10 research outputs found
Impact of Ramadan fasting on intraocular pressure, visual acuity and refractive errors
Introduction: Fasting evidently influences a variety
of physiological parameters that can impact the
ocular system. Among these modifications are
alterations in insulin secretion, sympathetic
activity, free fatty acids, lipid profile, melatonin,
cortisol, electrolytes and catecholamines. In this
study, we investigated the possible alterations
in intraocular pressure (10P), visual acuity and
refractive errors during Ramadan fasting.
Methods: 10P, visual acuity and refractive errors
of both eyes of volunteers were measured on the
first and last days of Ramadan (once in the morning
and evening). Body weight was measured so as to
estimate the amount of dehydration. Data from
the two examinations was analysed using one-way
analysis of variance. A p -value of less than 0.05 was
considered statistically significant.
Results: 58 healthy, fasting male volunteers with
a mean age of 40.7 +/- 7.1 years participated in
the study. Statistical analysis demonstrated no
difference in 10P, visual acuity or refractive errors
on the first and last days of Ramadan, or within a
single day (from morning to evening).
Conclusion: Our results reveal that Islamic
Ramadan fasting does not profoundly affect
physiological 10P, refractive error or visual acuity
values in healthy volunteers. However, more
detailed investigations using animal models should
be designed to evaluate whether fasting has a
pivotal influence on pathological conditions.
Keywords: body weight, intraocular pressure,
Ramadan fasting, refractive errors, visual acuit
Serum Levels of Vitamin D in Diabetic Patients with and Without Retinopathy
Purpose: To evaluate the levels of vitamin D in the serum of diabetic patients with and without diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Methods: Thirty patients with DR and thirty diabetic patients without retinopathy were included in this cross-sectional study. Based on ophthalmic examination, patients with DR were categorized into having non-proliferative retinopathy (NPDR) and proliferative retinopathy (PDR). Patients were tested for Fasting blood sugar (FBS), hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C), 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25 (OH) D), and creatinine levels in the serum, and for urine protein. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as a serum 25 (OH) D level < 20 ng/mL.
Results: We found that all diabetic patients had mild vitamin D deficiency (serum 25 (OH) D level = 10–20 ng/mL). The mean serum 25 (OH) D concentration in patients with DR was lower than in those without DR (12.10 ± 14.62 ng/mL vs 15.61 ± 9.40 ng/mL, respectively, P = 0.012). Trace or more proteinuria was frequently present in patients with DR than in those without DR (56% in DR vs 30% in non-DR; P = 0.037). There were no significant differences in the FBS, HbA1C, and serum creatinine levels between patients with or without retinopathy.
Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that patients with DR had lower levels of serum vitamin D compared with those without retinopathy
Comment on “Olfactory Function Assessment of Blind Subjects Using the Sniffin’ Sticks Test”
The efficacy of intravitreal interferon alpha-2b for the treatment of experimental endotoxin-induced uveitis
Purpose: To study the efficacy of intravitreal interferon alpha-2b for endotoxin-induced uveitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 36 rabbits were randomly allocated to one of the three groups: (1) received interferon plus balanced-salt solution; (2) received lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon; and (3) received LPS plus balanced-salt solution. Intraocular inflammation was evaluated by slit-lamp biomicroscopy (standardization of uveitis nomenclature grading), binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) score, and histopathology. Results: Group 2 showed significantly lower mean (±standard deviation) anterior chamber reaction than Group 3 (3.1 ± 0.9 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4) on day 1 postinjection, lower vitreous cells on days 1 through 7 (day 1: 3.1 ± 0.9 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4; day 3: 2.1 ± 1.6 vs. 3.8 ± 0.4; day 7: 1.9 ± 1.3 vs. 3.6 ± 0.7), and lower BIO score on days 1-7 (day 1: 3.3 ± 1.2 vs. 4.4 ± 0.7; day 3: 3.0 ± 1.4 vs. 4.3 ± 0.9; day 7: 2.4 ± 1.4 vs. 3.7 ± 1.2). The protein content of anterior and vitreous aspirates was lower in Group 2 than 3 (1618.5 ± 411.4 vs. 2567.3 ± 330.8 and 2157.0 ± 283.3 vs. 3204.6 ± 259.5, respectively). Conclusion: Intravitreal interferon alpha-2b was effective in controlling endotoxin-induced uveitis