Association of Serum Uric Acid with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Scores in Koreans.

As the prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia increases, the comorbidities of gout and hyperuricemia have become a public health burden. In particular, risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related complications are increasing. However, a few guidelines exist for the management of hyperuricemia. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of serum uric acid with CVD risk in the general population of Korean adults. We examined cross-sectional data from the first and second years of the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2017. Among 16,277 participants, 8781 were analyzed. We estimated the CVD risk using a 10-year CVD risk score prediction formula. There was a significant association of serum uric acid with 10-year CVD risk scores after adjusting for physical activity, body mass index, serum creatinine, and alcohol consumption in both sexes (p < 0.001). In the fitted fractional polynomial model, an approximate U-shaped association between serum uric acid levels and 10-year CVD risk scores was found in men. At the serum uric acid level of 6.9 mg/dL, the CVD risk was lowest. An approximate J-shaped association between serum uric acid levels and 10-year CVD risk scores was found in women. Our study showed that hyperuricemia was associated with an increased CVD risk. Hypouricemia was also associated with an increased CVD risk in men. We, therefore, recommend proper management of uric acid levels in the general population to reduce CVD risks.

Efficacy of volumetric analysis of aorta as surveillance tool after EVAR.

OBJECTIVE: Compared to the diameter measurement, volume measurement of the aneurysm can be an alternative option for accurate evaluation. This study was undertaken to analyze the relationship between the diameter and the volume measurement of the aorta after EVAR. METHODS: From January 2012 to December 2016, 82 patients underwent EVAR in our institution. The infrarenal aorta after EVAR was evaluated with regard to maximal aortic diameter (DMAX) and aortic volume. The relationship between the DMAX and the aortic volume measurement after EVAR were analyzed. RESULTS: The rate of enlargement of aortic volume with endoleak over time was 0.02 cm3/month. The rate of enlargement of DMAX with endoleak over time was 0.007 mm/month. The mean rate of enlargement of aortic volume was significantly different from the mean enlargement rate of DMAX (p = 0.02). A ≥12% of increase rate of aortic volume was equivalent to an increase of ≥5 mm in the DMAX after EVAR. Significantly more endoleak occurred in the DMAX-enlargement group than no-enlargement group (100% vs. 26.76%, p < 0.001). Significantly more patients need secondary intervention and treatment of endoleak in the DMAX-enlargement group (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). Significantly more endoleak occurred in the aortic volume-enlargement group than no-enlargement group (90.91% vs. 16.67%, p < 0.001). Significantly more patients needed secondary intervention and treatment for endoleak in the aortic volume-enlargement group (p = 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Volumetric analysis can predict successful EVAR more accurate than diameter measurement. A ≥12% increase in aortic volume was equivalent to a ≥5 mm increase in aortic diameter.

Effect of Physical Activity on the Progression of Alzheimer's Disease: The Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea Study.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research on the effects of physical activity (PA) on the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether PA is associated with progression of dementia and mortality in AD. METHODS: In the present study, 934 patients with mild-to-moderate AD were included. PA was evaluated using a questionnaire written by the caregiver. The outcome measures were the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB), Seoul-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (S-IADL), Caregiver-Administered Neuropsychiatric Inventory (CGA-NPI), a global composite score of neuropsychological subtests, and mortality. They were evaluated annually and received a maximum of three follow-up examinations. RESULTS: Between-group differences compared with the no PA group in the change of CDR-SB scores were -0.431 (95% CI = -0.824∼-0.039; p = 0.031) for the moderate PA group (150-750 minutes per week of moderate intensity PA), and -1.148 (-1.656∼-0.639; p < 0.001) for the high PA group (>750 minutes per week). As PA increased, there was a significant trend to slow the rate of increase in the CDR-SB, S-IADL, and CGA-NPI scores. The patients with ≥150 minutes per week for each of non-recreational and recreational PAs had a lower risk of mortality compared to those with <150 minutes per week for each of the PAs (hazard ratio 0.22, 95% CI = 0.05∼0.88; p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: More PA is associated with slower progression of dementia severity, functional decline, and abnormal behavior, and with a lower risk of mortality in AD.