Biological profiles of Korean atomic bomb survivors in residence at Daegu and Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea

Hyung Joon Jhun, Byoung Gwon Kim, Jong Tae Park, Su Young Kim, Bon Min Koo, Jin Kook Kim

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In 1945, many Koreans, in addition to Japanese, were killed or injured by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. This study compared the biological profiles of Korean atomic bomb survivors in residence at Daegu and Kyungbuk, Republic of Korea with those of a representative sample of Koreans obtained during a similar period. We evaluated anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, blood cell counts, blood chemistry, and urinalysis of survivors (n=414) and age- and sex-matched controls (n=414) recruited from the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted in 2005. Univariate analyses revealed significantly higher systolic blood pressure, white blood cell count, and serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and aspartate aminotransferase levels (p<0.01) in the survivors. Conversely, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, red blood cell count, and the proportion of positive urine occult blood (p<0.01) were lower in the survivors. Our findings suggest that biological profiles of Korean atomic bomb survivors were adversely affected by radiation exposure.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1090-1093
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Korean medical science
Volume23
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008 Dec
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Nuclear warfare
  • Radiation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine(all)

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