravity correction in exposure assessment: Comparison between chronic kidney disease patients and general population.

Urine is a favored matrix for biomonitoring of several important classes of chemicals. Because of variations in concentration, however, urine is often adjusted for dilution. Urinary creatinine (Cr) and specific gravity (SG) have been frequently employed for this purpose.

Biomarkers of type 2 inflammation as predictors of response to biologics for severe eosinophilic asthma.

Background: The relationship between pre-treatment levels of blood eosinophil count (BEC), fractional exhaled nitric oxide ( ) and sputum eosinophils (Sp-EOS) and treatment response to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA) remains unclear. We evaluated pre-treatment levels of BEC, , Sp-EOS and their combinations as predictors of treatment responses in patients with SEA undergoing anti-interleukin (IL)-5/IL-5Rα or anti-IL-4Rα antibody therapies.

Methods: The study included 153 adult patients with SEA (59 anti-IL-5/IL-5Rα and 94 anti-IL-4Rα users).

Treatable traits in chronic cough: a prospective evaluation for predicting cough persistence.

Background: The concept of treatable traits has been proposed for managing chronic cough; however, evidence supporting its clinical utility remains limited. This study investigated the relationship between baseline traits and cough persistence in a prospective registry of patients with chronic cough.

Methods: We analysed data from 426 patients with chronic cough enrolled in the Korean Chronic Cough Registry.

Arterial Stiffness and Histologically Confirmed Helicobacter pylori Infection in Young Adults.

Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection has been linked to systemic inflammation and vascular dysfunction, potentially contributing to arterial stiffness. Research in younger populations is limited, highlighting the need to explore its early cardiovascular impact. This study investigated the association between histologically confirmed HP infection and arterial stiffness.

A genome-wide study on gene-nutrient interactions for hyperuricemia in a large Korean cohort (KoGES).

This study aimed to identify novel genetic variants associated with hyperuricemia risk across multiple nutrients by assessing significant gene-nutrient interactions using large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) data in the Korean population. A total of 48,007 individuals from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study dataset were included in the GWAS. Dietary intake was evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire.

Assessing human exposure to organic UV filters through biomonitoring in South Korea.

This study evaluated human exposure to organic UV filters in a family-based panel in South Korea through biomonitoring. Urine samples from 124 participants in 48 families were collected during summer, autumn, and winter of 2020-2021. Twelve organic UV filters and nine metabolites were analyzed using LC-MS/MS.

Impact of metabolic dysfunction on treatment responses to nucleos(t)ide analogues in chronic hepatitis B: a retrospective multi-center REAL-B cohort study.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction is associated with liver disease but it is unclear if it would impact responses to antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods: Using data from an international consortium of 4507 treatment-naïve CHB patients who initiated nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) between January 2004 and August 2024 from 32 centers and propensity-score matching (PSM) to balance the background of patients with and without metabolic disease (diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, or hypertension), we compared their biochemical (BR), virologic (VR), and complete (CR) response.

Findings: More than half (54.

Comparing the Health Impacts of Fixed Night and Rotating Shift Work: An Umbrella Review of Meta-Analyses.

Despite abundant research on the health risks of shift work, studies directly comparing fixed night work and rotating-shift work are relatively rare. This study systematically reviewed and synthesised recent meta-analytic findings to assess how fixed night work and rotating-shift work influence health outcomes. An umbrella review of meta-analyses was conducted, including studies published until December 2024 from PubMed, Embase and Web of Science.