The Korean journal of internal medicine
-
Korean J. Intern. Med. · Mar 2016
Multicenter StudyImpact of the β-1 adrenergic receptor polymorphism on tolerability and efficacy of bisoprolol therapy in Korean heart failure patients: association between β adrenergic receptor polymorphism and bisoprolol therapy in heart failure (ABBA) study.
We evaluated the association between coding region variants of adrenergic receptor genes and therapeutic effect in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). ⋯ The ADRB1 Gly389X genotype showed greater response to bisoprolol than the Arg389Arg genotype, suggesting the potential of individually tailoring β-blocker therapy according to genotype.
-
Korean J. Intern. Med. · Mar 2016
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational StudyAngiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers as a first choice in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs) have not been adequately evaluated in patients without left ventricular (LV) dysfunction or heart failure after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ⋯ Our results suggest that ARBs are not inferior to, and may actually be better than ACEIs in Korean patients with AMI.
-
Korean J. Intern. Med. · Jan 2016
Multicenter StudyFeasibility of α-fetoprotein as a diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of α-fetoprotein (AFP) as a diagnostic tool for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Korean patients. ⋯ The cut-off AFP value for early-stage HCC was 17.4 ng/mL. Our study cautiously suggests that AFP has a role in the diagnosis of HCC, and that the appropriate value of AFP for the diagnosis of HCC may be 100 ng/mL rather than 200 ng/mL.
-
Korean J. Intern. Med. · Nov 2015
Multicenter Study Comparative Study Observational StudyClinical manifestations of pneumonia according to the causative organism in patients in the intensive care unit.
Whether the causative organism influences the clinical course of pneumonia in the intensive care unit (ICU) is controversial. We assessed the clinical manifestations and prognosis of pneumonia according to the causative pathogens in patients in a medical ICU. ⋯ Neither the causative micro-organism nor the existence of MDR pathogens in critically ill patients with pneumonia was associated with the clinical outcome of pneumonia, including ICU mortality. This result was consistent regardless of the pneumonia classification.
-
Korean J. Intern. Med. · Jul 2015
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyPrognostic value of hyponatremia in heart failure patients: an analysis of the Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in the Relation with Serum Sodium Level in Asian Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure (COAST) study.
Hyponatremia is a well-known risk factor for poor outcomes in Western studies of heart failure (HF) patients. We evaluated the predictive value of hyponatremia in hospitalized Asian HF patients. ⋯ In hospitalized Asian HF patients, hyponatremia at admission is common and is an independent predictor of poor clinical outcome. Furthermore, hyponatremic patients receive less optimal medical treatment than their counterparts.