Hallux valgus (HV) is a common foot deformity of multifactorial etiology, but knowledge about the relative importance of genetics and environments on HV has been limited. In order to estimate genetic influences on HV, 1,265 adults, including 175 monozygotic twin (MZ) pairs, 31 dizygotic twin (DZ) pairs, and 853 first-degree singleton family members of the twins were included from the Healthy Tw...

PURPOSE To estimate the heritabilities of myopia and ocular biometrics among different family types among a Korean population. METHODS We studied 1508 adults in the Healthy Twin Study. Spherical equivalent, axial length, anterior chamber depth, and corneal astigmatism were measured by refraction, corneal topography, and A-scan ultrasonography. To see the degree of resemblance among different ...

OBJECTIVE It is unclear how well homeostasis model assessment of beta-cell function (HOMA-beta) predicts diabetes development beyond its components, especially glucose. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We identified 12,924 nondiabetic Koreans who had fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations measured in 2003 and again in 2008. To minimize the impact of differences in baseline glucose conce...

BACKGROUND The aims of this study were to analyze the anatomic variations of supraorbital foramina/notches in Koreans and to compare the results with those of previous studies examining other races. We evaluated the three-dimensional computed tomography (3D-CT) images of human faces using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). METHODS A total of 395 adults (232 men and 163 women) were enro...

Due to their unique living conditions and dietary habits, the Koreans' renal function model may be different from that of the Western people. About 40 years ago, a researcher reported that two thirds of the urine osmolality in Koreans was contributed by NaCl, while less than 1/3 by urea. It is known that the Koreans' daily consumption of NaCl is higher while their protein intake is lower, compa...

This study examines the attitudes of young Japanese, Chinese, and South Koreans toward birth and child-rearing. The survey targeted four-year university students (n＝1,668) who responded to an anonymous survey using self-report questionnaires between December 2012 and April 2013. The collection rates were 72.5%, 94.7%, and 96.5% for the Japanese, Chinese, and South Korean students, respectively....

BACKGROUND To characterize the recently issued femur shaft insufficiency fracture in terms of a patient's own epidemiological status. METHODS Fourteen patients were treated for insufficiency fracture from July 2002 to June 2008, excluding cases including the risk factors of insufficiency fracture. All patients were female, and their mean age was 75.6 years (range, 65 to 89 years). The mean fo...

OBJECTIVE The normal male to female livebirth sex ratio ranges from 1.03 to 1.07. Higher ratios in China, India and Korea reflect prenatal sex selection. We reviewed sex ratios for US births to investigate potential prenatal sex selection. METHODS We reviewed all US livebirths from 1975 to 2002 using National Center for Health Statistics birth certificates in 4-year intervals. We compared the...

Asian immigrants to the U.S. are participants in a natural experiment on the effects of social norms on tobacco cessation. Smoking is socially acceptable in most Asian countries. When Asian smokers move to U.S. states such as California, they experience a radically different social norm toward smoking. This study examines ever smokers among two groups of Asian immigrants in California, Chinese ...