Retinal Neurodegeneration in Diabetic Patients Without Diabetic Retinopathy

PURPOSE: To compare the thickness of all retinal layers between a nondiabetic group and diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR). METHODS: Cross-sectional study, in which all subjects underwent an ophthalmic examination including optical coherence tomography. After automatic retinal segmentation, each retinal layer thickness (eight separate layers and overall thickness) was calculated in all nine Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) areas. The choroidal thickness (CT) also was measured at five locations. Generalized additive regression models were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 175 patients were recruited, 50 nondiabetic subjects and 125 diabetic patients without DR, stratified into three groups according to diabetes duration: group I (10 years, n = 31). Overall, groups I and III of diabetic patients had a decrease in the photoreceptor layer (PR) thickness, when compared with the nondiabetic subjects in six ETDRS areas (P < 0.0007). Patients with more recent diagnosis (group I) had thinner PR than those with moderate duration (group II). Interestingly, patients with longer known disease (group III) had the thinnest PR values. There were no overall differences in the remaining retinal parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal thickness profile is not linear throughout disease duration. Even in the absence of funduscopic disease, PR layer in diabetic patients seems to differ from nondiabetic subjects, thus suggesting that some form of neurodegeneration may take place before clinical signs of vascular problems arise.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Retina and Choroid of Diabetic Patients Without Observed Retinal Vascular Changes: A Longitudinal Study

PURPOSE: To identify changes in choroidal thickness (CT) and all retinal layers of diabetic patients without diabetic retinopathy (DR) after 1 year of follow-up. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. METHODS: Overall, 125 diabetic patients without DR were included. Two visits were scheduled: the first visit (V1) and a second visit after 12 months (V2). At both visits, patients received a complete ophthalmologic evaluation that included OCT. Each retinal layer thickness was calculated for 9 ETDRS sectors, and CT was measured at 13 locations. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used. RESULTS: Of the 125 patients, 103 completed the study, and 9 of the 103 developed DR (8.7%). CT was significantly higher at V2 than at V1, with an average value of 10-17 μm at almost half the locations (500, 1000, and 1500 μm temporal; 500 and 1000 μm nasal; and 1000 μm superior to the fovea) (P < .001-.003). The thicknesses of the ganglion cell layer (I3 and N6 sectors), inner plexiform layer (S6 and N6 sectors), inner nuclear layer (T6 and N6 sectors), and outer plexiform layer (S6 sector), as well as the overall retinal thickness (RT) (S3, N3, I3, S6, and T6 sectors), were decreased at V2 (P < .001). Visible retinopathy was negatively associated with overall RT (central, S3, T3, I3, and N3 sectors, P = .004-.024) and the thickness of the ONL (T6 and I6 sectors, P = .007 and P = .009) and photoreceptor layer (N6 sector, P = .038). The presence of DR decreased the overall RT by 13.04-16.63 μm. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients without DR showed a thicker choroid and a thinner retina, particularly in inner layers, after 1 year of follow-up. These structural changes may correspond to the early neurodegenerative phase of DR.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

First Incidence and Progression Study for Diabetic Retinopathy in Portugal, the RETINODIAB Study: Evaluation of the Screening Program for Lisbon Region

PURPOSE: To estimate the 5-year incidence and progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR) among persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). DESIGN: Population-based, prospective, cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: The RETINODIAB (Study Group for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening) program was implemented in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley area between July 2009 and December 2014. A total of 109 543 readable screening examinations were performed and corresponded to 56 903 patients who attended the screening program at entry. A total of 30 641 patients (53.85%) had at least 1 further screening event within the study period and were included in the analysis. METHODS: Participants underwent two 45° nonstereoscopic retinal digital photographs per eye according to RETINODIAB protocol. All images were graded according to the International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Scale. Referable diabetic retinopathy (RDR) was defined for all patients graded as moderate nonproliferative DR (NPDR), severe NPDR, or proliferative DR (PDR), with or without maculopathy or mild NPDR with maculopathy. Nonparametric estimates of the annual and cumulative incidences were obtained by Turnbull's estimator. Associations between the potential risk factors and the time to onset/progression of retinopathy were assessed through a parametric survival analysis for interval-censored data. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The authors estimated the onset and progression incidence rates of DR. RESULTS: Yearly incidence of any DR in patients without retinopathy at baseline was 4.60% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.96-4.76) in the first year, decreasing to 3.87% (95% CI, 2.57-5.78) in the fifth year. In participants with mild NPDR at baseline, the progression rate to RDR in year 1 was 1.18% (95% CI, 0.96-1.33). Incidence of any DR and RDR and DR progression rate were associated with known duration of diabetes, age at diagnosis, and use of insulin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This longitudinal epidemiologic study provides the first Portuguese incidence DR data in a large-scale population-based cohort of type 2 diabetes after a 5-year follow-up. Duration of diabetes, age at diagnosis, and insulin treatment were associated with increasing risk of incidence and progression of DR. A personalized schedule distribution of screening intervals according to the individual patient's profile should be implemented, with resulting benefits in terms of health costs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Distribution and Etiology of Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Primary Healthcare Departments in Cape Verde

Data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) are scarce or unavailable in most African countries. We aimed to determine the prevalence of CRD and associated risk factors in Cape Verde, at the primary healthcare level

Parenteral Nutrition-Associated Cholestasis and Triglyceridemia in Surgical Term and Near-Term Neonates: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Mixed Intravenous Lipid Emulsions

BACKGROUND: Cholestasis is a common complication in infants receiving prolonged parenteral nutrition (PN). We studied the effects of two intravenous lipid emulsions composed with either 30% soybean oil, 30% medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), 25% olive oil, and 15% fish oil (SMOF) or with 50% MCT and 50% soybean oil n-6 (MCT/SOY) on the incidence of cholestasis in surgical term and near-term neonates. METHODS: A single-center, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial compared the incidence of cholestasis using either SMOF or MCT/SOY in neonates born at gestational age ≥34 weeks undergoing major surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of conjugated serum bilirubin >1 mg/dL. Other liver enzymes were assessed as secondary outcomes. A post-hoc analysis assessed serum triglycerides levels. Odds ratios were estimated by mixed-effects regression models. RESULTS: Enrollment was prematurely interrupted because the MCT/SOY became unavailable, thus 49 infants (SMOF 22, MCT/SOY 27) completed the study. The exposure (time on PN, cumulative dose of lipids) was similar in both groups. Similar cumulative incidence rates were found for elevated conjugated bilirubinemia and other liver enzymes. Hypertriglyceridemia >250 mg/dL (12/49) was more frequent in MCT/SOY (37.0%, 95% CI 21.53-55.77) than in SMOF (9.1%, 95% CI 2.53-27.81, p = 0.024). Triglyceridemia at the first assessment (median 8 postnatal days) was significantly higher with MCT/SOY than with SMOF (181 vs. 134 mg/dL, p = 0.006). Over the whole study period, mean triglyceride concentration was 36.5 mg/dL higher with MCT/SOY compared with SMOF (p = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Both emulsions had similar effects on the incidence of cholestasis and markers of liver integrity, but MCT/SOY induced higher serum triglyceride concentrations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Influence of Thermal Comfort on the Quality of Life of Nursing Home Residents

Thermal comfort (TC) parameters were measured in 130 rooms from nursing homes (NH), following ISO 7730:2005 in order to evaluate the influence of winter season TC indices on quality of life (QoL) in older individuals. Mean radiant temperature (mrT), predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percent of dissatisfied people (PPD) indices, and the respective measurement uncertainties were calculated using Monte Carlo Method. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was conducted from September 2012 to April 2013, during the winter season TC sampling campaign. Winter PMV and PPD indices showed significant differences between seasons in median values for comfort. There were also significant differences between seasons for air temperature, air velocity, mrT, and relative humidity. The winter PMV index displayed a “slightly cool” [≤−1] to “cool” [≤−2] in thermal sensation scale [−3 to 3]. PPD index reflected this discomfort as evidenced by a high rate of predicted dissatisfied occupants (64%). The influence of winter season TC on older individual QoL results demonstrated that values of PMV above −0.7 had higher mean score of QoL (coefficient estimate: 11.13 units) compared with values of PMV below −0.7. These findings are of relevance to public health and may be useful for understanding NH indoor environment variables thus implementing preventive policies in terms of standards and guidelines for these susceptible populations.This work was supported by GERIA Project (www.geria.webnode.com): PTDC/SAU-SAP/116563/2010 and a PhD Grant (SFRH/BD/72399/2010) from Foundation for Science and Technology (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCT) through Operational Competitiveness Programme (COMPETE) as part of the National Strategic Reference Framework. SB work was supported by a grant funded by AIRC (Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro)

Valor prognóstico da proteína-c reativa às 24 horas após a admissão hospitalar na pancreatite aguda: um estudo coorte retrospetivo

Introduction: C-reactive protein (CRP) and Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) have been used in early risk assessment of patients with AP. Objectives: We evaluated prognostic accuracy of CRP at 24 hours after hospital admission (CRP24) for in-hospital mortality (IM) in AP individually and with BISAP. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 134 patients with AP from a Portuguese hospital in 2009---2010. Prognostic accuracy assessment used area under receiver---operating characteristic curve (AUC), continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: Thirteen percent of patients had severe AP, 26% developed pancreatic necrosis, and 7% died during index hospital stay. AUCs for CRP24 and BISAP individually were 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.65---0.95) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.59---0.95), respectively. No patients with CRP24 <60 mg/l died (P = 0.027; negative predictive value 100% (95% CI 92.3---100%)). AUC for BISAP plus CRP24 was 0.81 (95% CI 0.65---0.97). Change in NRI nonevents (42.4%; 95% CI, 24.9---59.9%) resulted in positive overall NRI (31.3%; 95% CI, − 36.4% to 98.9%), but IDI nonevents was negligible (0.004; 95% CI, − 0.007 to 0.014). Conclusions: CRP24 revealed good prognostic accuracy for IM in AP; its main role may be the selection of lowest risk patients.Introdução: A proteína-C reativa (CRP) e o Bedside Index for Severity in Acute Pancreatitis (BISAP) têm sido usados na avaliação de risco precoce de doentes com pancreatite aguda (AP). Objectivos: Nós avaliámos o valor prognóstico da CRP às 24 horas após a admissão hospitalar (CRP24) na mortalidade intrahospitalar (IM) na AP, individualmente e com o BISAP. Materiais e Métodos: Este estudo coorte retrospetivo incluiu 134 doentes com AP de um hos- pital português em 2009---2010. A acuidade prognóstica foi avaliada usando a área debaixo da receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), o continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), e o integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Resultados: Treze por cento dos doentes tiveram AP grave, 26% desenvolveram necrose pan- creática, e 7% morreram durante a hospitalização índice. As AUCs da CRP24 e do BISAP individualmente foram 0,80 (intervalo de confiança (IC) 95%, 0,65---0,95) e 0,77 (IC 95%, 0,59---0,95), respectivamente. Nenhum doente com CRP24 <60 mg/l morreu (P = 0,027; valor predictivo negativo 100% (IC 95%, 92,3---100%)). A AUC para o BISAP mais a CRP24 foi 0,81 (IC 95%, 0,65---0,97). A mudança no NRI-não-eventos (42,4%; IC 95%, 24,9---59,9%) resultou num NRI- total positivo (31,3%; IC 95%, − 36,4 a 98,9%), mas num IDI-não-eventos negligenciável (0,004; IC 95%, − 0,007 a 0,014). Conclusões: A CRP24 revelou um valor prognóstico bom para a mortalidade intrahospitalar na AP; o seu papel principal poderá ser a selecção dos doentes de menor risco

The Impact of Ischemia Assessed by Magnetic Resonance on Functional, Arrhythmic, and Imaging Features of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Aims: The aim of the study is to investigate the association between the degree of ischemia due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) and the left ventricular (LV) tissue characteristics, systolic performance, and clinical manifestations in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and Results: This prospective study enrolled 75 patients with HCM without obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease. Each patient underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) including parametric mapping, perfusion imaging during regadenoson-induced hyperemia, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) and three-dimensional longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains analysis. Electrocardiogram, 24-h Holter recording, and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) were performed to assess arrhythmias and functional capacity. In total, 47 (63%) patients were men with the mean age of 54.6 (14.8) years, 51 (68%) patients had non-obstructive HCM, maximum wall thickness (MWT) was 20.2 (4.6) mm, LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was 71.6 (8.3%), and ischemic burden was 22.5 (16.9%) of LV. Greater MWT was associated with the severity of ischemia (β-estimate:1.353, 95% CI:0.182; 2.523, p = 0.024). Ischemic burden was strongly associated with higher values of native T1 (β-estimate:9.018, 95% CI:4.721; 13.315, p 15% (AUC 0.766, sensitivity 0.724, specificity 0.659). Ischemia was also associated with atrial fibrillation or flutter (AF/AFL) (OR-estimate:1.481, 95% CI:1.020; 2.152, p = 0.039), but no association was seen for non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. Ischemia was associated with shorter time to anaerobic threshold (β-estimate: -0.442, 95% CI: -0.860; -0.023, p = 0.039). Conclusion: In HCM, ischemia associates with morphological markers of severity of disease, fibrosis, arrhythmia, and functional capacity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio