METHODS: A prospective study was carried out on 32 healthy subjects (control group) and 60 diabetic patients. The diabetic patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised of 30 patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) and group 2 had 30 patients with mild non-proliferative DR. A full-threshold microperimetry of the central 10° of retina (the macula) was performed on all subjects, utilizing 32 points with the MP-1. The relationship between light sensitivity and HbA1c value was calculated using linear regression analysis.
RESULTS: Total mean sensitivity at 10° for group 1 without DR, group 2 with mild NPDR and control group were 18.67±0.83, 17.98±1.42 and 19.45±0.34 (dB), respectively. There was a significant difference in total mean retinal sensitivity at 10° between the 3 groups (F(2,89)=18.14, p=0.001). A simple linear regression was calculated to predict HbA1c based on retinal sensitivity. A significant regression equation was found (F(1,90)=107.61, p=0.0001, with an R2 of 0.545). The linear regression analysis revealed that there was a 0.64dB decline in mean retinal sensitivity within the central 10° diameter with an increase of 1mmHg of HbA1c.
CONCLUSION: Retinal sensitivity at the central 10° of the macula is affected by changes in HbA1c values.
METHODS: Diabetic rats were treated orally with the vehicle or the ginger extract (75 mg/kg/day) over a period of 24 weeks along with regular monitoring of bodyweight and blood glucose and weekly fundus photography. At the end of the 24-week treatment, the retinas were isolated for histopathological examination under a light microscope, transmission electron microscopy, and determination of the retinal tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels.
RESULTS: Oral administration of the ginger extract resulted in significant reduction of hyperglycemia, the diameter of the retinal vessels, and vascular basement membrane thickness. Improvement in the architecture of the retinal vasculature was associated with significantly reduced expression of NF-κB and reduced activity of TNF-α and VEGF in the retinal tissue in the ginger extract-treated group compared to the vehicle-treated group.
CONCLUSIONS: The current study showed that ginger extract containing 5% of 6-gingerol attenuates the retinal microvascular changes in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes through anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic actions. Although precise molecular targets remain to be determined, 6-gingerol seems to be a potential candidate for further investigation.
DESIGN: Secondary analysis on Malaysian Cataract Surgery Registry data.
METHODS: The Malaysian Cataract Surgery Registry, a MOH-initiated registry, collects data on patients who had cataract surgery at the 36 MOH ophthalmology departments including demography, causes of cataract, systemic and ocular comorbidity, preoperative visual acuity (VA), operative details, and postoperative outcomes. This article reviews data on patient profiles from 2002 to 2004 and 2007 to 2011.
RESULTS: The coverage of cataract surgery was 91.5% (171,482/185,388). Mean patient age was 64.5 years, and 51.6% were women. A high proportion of patients had hypertension (48.9%), diabetes mellitus (37.1%), and diabetic retinopathy (10.7%). Most had senile cataract (93.4%) and one third had second eye surgery. Most patients (82.0%) had preoperative unaided VA of worse than 6/12. Eyes presenting with unaided VA of worse than 3/60 decreased from 62.6% in 2002 to 47.7% in 2011, whereas those with 6/18 to 3/60 increased from 35.2% to 48.5% (P < 0.001). Patients who had extracapsular cataract extraction had worse preoperative VA than those who had phacoemulsification (81.3% vs 40% had vision worse than 3/60).
CONCLUSIONS: The obvious change in patient profiles was the decreasing number of eyes presenting with worse than 3/60 vision. Compared with developed countries, patients who had cataract surgery at MOH hospitals in Malaysia were younger and had higher associations with diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy.
METHODS: Secondary analysis was carried out on data collected by the Grand Challenge Project among older adults aged ≥65 years from Selangor. Data on sociodemographic information, medical history, cognitive function and functional performance were obtained through face-to-face interviews using standardized questionnaires. Visual acuity was measured using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) chart while hearing was assessed using pure-tone audiometry. Descriptive analysis was used to measure the prevalence of the impairments, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors.
RESULTS: The prevalence of dual sensory impairment and hearing impairment were at 10.5% and 76.2% respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that participants with lower cognitive scores were associated with dual sensory impairment (odds ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.83-0.98), while smoking was found associated with hearing impairment (odds ratio, 6.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.51-28.65).
CONCLUSION: Dual sensory impairment is common among older adults in Selangor. The association between dual sensory impairment and cognitive function suggests the need to have visual and hearing screening on older adults for early detection particularly those at risk of cognitive impairment. The prevalence of hearing impairment was reported high among older adults and smokers appeared to be at higher risk of the impairment. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 911-916.