Hypertension is one of the leading chronic diseases globally and a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite advances in pharmacological therapy, medication alone remains limited in achieving optimal control. This review synthesizes recent hypertension management guidelines, including those from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC, 2024), American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC, 2025), Taiwan Society of Cardiology/Hypertension Society (2022), and Korean Society of Hypertension (KSH, 2018). All guidelines consistently emphasize sodium restriction, weight reduction, regular exercise, moderation of alcohol intake, smoking cessation, and adoption of healthy dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mediterranean, or culturally adapted diets. The ESC 2024 guideline elevates lifestyle modification to Class I, Level A, specifying targets for sodium (<2 g/day) and potassium (≥3.5 g/day). The AHA/ACC 2025 guideline provides quantitative estimates, reporting approximately 1/1 mm Hg blood pressure reduction per kilogram of weight loss, and incorporates newer strategies such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery when lifestyle measures alone are insufficient. Taiwan’s 2022 guideline frames recommendations under the S-ABCDE (sodium restriction, alcohol limitation, body weight reduction, cigarette cessation, diet adaptation, exercise adoption) mnemonic and uniquely includes genetic factors such as ALDH2 polymorphisms. The KSH 2018 guideline emphasizes salt restriction (<6 g/day), maintaining a body mass index <25 kg/m2, and adherence to traditional Korean diets. Lifestyle modification remains the cornerstone of hypertension prevention and management, particularly in primary care. Future directions should focus on integrating these approaches with pharmacotherapy, digital health strategies, and personalized prescriptions.

This study aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of aging with disability among polio survivors who continue to live with long-term sequelae. Although poliomyelitis has been eradicated in most regions, survivors entering older age face a dual challenge, as age-related decline overlaps with pre-existing impairments, creating a need for integrated management strategies. This narrative review examined the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, and late effects of polio, with particular attention to post-polio syndrome, secondary musculoskeletal disorders, and other systemic conditions. International and Korean studies were compared to highlight similarities and contextual differences. Polio survivors frequently experience accelerated functional decline due to post-polio syndrome, fatigue, pain, musculoskeletal disorders (e.g., arthritis, osteoporosis, fractures), and cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Approximately 64% report major falls, with 35% sustaining fractures, often at vulnerable sites such as the hip or distal femur. Psychological distress, sleep disturbances, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease are also prevalent, further compounding frailty. In Korea, where most survivors are now over 60 years of age, epidemiological patterns differ from those of Western cohorts; however, systematic investigations remain limited. Polio survivors exemplify the dual burden of aging and long-term disability, underscoring the need to move beyond fragmented, symptom-focused care toward integrated, life course–oriented approaches. Anticipating and managing late effects, strengthening preventive strategies, and ensuring equitable healthcare access are essential for maintaining function, independence, and quality of life. Lessons drawn from polio survivors offer valuable insights for understanding aging with disability more broadly.

Fragility fractures, particularly hip fractures, represent a major public health concern among older adults and are associated with high morbidity, mortality, functional decline, and socioeconomic burden. Cognitive impairment is common in older adults with hip fractures and contributes to increased fracture risk, poor postoperative outcomes, delayed recovery, and higher rates of institutionalization. This review aimed to examine rehabilitation strategies for older adults with hip fractures, with a specific focus on considerations for those with cognitive impairment. Evidence suggests that individuals with mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment can achieve meaningful functional gains through structured, intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs incorporating progressive resistance training, balance and mobility exercises, and individualized approaches tailored to cognitive and physical abilities. However, the implementation of such programs is often hindered by insufficient staff training and awareness in dementia-specific rehabilitation, limited resources, and the lack of standardized protocols defining eligibility, intensity, and adaptation. Optimizing outcomes requires structured, tailored rehabilitation protocols, enhanced staff education, interprofessional collaboration, and proactive management of delirium and secondary fracture prevention through fracture liaison services, while concurrently addressing systemic barriers such as resource constraints. Integrated, coordinated care across the continuum is essential to maximize recovery, independence, and quality of life in older adults with hip fractures and cognitive impairment.

Pediatric anesthesia presents unique challenges due to children’s distinct physiological and anatomical characteristics, including variations in drug metabolism, airway structure, and respiratory and circulatory regulation. Despite significant advances in patient safety that have reduced anesthesia-related mortality over recent decades, the declining pediatric population has made specialized training and clinical practice increasingly difficult. This narrative review addresses practical aspects of pediatric anesthesia, emphasizing patient monitoring, airway management, and recent clinical advances. Oxygen supply targets in children require careful titration to ensure adequate tissue oxygenation while avoiding oxygen toxicity and its associated complications, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity. Quantitative monitoring of neuromuscular blockade, such as with train-of-four stimulation, is essential to prevent postoperative respiratory complications. Temperature monitoring is equally critical in pediatric surgery because children and neonates are highly susceptible to intraoperative hypothermia. Airway management in infants and young children is complicated by anatomical differences, and while video laryngoscopy offers advantages, evidence for its benefits in neonates remains inconclusive. Extubation strategies must be individualized, taking into account risks such as laryngospasm and airway obstruction, as both deep and awake extubation have demonstrated comparable safety profiles. Emerging modalities, such as transfontanelle ultrasonography, provide real-time cerebral blood flow assessment and enhance perioperative brain monitoring. Regional anesthesia techniques in neonates and infants reduce exposure to general anesthetics and facilitate faster recovery but require meticulous technique and monitoring to ensure safety. Multidisciplinary collaboration and effective communication with parents are essential to achieving optimal outcomes.

Globally, rapid population aging—particularly in Korea—has extended life expectancy but not proportionally extended healthy life expectancy, resulting in longer periods of illness or disability and a higher demand for complex medical and social care. Therefore, prolonging healthy life and improving health-related quality of life have become primary objectives in geriatric medicine and rehabilitation. Geriatric rehabilitation is a critical intervention aimed at optimizing the functioning of older adults and pre-morbidly frail individuals who have lost independence due to acute illness or injury. For many older patients, the goal shifts from complete recovery to achieving a new equilibrium, maximizing autonomy despite greater dependency. Geriatric rehabilitation also targets key geriatric syndromes such as frailty, recognizing it as a dynamic and potentially reversible state that provides a crucial “time window” for intervention. This review summarizes the core principles and structural elements essential for geriatric rehabilitation, emphasizing the implementation challenges within the Korean healthcare system. Unlike the European consensus, which supports structured inpatient and outpatient services with seamless transitions of care guided by Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, the Korean healthcare system remains fragmented and heavily centered on acute hospitals. This highlights the urgent need for a systematic model to integrate care facilities and strengthen interprofessional collaboration to support community-based “aging in place.” Effective geriatric rehabilitation requires multidisciplinary teams and multifaceted approaches to optimize quality of life, social participation, and independent living. Despite its importance, substantial awareness gaps and policy barriers persist, underscoring an urgent call to action.

Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic disease with a rapidly increasing global prevalence. For this condition, non-pharmacological lifestyle modification is as important as pharmacological treatment. This review aims to comprehensively examine lifestyle prescriptions for diabetes across multiple domains to integrate current insights and understanding. In medical nutrition therapy, which is central to diabetes treatment and management, excessive carbohydrate intake should be restricted, while individualized consumption of high-quality carbohydrates, protein, and unsaturated fatty acids is recommended. Intake of added sugars and sodium should also be limited. Physical activity should similarly be tailored to the individual, with a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training recommended. Careful consideration of hypoglycemia risk and diabetes complications is essential. Additional strategies include limitations on uninterrupted sedentary time to less than 30 minutes, maintenance of a healthy body weight, smoking cessation, alcohol abstinence, sleep health improvements, and attention to psychosocial care. In primary care settings, patient-specific assessment, multidisciplinary lifestyle prescriptions, and education to support behavior modification are expected to play a pivotal role in the treatment and management of diabetes.

South Korea is experiencing a rapid demographic transition, with the proportion of older adults projected to exceed 20% by 2025. This unprecedented pace has intensified the demand for healthcare and social support, creating complex challenges in the management of multimorbidity, frailty, and functional dependency. Historically, Korea has relied on a rigid, provider-centered model, with healthcare financed through National Health Insurance and long-term care through long-term care insurance. Although these systems expanded service availability, they also entrenched fragmentation between long-term care hospitals and nursing homes. Recent reforms mark a paradigm shift toward person-centered, integrated care. The Community Care pilot programs (2019–2022) and the Integrated Community Care Support Act (2024) introduced coordinated models that link healthcare, housing, and social services under local government leadership. Evidence from domestic and international studies underscores the risks of prolonged institutionalization and highlights the benefits of integrated approaches, including reduced hospitalizations, improved functional independence, and higher satisfaction among older adults and their families. At the same time, experiences from Korea and Japan suggest that institutional care remains indispensable for individuals with high medical needs or at the end of life, emphasizing the need for balanced strategies. Successful implementation of the 2026 reforms will require redefining the role of institutions, expanding community-based alternatives, developing a professional care manager workforce, achieving interoperability of data systems, and undertaking financing reforms to align incentives. Beyond structural change, embedding a cultural ethos that values dignity, autonomy, and personhood will be essential. Korea’s evolving model not only responds to urgent demographic challenges but also offers lessons for other aging societies.

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), including large language models such as GPT-4 and image-generation tools like DALL-E, is rapidly transforming the landscape of medical education. These technologies present promising opportunities for advancing personalized learning, clinical simulation, assessment, curriculum development, and academic writing. Medical schools have begun incorporating GenAI tools to support students’ self-directed study, design virtual patient encounters, automate formative feedback, and streamline content creation. Preliminary evidence suggests improvements in engagement, efficiency, and scalability. However, GenAI integration also introduces substantial challenges. Key concerns include hallucinated or inaccurate content, bias and inequity in artificial intelligence (AI)-generated materials, ethical issues related to plagiarism and authorship, risks to academic integrity, and the potential erosion of empathy and humanistic values in training. Furthermore, most institutions currently lack formal policies, structured training, and clear guidelines for responsible GenAI use. To realize the full potential of GenAI in medical education, educators must adopt a balanced approach that prioritizes accuracy, equity, transparency, and human oversight. Faculty development, AI literacy among learners, ethical frameworks, and investment in infrastructure are essential for sustainable adoption. As the role of AI in medicine expands, medical education must evolve in parallel to prepare future physicians who are not only skilled users of advanced technologies but also compassionate, reflective practitioners.

Perioperative pain management has shifted from standardized, procedure-based protocols toward individualized, patient-centered approaches. Inadequate pain control can result in short-term adverse outcomes, including delayed ambulation, prolonged hospitalization, and increased complications, as well as long-term sequelae such as chronic persistent postsurgical pain. Early models of preemptive and preventive analgesia emphasized pain relief primarily through the use of opioids. Growing concern about opioid-related adverse effects established the basis for multimodal and opioid-sparing strategies. Nevertheless, with the onset of the global opioid crisis, heightened awareness of the risks of opioid overuse has fueled interest in opioid-free techniques. However, evidence does not demonstrate that opioid-free methods are superior to opioid-sparing approaches. This underscores the importance of returning to the central goals of enhanced recovery after surgery: early restoration of function and reduction of complications. Within this framework, personalized pain management has emerged as a practical paradigm that tailors interventions to individual characteristics, including comorbidities, psychological status, pain sensitivity, and recovery objectives. This review outlines the rationale, current practices, and future directions of personalized perioperative pain management and proposes a framework for integrating new strategies into clinical care.

The integration of regional anesthesia (RA) with general anesthesia (GA) has become a central component of multimodal strategies to improve perioperative pain management. This approach not only enhances analgesic efficacy but also reduces opioid requirements and mitigates opioid-related adverse effects. By targeting peripheral or neuraxial nociceptive pathways, RA attenuates the surgical stress response and decreases central sensitization, complementing the systemic actions of GA. The combined application of RA and GA has shown substantial benefits across a wide range of surgical procedures, including abdominal, thoracic, orthopedic, and pediatric operations. Reported advantages include improved hemodynamic stability, enhanced pulmonary function, earlier ambulation, faster gastrointestinal recovery, and greater patient satisfaction. Moreover, recent evidence indicates a positive association between effective postoperative pain control and long-term outcomes, such as reduced incidence of persistent postsurgical pain, better functional independence, and even improved immune function and survival following cancer surgery. The development of sustained-release local anesthetic delivery systems, which provide localized and prolonged analgesia, further extends the benefits of RA-GA integration into the postoperative period. This review summarizes the mechanistic rationale, clinical applications, and future directions of RA-GA combinations in modern surgical care, with special emphasis on their role in enhanced recovery after surgery protocols.