MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected through medical records and interview sessions with patients on current pharmacotherapy for hypertension management at baseline and 2-3 months later. Results are expressed as mean ± SD for continuous data and as frequencies and percentages for categorical data.
RESULTS: Among 182 recruited patients, 89 (49%) achieved BP control by the end of the study. Majority (62/89) patients were on single-pill (monotherapy or SPC) antihypertensives. Majority (63/89) required more than two antihypertensives to achieve BP control.
CONCLUSION: Both SPC and free drug combination antihypertensives reduced BPs, but physicians preferred SPC to improve BP control and increase treatment compliance.
METHODS: The quasi-experimental study with single-blinded parallel groups will comprise subjects from two civil departments. The intervention group will be required to conduct 2 days of fasting and 5 days of ad libitum diet in a week, while the control group will follow the usual healthy lifestyle. The largest sample size will be taken to achieve a power of 80% and an alpha value of 5%. Based on the 30% attrition rate, the total sample size needed in the study will be 140 participants, with 70 in each of the two arms. This study will use SPSS 24 for statistical analysis.
DISCUSSION: The study describes a unique protocol of intermittent fasting mimicking the Muslim Sunnah of fasting among people with elevated blood pressure. The findings will contribute to decrease blood pressure among those with elevated blood pressure. If proven to be effective, the intermittent fasting method would be useful for developing an effective programme to prevent elevated blood pressure among adults. The protocol will contribute to efforts to find whether or not intermittent fasting can improve elevated blood pressure as well as body weight, body mass index, waist circumference and nutrition status among adults.
CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: The study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04953650).
METHODS: This was a prospective observational study carried out at a tertiary referral centre. POAG patients on topical antiglaucoma medications and planned for phaco-ECP were recruited. WDT was performed before surgery and 6 weeks postoperatively by drinking 10 mL/kg of water in 5 min followed by serial IOP by Goldmann applanation tonometry measurements at 15, 30, 45, and 60 min. Mean IOP, IOP fluctuation (difference between highest and lowest IOP), IOP reduction, and factors affecting IOP fluctuation were analysed.
RESULTS: Twenty eyes from 17 patients were included. Baseline IOP was similar before (14.7 ± 2.7 mm Hg) and after (14.8 ± 3.4 mm Hg, p = 0.90) surgery. There was no difference in mean IOP (17.6 ± 3.4 mm Hg vs. 19.3 ± 4.7 mm Hg pre- and postoperative, respectively, p = 0.26) or peak IOP (19.37 ± 3.74 mm Hg vs. 21.23 ± 5.29 mm Hg, p = 0.25), albeit a significant reduction in IOP-lowering medications (2.2 ± 1.15 vs. 0.35 ± 0.93, p < 0.001) postoperatively. IOP fluctuation was significantly greater (6.4 ± 3.2 mm Hg vs. 4.6 ± 2.1 mm Hg, p = 0.015) with more eyes having significant IOP fluctuation of ≥6 mm Hg (11 eyes [55%] vs. 4 eyes [20%], p < 0.001) postoperatively. Factors that were significantly associated with increased postoperative IOP fluctuations were higher preoperative IOP fluctuation (β = 0.69, 95% CI 0.379-1.582, p = 0.004) and more number of postoperative antiglaucoma medications (β = 0.627, 95% CI 0.614-3.322, p = 0.008).
CONCLUSION: Reducing aqueous production with phaco-ECP does not eliminate IOP fluctuation in POAG patients. The increase in postoperative IOP fluctuation suggests increased outflow resistance after phaco-ECP.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, including 24-hour ocular perfusion pressure and risk of progression in patients with baseline central VF defect, as compared with those with peripheral VF defect in NTG.
DESIGN: This was a prospective, longitudinal study.
METHODS: A total of 65 NTG patients who completed 5 years of follow-up were included in this study. All the enrolled patients underwent baseline 24-hour intraocular pressure and blood pressure monitoring via 2-hourly measurements in their habitual position and had ≥5 reliable VF tests during the 5-year follow-up. Patients were assigned to two groups on the basis of VF defect locations at baseline, the central 10 degrees, and the peripheral 10- to 24-degree area. Modified Anderson criteria were used to assess global VF progression over 5 years. Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare the elapsed time of confirmed VF progression in the two groups. Hazard ratios for the association between clinical risk factors and VF progression were obtained by using Cox proportional hazards models.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the patients with baseline central and peripheral VF defects in terms of demography, clinical, ocular and systemic hemodynamic factors. Eyes with baseline defects involving the central fields progressed faster (difference: βcentral=-0.78 dB/y, 95% confidence interval=-0.22 to -1.33, P=0.007) and have 3.56 times higher hazard of progressing (95% confidence interval=1.17-10.82, P=0.025) than those with only peripheral defects.
CONCLUSION: NTG patients with baseline central VF involvement are at increased risk of progression compared with those with peripheral VF defect.