Kim Kyeong Jin, Ha Shin, Lee Yo Han, Noh Jung Hyun, Kim Sin Gon
Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Department of Public Health, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2018 Jun;33(2):268-272. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2018.33.2.268.
Past decades of division have led to substantial differences in medical environments between South and North Korea. However, little is known about North Korea's medical status and research field, especially regarding endocrinology. In this study, we report the characteristics of North Korea's articles regarding endocrine-related diseases.
Among the nine medical journals, articles published in Internal Medicine between 2006 and 2015 were reviewed. A total of 2,092 articles were included; among them, 96 articles were associated with endocrinology. We analyzed these articles according to the disease categories they focused on and evaluated their features.
Articles related to diabetes mellitus accounted for 55.2% (n=53) and those to thyroid disease accounted for 28.1% (n=27). Other disease categories, including adrenal gland (n=1), pituitary gland (n=1), and osteoporosis (n=3), comprised minor portions. Regarding diabetes mellitus, more than half the articles (n=33) focused on treatment and complications. Experimental studies were conducted with old hypoglycemic drugs or natural substances for the treatment of hyperglycemia. Regarding thyroid disease, articles related to hyperthyroidism were the most common (51.9%, n=14), followed by thyroid nodule/cancer (18.5%, n=5). Unique article features were short length, no figures, and less than five references.
North Korea's endocrinology articles mainly focused on diabetes mellitus and thyroid disease. Persistent studies have been carried out in North Korea with dedication despite the poor medical environment. We hope that this study will be the beginning of mutual medical exchange and collaboration between North and South Korea.
过去几十年的分裂导致朝鲜半岛南北双方的医疗环境存在巨大差异。然而，人们对朝鲜的医疗状况和研究领域知之甚少，尤其是在内分泌学方面。在本研究中，我们报告了朝鲜有关内分泌相关疾病文章的特点。
在九种医学期刊中，对2006年至2015年发表在内科医学领域的文章进行了综述。共纳入2092篇文章；其中，96篇与内分泌学相关。我们根据这些文章所关注的疾病类别对其进行分析，并评估其特点。
与糖尿病相关的文章占55.2%（n = 53），与甲状腺疾病相关的文章占28.1%（n = 27）。其他疾病类别，包括肾上腺（n = 1）、垂体（n = 1）和骨质疏松症（n = 3），所占比例较小。关于糖尿病，超过半数的文章（n = 33）关注治疗和并发症。使用旧的降糖药物或天然物质进行了治疗高血糖的实验研究。关于甲状腺疾病，与甲状腺功能亢进相关的文章最为常见（51.9%，n = 14），其次是甲状腺结节/癌症（18.5%，n = 5）。文章的独特特点是篇幅短、无图表且参考文献少于五篇。
朝鲜的内分泌学文章主要关注糖尿病和甲状腺疾病。尽管医疗环境不佳，但朝鲜仍坚持不懈地开展研究。我们希望本研究将成为朝鲜半岛南北双方医学交流与合作的开端。
