Background/Objectives: This nationwide retrospective study evaluated the effects of anticancer therapy on osteoporosis in 126,132 Korean breast cancer survivors from 2002 to 2020. Methods: The Cox proportional hazards model assessed the effects of treatment on osteoporosis. To circumvent the guarantee-time bias for osteoporosis development, a landmark analysis was employed. A stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting was performed to control any confounding bias. The propensity score was calculated using a multinomial logistic regression model with age, national health insurance, and the Charlson comorbidity index. Results: During a median follow-up of 4.22 years, 28,603 cases of osteoporosis were documented. Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) were associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis development in comparison to tamoxifen (TMX) or chemotherapy. Notably, AIs administered subsequent to a combination of chemotherapy and anti-HER2 therapy exhibited the highest risk of osteoporosis development. Subgroup analysis revealed that the mean interval from breast cancer diagnosis to osteoporosis development was 5.00 years for women diagnosed with cancer at age < 50 and 3.89 years for those diagnosed at age ≥ 60. TMX increased the risk of osteoporosis in women diagnosed with cancer at age < 50, whereas chemotherapy was not a significant risk factor for osteoporosis development in those diagnosed at age ≥ 60. The impact of anticancer therapy on osteoporosis development was more pronounced in women diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age compared to those diagnosed at an older age. Conclusions: Effective prevention and active management strategies should be implemented to address bone loss in both younger and older breast cancer patients.

Recently, non-pharmacological treatments are gaining increasing importance for improving the quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of conducting extensive research on Chuna manual therapy (CMT). This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of CMT adjuvant to Western medicine (WM) in patients with COPD. Forty patients with COPD were randomized into two groups in a 1:1 ratio: experimental (CMT plus WM) and control (WM only) groups. The CMT intervention was administered once a week for eight weeks. The primary outcome measured was the 6-min walk distance (6MWD). Secondary outcomes measured were: forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), assessments using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) scale and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for dyspnea, the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and the EuroQoL five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D). The mean differences in FEV1 (L) between Weeks 1 and 8 were statistically significant between the groups (p = 0.039). Additionally, the experimental group showed improved 6MWD, mMRC, VAS for dyspnea, CAT, SGRQ (total), and EQ-VAS scores than the control group. However, the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. No adverse events were observed during this trial. CMT has the potential to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and delay the decline in lung function in patients with COPD. The results of this pilot study could lead to large-scale clinical trials in the future.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of metformin and Ojeok-san (OJS) co-administration to healthy volunteers compared to those with metformin alone. Methods: This was an open-label, one-sequence, crossover study, with two 2-day hospitalization schedules lasting up to 14 days. Metformin was administered once daily on days 1 and 2. OJS was administered alone three times a day on days 3– 7 and co-administered with metformin once a day on days 8 and 9. Plasma concentrations of metformin were measured using a validated LC-MS/MS method. To evaluate pharmacodynamics, oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) were performed on days 1, 2, 8 and 9. Results: Fifteen participants were enrolled. The coadministration decreased C_max (1757.7 to 1668.9 ng/mL) and AUC_last (10407.4 to 9901.1 ng·h/mL), compared to those with metformin alone. Geometric mean ratios (90% Confidence Interval) of C_max and AUC_last between the co-administration with OJS and metformin alone were 92.15% (82.79– 102.57) and 94.57% (85.6– 104.48), respectively. Co-administration with OJS did not significantly change the mean glucose level compared to that with metformin alone. Conclusion: Co-administration with OJS decreased the plasma concentrations of metformin compared to that with metformin alone. However, the degree of decrease was not significant based on the geometric mean of the C_max and AUC_last. Considering the OGTT results, these changes in metformin concentration did not affect glucose concentration. In addition, there were no significant findings regarding safety profiles.

Background/Objectives: Excessive alcohol consumption leads to hangovers, which cause discomfort and reduce work efficiency, resulting in socioeconomic losses. Theracurmin, known for its antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties, may help mitigate these effects. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of two Theracurmin-based products in alleviating hangover symptoms in humans. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial was conducted in 27 healthy adults, with a balanced distribution of men and women. Two formulations were tested: Ready Q, containing Theracurmin, Hovenia dulcis Thunb. extract powder, and L-glutathione yeast extract; and Theracurmin, containing only Theracurmin. The products were administered on designated visit days, followed by an alcohol challenge 30 min after administration. Blood and breath alcohol profiles were assessed 15 h post-consumption, and participants completed a hangover symptom questionnaire. Results: Compared to placebo, Ready Q resulted in a significantly lower area under the curve (AUC) for serum alcohol concentration (−94.92 mg·h/dL [−170.91, −18.93]), as well as lower AUC (−8.441 mg·h/dL [−11.713, −5.169]) for serum acetaldehyde. Theracurmin showed similar effects, with reduced AUC (−117.21 mg·h/dL [−194.20, −40.22]) for serum alcohol concentration, and lower AUC (−8.161 mg·h/dL [−12.597, −3.725]) for corrected serum acetaldehyde levels. Conclusions: These findings suggest that both products effectively enhance alcohol metabolism in healthy adults, underscoring their potential as interventions for alleviating alcohol hangovers.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics and renal safety of colistin methanesulfonate sodium (CMS) following single and multiple intravenous administrations in healthy Korean male volunteers. This study provides pharmacokinetic and safety information on an Asian population, where data on polymyxins remain limited. Patients and Methods: This open-label, single- and multiple-dose pharmacokinetic study enrolled 12 subjects, 11 of whom received CMS, and one withdrew prior to dosing. Five doses of CMS 150 mg potency (equivalent to 150 mg colistin) were administered over 2.5 days as 1-h infusions every 12 h, diluted in 50 mL of normal saline. Serial blood samples were collected at predetermined time points to measure plasma colistin concentrations using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. Renal safety was assessed through serial measurements of serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and renal biomarkers. Serum biomarkers included cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), while urinary biomarkers included clusterin, kidney injury molecule-1, N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, and NGAL. Results: CMS reached peak levels rapidly with minimal accumulation (accumulation index 0.91 [95% CI, 0.80– 1.03]) and a consistent half-life of 2.3 h after both single and multiple dosing, whereas colistin showed progressive accumulation (accumulation index 1.4 [1.32– 1.48]) and a half-life increase from 3.6 to 4.5 h. Renal biomarkers, including creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, cystatin C, and NGAL, showed no clinically relevant changes. Although urinary markers were transiently elevated, they remained within reference ranges throughout the study period. Overall, repeated CMS administration was well tolerated, and no evidence of nephrotoxicity was observed. Conclusion: Intravenous administration of CMS resulted in evaluable pharmacokinetic profiles in healthy Korean male volunteers. Although no biomarker-based evidence of nephrotoxicity was detected, these findings should be interpreted with caution, given the small sample size and short study duration. These results may support evidence for renal safety assessments in future studies.