Sex differences in medicine
In a previous editorial [
1], I emphasized the
Ewha Medical Journal’s gender equity policy. In this
issue, Dr. Na-Young Kim, a gastroenterologist at Seoul National University, curated
a special section on the topic of sex differences in medicine. She assembled one
original and five review articles. Among these, "Health of Korean sexual and
gender minorities: a narrative review of quantitative studies" by So et al.
[
2] is an outstanding article that
provides a comprehensive overview of the health of LGBTQIA+ individuals, covering a
range of identities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning,
intersex, asexual, and other diverse groups. This article is unprecedented in the
Korean medical literature. Individuals who belong to sexual and gender minorities in
Korea face significant mental health challenges. The review highlights their high
rates of depression and anxiety, as well as elevated prevalence rates of suicidal
thoughts, planning, and attempts. Furthermore, these individuals report a lower
perceived health-related quality of life than the general population. Sexual
minorities who experience discrimination or are pressured to change their sexual
orientation or gender identity are at an even higher risk of mental health
issues.
The study by Choi et al. suggests that sex differences exist in the impact of obesity
on the development of gastric cancer, with a positive association between excess
body weight and an increased risk of gastric cancer in Koreans, particularly in
highly obese men [
3].
This issue of the journal contains reviews on various topics, including sex
differences in metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease, sex differences
in coronary atherogenesis, research on sex differences in neuroscience, and sex bias
in autism spectrum disorder using preclinical rodent models. All these topics
concerning sex differences in medicine are expected to engage both Korean and
international readers.
Regarding diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the target population of medical
research, sexual and gender minorities often receive primary attention. Other groups
in Korea, such as immigrants, disabled persons, and prisoners, also merit
consideration. I plan to continue addressing issues concerning these groups in
Ewha Medical Journal.
Deep learning and generative artificial intelligence platform
The article by Choi et al. [
4] on the accurate
prediction of pediatric bone age using deep learning demonstrated that “the
deep learning-based Korean model exhibited higher bone age prediction accuracy than
conventional methods, a crucial advancement for accurate growth assessment and
clinical decision-making.” These results can be applied to deep learning
algorithms for estimating bone age.
Baik and Lee discussed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in general surgery
[
5]. They analyzed published research to
clarify the potential applications of AI in this field. Their findings indicate that
the implementation of AI in the preoperative stage is becoming feasible, although
its use in the operating room requires further investigation. They recommend
developing AI tools specifically for general surgery, which can be achieved by
promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and leveraging insights from successful AI
applications in other fields.
Since AI has become an indispensable tool in medical care and education, submissions
focusing on the use or development of AI are welcomed.
Public health
Lee et al. [
6] published a high-quality
systematic review on the relationship between exposure to air pollution and
precocious puberty. They noted that “most studies suggest that exposure to
air pollutants accelerates pubertal development; however, the results from the
available studies are inconsistent.” Dr. Eunhee Ha, the corresponding author
of this systematic review, currently serves as the dean of Ewha Womans University
College of Medicine. She is recognized globally as an outstanding researcher in
environmental medicine. I am pleased to publish her excellent research findings.
Mr. Seokmin Lee, an officer at the Statistics Research Institute, Statistics Korea,
published an article with up-to-date comprehensive data on drug-induced deaths in
Korea from 2011 to 2021 [
7]. In 2021, Korea
exhibited a staggering 172.7% increase in drug-induced deaths compared to 2011, with
the number rising from 205 to 559 cases. The rate of drug-induced deaths per 100,000
population also increased dramatically by 153.6%, from 0.4 in 2011 to 1.1 in 2021.
Although the rate of drug-induced deaths in Korea (1.1 per 100,000) remains
relatively low compared to that of the United States (29.2 per 100,000), this cause
of mortality has been on an alarming upward trend in recent years. Notably,
drug-induced deaths disproportionately impact younger demographics, and a
significant proportion involves intentional self-harm. This data will be an
essential source for research in this field. I anticipate further submissions from
the officers of the Statistics Research Institute in the future.
One of the most striking articles in the issue may be the study by Lee et al. [
8] at the Infectious Disease Research Center,
Seoul Metropolitan Government, entitled “Using an influenza epidemic
threshold different from those in the United States and Europe caused longer
epidemic periods in Korea during the 2018–2019, 2019–2020, and
2022–2023 seasons: a comparative study.” The authors pointed out that
“a low influenza epidemic threshold may have contributed to this long
influenza epidemic period declared in 2022 and has continued until late 2023 in
Korea” based on their comparison of the seasonal influenza epidemic
thresholds in Korea, the United States, and Europe. These findings could potentially
influence the Korean government's epidemic threshold, which is crucial for
predicting and preventing influenza epidemics.
It has been seven months since I accepted the position of editor-in-chief in response
to an offer from the Dean, Dr. Eunhee Ha, in September 2023. The primary challenge
in publishing this institutional journal has been the shortage of submissions.
Therefore, I have made significant efforts to attract submissions from renowned
medical researchers in Korea. The April issue marks the fourth issue I have edited
for this journal. The number of articles has reached a satisfactory level and meets
the eligibility criteria for evaluation by major literature databases. Regarding the
quality of the articles, I have endeavored to maintain or surpass the minimum
quality standards required by these databases.
I appreciate the authors who contributed to this issue for submitting high-quality
articles and case reports. I believe these papers will serve as exciting resources
for medical researchers, as well as for graduate and undergraduate medical
students.
Authors' contributions
-
All work was done by Sun Huh.
Conflict of interest
-
Sun Huh has been the editor of the Ewha Medical Journal since
September 2023. However, he was not involved in the peer review process or
decision-making. Otherwise, no potential conflict of interest relevant to this
article was reported.
Funding
-
Not applicable.
Data availability
-
Not applicable.
Acknowledgments
Not applicable.
Supplementary materials
-
Not applicable.
References
- 1. Huh S. Gender equity in medical journals in Korea and this
issue. Ewha Med J 2024;47(1):e1.
- 2. So H, Kim S, Lee SY. Health of Korean sexual and gender minorities health: a narrative
review of quantitative studies. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e14.
- 3. Choi Y, Jang J, Kim N. Effect of body mass index on gastric cancer risks according to
sex in Korea: a nationwide cohort study and literature
review. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e19.
- 4. Choi DH, Ahn SH, Lee R. An accurate pediatric bone age prediction model using deep
learning and contrast conversion. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e23.
- 5. Baik SM, Lee RA. What is the role of artificial intelligence in general
surgery? Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e22.
- 6. Lee R, Oh J, Mun E, Choi JE, Kim KH, Lee JH, et al. Exposure to air pollution and precocious puberty: a systematic
review. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e20.
- 7. Lee S. Drug-induced death statistics in Korea between 2011 and
2021. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e27.
- 8. Lee J, Huh S, Seo H. Using an influenza epidemic threshold different from those in the
United States and Europe causes longer epidemic periods in Korea during the
2018–2019, 2019–2020, and 2022–2023 seasons: a
comparative study. Ewha Med J 2024;47(2):e24.
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