2013, Vol.2, No.2

Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.43

pISSN : 1976-9334 / eISSN : 2288-1522
https://journal.kci.go.kr/jkomor

Objectives: This study was conducted to analyze anti-obesity effects of the main single medicinalherbs which have effects on obesity or metabolic syndrome. Methods: We selected the 8 main single medicinal herbs, and then 3 databases were searchedusing search words “obesity”, and “each scientific name of selected 8 main herbs”. Results and Conclusions: Only Ephedra sinica and Panax ginseng were analyzed through 3methods, in vitro, animal studies and randomized controlled trial (RCT)s, Ephedra sinica wasshown weight loss effects in RCTs, but Panax ginseng couldn’t. Other 6 selected medicinal herbswere not verified in RCTs, all had anti-obesity effects in high fat fed mice (or rats) and the othersexcept for Radix notoginseng and Radix puerariae had inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in3T3-L1 cells.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyse the methods being used to control foodintake and physical activity in RCTs of human obesity. Methods: A total of 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were investigated. Nine of which weredomestic studies from “http://oasis.kiom.re.kr” and the other of which were foreign studies fromsystematic reviews of RCTs on herbal medicine for treatment of human obesity. Results: According to domestic studies, “low calorie diet” were recommended in five cases of thedomestic studies , “maintain current dietary habit” were recommended in two and no informationon diet was two. Considering the seven cases where the information on diet was available,patients’ food intake were checked at every visit in six cases. Only two cases among the six hadbeen dropped owing to the violation of dietary habit by patients. Exercises were prohibited in twocases, “maintain current level of phisical activity” were recommended in three cases and, from therest, no information was available. The level of physical activity were not strictly controlled by anymeans hence no drop out. According to foreign studies, “low calorie diet” were recommended intwo cases, “very low calorie diet (less than 700 kcal/day)” in one case, “maintain current dietaryhabit” in two cases, “do not eat fat” in two cases and no information was available in the rest fivecases. Exercises which concerns spending about 300 kcal/day was recommended in one case,“moderate exercise” were recommended in three cases, “maintain current level of physicalactivity” were recommended in three cases and no information available in the rest five cases. Conclusions: In order to improve the accuracy of RCT, for the dietary side, researchers shouldrecord patient food intake at every visit by means of 24-hour dietary recall methods. This can besupplemented by multiple choice survey that are designed to help patients to diagnosethemselves more accurately leading to less bias. For the exercise side, it is highly recommendedto confine the exercises to walking only so as to quantify the amount of physical activity moreeasily by using pedometer.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics in elderly populationwith obesity by analyzing their blood test. Methods: Included 130 subjects of aged 60 or older went through body composition test, andblood test. We divided them into obesity group and normal group based on body mass index (BMI)results, and then the blood test results were compared between the groups. Results: Forty out of 130 subjects had BMI of 25 or more. Two groups showed significantdifference in bilirubin total, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), cholesterol total, triglyceride, highdensity lipoprotein (HDL), red blood cell (RBC), hematocrite, mean corpuscular hemoglobinconcentration, and platelet. All but HDL levels showed significantly higher results in obesity groupthan normal group. When compared with BMI, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, ALT, cholesteroltotal, triglyceride, white blood cell (WBC), and RBC had significant positive correlations. Amongthose, cholesterol total, triglyceride, WBC, and RBC showed significant difference between twogroups, with correlation to BMI. Especially, the average of triglyceride was higher than normallimit in obesity group, whereas it was lower than normal limit in normal group. Conclusions: Triglyceride, cholesterol total, WBC, and RBC are highly related to obese elderly inthis study. Old people with obesity need to be careful of cardiovascular and metabolic disease thatcan be caused by these factors.