Suprachoroidal drainage of aqueous humour with a novel implant: Suprajet

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new implant, Suprajet(VSY Biotechnology, Istanbul, Turkey), which is developed for supraciliary and suprachoroidal drainage of aqueous humour.METHODS: Five rabbits were included in the study. One Suprajet shunt was implanted in one eye of each rabbit. Implantation was performed by a superior clear corneal incision through the anterior chamber into the suprachoroidal space. Proximal end of the implant was placed in the iris root resting against the scleral spur, distal end was placed in the suprachoroidal space. Rabbits were followed for 4wk. Preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressure(IOP)levels were measured with Tonopen AVIA. At last follow-up visit animals were sacrificed and eyes were enucleated. Macroscopic and histopathologic evaluation of the eyes were made. RESULTS: Mean preoperative IOP was 18.6±6.1 mmHg. Mean postoperative IOP was 8.4±1.1 mmHg, at one week. At the 2nd week of the follow-up period one rabbit died. Thereafter, only 4 rabbits were followed. Mean postoperative IOP was 11.0±2.8 mmHg at the 2nd week, 9.50±3.1 mmHg at the 3rd week and 11.3 ±3.3 mmHg at 4th week after the operation. When mean preoperative IOP was compared with the postoperative IOP values, only the IOP at the first week was found as significantly lower(P=0.042). There was no statistically significant difference between mean preoperative IOP level and mean IOP level at 2, 3 and 4wk postoperatively(P=0.66, P=0.66 and P=0.102, respectively). As an intraoperative complication, minimal hyphema was noted in three eyes during the surgery. However, the next day hyphema cleared completely. Macroscopic evaluation of the enucleated material showed that in one eye the distal end of the implant was in the vitreous instead of suprachoroidal space, in the other 3 eyes the distal end of the implant was noted in the suprachoroidal space. In all eyes, proximal end of the implant was localized in the anterior chamber angle. Histopathologic evaluation of the enucleated eyes showed deposition of irregular collagen bundles and fibroplasia including numerous fibroblastic and histiocytic cells around the implant.CONCLUSION: This preliminary animal study showed that implantation of Suprajet in glaucoma is a promising procedure. Further studies are needed to evaluate its efficacy and safety profile

Utilization of statins and LDL-cholesterol target attainment in Turkish patients with type 2 diabetes-a nationwide cross-sectional study (TEMD dyslipidemia study)

Background Attaining acceptable levels of LDL Cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly improves cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The LDL-C target attainment and the characteristics of patients attaining these targets were investigated in this study. Furthermore, the reasons for not choosing statins and the physicians' attitudes on the treatment of diabetic dyslipidemia were also examined. Methods A nationwide, cross-sectional survey was conducted in tertiary centers for diabetes management. Adult patients with T2DM, who were under follow-up for at least a year in outpatient clinics, were consecutively enrolled for the study. LDL-C goals were defined as below 70 mg/dL for patients with macrovascular complications or diabetic nephropathy, and below 100 mg/dL for other patients. Data about lipid-lowering medications were self-reported. Results A total of 4504 patients (female: 58.6%) were enrolled for the study. The mean HbA1c and diabetes duration was 7.73 +/- 1.74% and 10.9 +/- 7.5 years, respectively. The need for statin treatment was 94.9% (n = 4262); however, only 42.4% (n = 1807) of these patients were under treatment, and only 24.8% (n = 448) of these patients achieved LDL-C targets. The main reason for statin discontinuation was negative media coverage (87.5%), while only a minority of patients (12.5%) mentioned side effects. Physicians initiated lipid-lowering therapy in only 20.3% of patients with high LDL-C levels. It was observed that the female gender was a significant independent predictor of not attaining LDL-C goals (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.59-0.83). Conclusions Less than 50 % of patients with T2DM who need statins were under treatment, and only a quarter of them attained their LDL-C targets. There exists a significant gap between the guideline recommendations and the real-world evidence in the treatment of dyslipidemia in T2DM

Impact of Obesity on the Metabolic Control of Type 2 Diabetes: Results of the Turkish Nationwide Survey of Glycemic and Other Metabolic Parameters of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus (TEMD Obesity Study)

Background: Obesity is the main obstacle for metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Turkey has the highest prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Europe. The effect of obesity on the metabolic control, and the macro-and microvascular complications of patients are not apparent. Objectives: This nationwide survey aimed to investigate the prevalence of overweight and obesity among patients with type 2 diabetes and to search for the impact of obesity on the metabolic control of these patients. We also investigated the independent associates of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: We consecutively enrolled patients who were under follow-up for at least 1 year in 69 tertiary healthcare units in 37 cities. The demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data including medications were recorded. Patients were excluded if they were pregnant, younger than 18 years, had decompensated liver disease, psychiatric disorders interfering with cognition or compliance, had bariatric surgery, or were undergoing renal replacement therapy. Results: Only 10% of patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 4,648) had normal body mass indexes (BMI), while the others were affected by overweight (31%) or obesity (59%). Women had a significantly higher prevalence of obesity (53.4 vs. 40%) and severe obesity (16.6 vs. 3.3%). Significant associations were present between high BMI levels and lower education levels, intake of insulin, antihypertensives and statins, poor metabolic control, or the presence of microvascular complications. Age, gender, level of education, smoking, and physical inactivity were the independent associates of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion: The TEMD Obesity Study shows that obesity is a major determinant of the poor metabolic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. These results underline the importance of prevention and management of obesity to improve health care in patients with type 2 diabetes. Also, the results point out the independent sociodemographic and clinical associates of obesity, which should be the prior targets to overcome, in the national fight with obesity. (c) 2019 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Base