Rate Of Blindness Research Articles

Comparison of Ocular Biomery in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Non-glaucoma in South West Nigeria.

Glaucoma is a public health problem in Nigeria. The number of individuals affected by glaucoma in Nigeria is much higher than the individuals known to have the disease. Ocular parameters such as intraocular pressure, central cornea thickness, axial length and refractive error have all been documented as risk factors of glaucoma especially among Caucasians and African Americans, with little documentation in Africa where there's an alarming rate of blindness. To compare central cornea thickness (CCT), intraocular pressure (IOP), axial length (AL) and refractive state in participants with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and non-glaucoma in South-West Nigeria. This hospital-based case-control study was carried out among 184 newly diagnosed POAG and non-glaucoma adult participants attending the outpatient clinic of Eleta eye institute. The CCT, IOP, AL and refractive state were measured in each participant. Test of significance between proportions in categorical variables were assessed using chi square test (χ2) in both groups. The means were compared using independent t-test while correlation between parameters were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient. The mean age of the POAG participants was 57.16 + 13.3 years and the mean age of the non-glaucoma participants was 54.15 + 13.4 years. The mean IOP in the POAG group was 30.2 + 8.9mmHg while non- glaucoma group was 14.2 + 2.6mmHg (P < 0.001), other ocular parameters were not significantly different in both groups. In the POAG group, decreased spherical equivalent refractive error (i.e increasing myopia) was significantly associated with increased axial length (r= -0.252, P = 0.01), but not significant in the non- glaucoma group. However, in the non-glaucoma group, central cornea thickness increased with increasing intraocular pressure (r= 0.305, P = 0.003), which was not significant in the glaucoma group. Patients with POAG had much higher IOP and thus, IOP remains a significant risk factor in its development. There was a significant relationship between refractive state and axial length in the POAG group while a significant relationship was identified between central cornea thickness and intraocular pressure in the non- glaucoma group.

Effects of banner ad type, web content type and theme consistency on banner blindness: an eye movement study.

During the epidemic, online advertising became more important, and several studies have suggested that internet users tend to avoid viewing online ads, such as banner ads. Previous studies have shown that product items that use animation lead to increased visual attention to all items on a webpage at the expense of attention to nonanimated items on the same webpage. However, few studies have compared the impact of the picture and text forms taken by static banners on the effectiveness of banner ads. At the same time, whether semantic factors (theme consistency) moderate the influence of structural factors (picture and text forms) on banner advertising remains unknown. The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of structural factors and semantic factors of ads on participants' visual attention to and memory of banner ads. The participants (twenty-seven males and forty females aged 18-26years) were divided into two groups, one for consistent ad-web content themes and the other for inconsistent ad-web content themes. Then, the participants were asked to browse 16 complete pages (4 pages each of text-type web content and text-type banner ads, picture-type web content and picture-type banner ads, text-type web content and picture-type banner ads, and picture-type web content and text-type banner ads), and their eye movements were recorded to measure the participants' level of attention to the banner ads. A recognition task was used to measure the participants' memories of the banner ads. The results showed that the text-type banner ad had a lower blindness rate and exerted better attention and memory effects than the picture-type banner ad, and the text-type banner ad had a lower blindness rate and better attention and memory effects when positioned in the background of picture-type web content than when positioned in the background of text-type web content. A significant interaction effect among banner ad type, web content type and theme consistency showed that ad-web content theme consistency moderated the effect of web content type and banner ad type on ad effectiveness. Taken together, the results of these tasks demonstrate that theme consistency moderates the effect of web content type and banner ad type on ad effectiveness in a top-down manner. To reduce the negative effect of banner blindness, placing text-type banner ads in picture-type web content and setting a consistent theme between the banner ad and the web content is the more effective choice. The findings from this study can be used to assist advertising agencies in designing more effective and efficient banner ads from the perspective of basic psychology.

Nationwide Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) in Armenia

ABSTRACT Purpose This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and main causes of blindness and visual impairment in population aged 50 years and older in Armenia using Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) methodology. Methods The study team randomly selected 50 clusters (each consisting of 50 people) from all 11 regions of Armenia. Data on participants’ demographics, presenting visual acuity, pinhole visual acuity, principal cause of presenting visual acuity, spectacle coverage, uncorrected refractive error (URE), and presbyopia were collected using the RAAB survey form. Four teams of trained eye care professionals completed data collection in 2019. Results Overall, 2,258 people of 50 years and older participated in the study. The age- and gender- adjusted prevalence of bilateral blindness, severe and moderate visual impairment were 1.5% (95% CI: 1.0–2.1), 1.6% (95% CI: 1.0–2.2) and 6.6% (95% CI: 5.5–7.7), respectively. The main causes of blindness were cataract (43.9%) and glaucoma (17.1%). About 54.6% and 35.3% of participants had URE and uncorrected presbyopia, respectively. The prevalence of bilateral blindness and functional low vision increased with age and was the highest in participants 80 years and older. Conclusion The rate of bilateral blindness was comparable with findings from countries that share similar background and confirmed that untreated cataract was the main cause of blindness. Given that cataract blindness is avoidable, strategies should be developed aiming to further increase the volume and quality of cataract care in Armenia.

Foveal and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Children With a History of Retinopathy of Prematurity Treated With Bevacizumab: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of bevacizumab (an anti-VEGF antibody) on the structure of retina such as the thickness of the nerve fiber layer and macula with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021-2022 in Tabriz, Iran to investigate preterm children aged 4-6 years. To this end, a total of 300 eyes of 150 children were assigned to three groups and then were examined by performing Fundus examination of retina, eye refraction test, and OCT imaging. The first group included 100 eyes with a history of ROP and treated with bevacizumab, the second group consisted of 100 eyes with a history of ROP but improved spontaneously, and the third group comprised 100 eyes of preterm children without a history of ROP. Results: Foveal thickness was 235.46 ± 11 µm in the group receiving bevacizumab, 267.70 ± 12 µm in the group with spontaneous improvement of ROP, and 269.48 ± 10 µm in the group with no ROP. Therefore, the mean thickness of the fovea in the group receiving bevacizumab was significantly lower than that in the other two groups. In the group receiving bevacizumab, moreover, the thickness of the nerve layer of the retina was less than that in the other two groups (P&lt;0.005). Conclusions: In sum, a greater understanding of the development of premature fovea was achieved, which may have facilitated identifying the possible clinical and long-term effects of these abnormal changes on adulthood visual acuity. It was recommended that further studies should be carried out to compare laser-treated eyes in order for expanding the scientific understanding of the development of premature fovea and other aspects of ROP, which may have decreased the preventable blindness rate.

Inattentional blindness to unexpected hazard in augmented reality head-up display assisted driving: The impact of the relative position between stimulus and augmented graph

Objective An augmented reality head-up display (AR-HUD) is a promising technology in assisted driving. It provides additional information in the driving environment. However, considering the registration problem related to the limitations of interactive technology, we suspect that an AR-HUD may not be able to recognize unpredictable stimuli in a timely manner, inducing inattentional blindness to these non-augmented stimuli. Actually, non-augmented stimuli may accidentally have a brief superimposition to AR graphics. This condition may also influence the rate of inattentional blindness accordingly. Thus, this study examined the problem of inattentional blindness in AR-HUD systems that may result from the immaturity of AR technology. Method We investigated the impact of AR graphic position (peripheral AOI v.s. central AOI) and the relative position of the AR graphic on unpredictable stimuli (on-HUD hazard v.s. off-HUD hazard) on the occurrence of inattentional blindness. Thirty Participants watched an AR-augmented driving video that included four augmented conditions. Participants were instructed to respond to four critical events (speeding, running of red lights, unexpected pedestrians or motorcycles). The rate of inattentional blindness and response time were recorded. We only analyzed data on unexpected pedestrian and motorcycle incidents. Results The relative position of the AR graphic on unpredictable stimuli and AR graphic positions significantly affected the rate of inattentional blindness and response time. Drivers had a higher rate of inattentional blindness to the unpredictable stimulus briefly superimposed on the AR graphic (i.e., on-HUD hazard) in the peripheral visual field (i.e., peripheral AOI). Also, drivers exhibited a higher rate of inattentional blindness to the unpredictable stimuli outside the AR graphic (i.e., off-HUD hazard) in the central visual field (i.e., central AOI). Conclusion The study is expected to be beneficial for furthering the design of an AR-HUD-assisted system to reduce inattentional blindness in driving. Our results found that in the peripheral visual field, unpredictable stimuli accidentally superimposed on the AR graphic (i.e., on-HUD hazard) lead to a higher probability of ignoring the accidental events and seemed to require a longer response time for drivers. This study illustrated that inattentional blindness to non-augmented stimuli is also influenced by the AR graphic position when AR technology fails to augment them in a timely manner. An important recommendation emerging from this work is to consider the design of AR graphics according to the AR graphic positions and stimulus types to reduce the occurrence of inattentional blindness.

Simulation of long-term impact of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy on patients with severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy

ObjectiveA simulation model was constructed to assess long-term outcomes of proactively treating severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy versus delaying treatment until PDR develops.Methods...

Global, Regional, and National Burdens of Blindness and Vision Loss in Children and Adolescents from 1990 to 2019: A Trend Analysis

To provide estimates for regional and national burdens of blindness and vision loss among children and adolescents between 1990 and 2019 by disease, age, and sociodemographic index (SDI). This was a retrospective demographic analysis based on aggregated data. This was a population-based study using 1990-2019 data on the burden of vision loss and blindness from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. The burden of vision loss and blindness was evaluated in terms of case numbers, rates per 100 000 population, and average annual percentage changes (AAPCs) in prevalence rates and years lived with disability (YLDs). Globally, the rates of blindness and vision loss per 100 000 population decreased in all age groups between 1990 and 2019, with prevalence rates decreasing from 1091.4 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 895.2-1326.1) to 1036.9 (95% UI, 847.8-1265.9, AAPC, -0.2) and YLDs decreasing from 44.5 (95% UI, 28.1-66.5) to 40.2 (95% UI, 25.1-60.7, AAPC, -0.4). Most of these reductions in prevalence rates (AAPC, -0.2, 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.2 to -0.1) and YLDs (AAPC, -0.2, 95% CI, -0.3 to -0.2) were due to decreases in refractive disorder. Notably, near-vision loss prevalence (AAPC, 0.3, 95% CI, 0.2-0.4) and YLDs (AAPC, 0.3, 95% CI, 0.2-0.4) substantially increased in all age groups. Children and adolescents in low- and low-middle SDI countries exhibited substantial decreases in the prevalence rates and YLDs of blindness and vision loss, but their counterparts in high- and middle-high SDI countries experienced a substantial increase in prevalence. Globally, efforts in the past 3 decades have substantially decreased the burdens of blindness and vision loss among children and adolescents. However, there is extensive variation according to the kind of impairment, age group, and country SDI. The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.

Intravitreal Injection of Conbercept Combined with Minimally Invasive Photocoagulation and Phacoemulsification Intraocular Lens Implantation in the Treatment of Neovascular Glaucoma Complicated with Cataract.

Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a complex refractory glaucoma with a high rate of blindness. Compaq is an anti-VEGF agent that has been used in clinical NVG therapy. This study aims to investigate the effect of intravitreal injection of conbercept combined with minimally invasive photocoagulation and phacoemulsification intraocular lens implantation in the treatment of NVG complicated with cataracts. A total of 84 patients with NVG complicated with cataracts who were admitted to our hospital from September 2019 to September 2021 were selected. According to the random number table method, they were divided into the study group and the control group, with 42 cases in each. The control group underwent minimally invasive photocoagulation combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The study group was given an intravitreal injection of conbercept first, followed by minimally invasive photocoagulation combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation 3 to 7 days after the injection. The intraocular pressure and visual acuity of the two groups before surgery, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the operation were compared. The levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were compared between the two groups before the operation and 1 week after the operation. The incidence of postoperative complications in the two groups was statistically compared. At 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the operation, the intraocular pressure of the study group was lower than that of the control group, and the visual acuity was better than that of the control group (P < 0.05); one week after the operation, the serum levels of VEGF and IL-6 in the study group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); there was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). Intravitreal injection of conbercept combined with minimally invasive photocoagulation and phacoemulsification intraocular lens implantation in the treatment of NVG complicated with cataract can improve the levels of serum inflammatory factors and vasoactive substances, effectively reduce intraocular pressure, and improve visual acuity.

A Deep-Learning-Based Collaborative Edge-Cloud Telemedicine System for Retinopathy of Prematurity.

Retinopathy of prematurity is an ophthalmic disease with a very high blindness rate. With its increasing incidence year by year, its timely diagnosis and treatment are of great significance. Due to the lack of timely and effective fundus screening for premature infants in remote areas, leading to an aggravation of the disease and even blindness, in this paper, a deep learning-based collaborative edge-cloud telemedicine system is proposed to mitigate this issue. In the proposed system, deep learning algorithms are mainly used for classification of processed images. Our algorithm is based on ResNet101 and uses undersampling and resampling to improve the data imbalance problem in the field of medical image processing. Artificial intelligence algorithms are combined with a collaborative edge-cloud architecture to implement a comprehensive telemedicine system to realize timely screening and diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity in remote areas with shortages or a complete lack of expert medical staff. Finally, the algorithm is successfully embedded in a mobile terminal device and deployed through the support of a core hospital of Guangdong Province. The results show that we achieved 75% ACC and 60% AUC. This research is of great significance for the development of telemedicine systems and aims to mitigate the lack of medical resources and their uneven distribution in rural areas.

Clinical presentation of acute primary angle closure during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical presentation of acute primary angle closure (APAC) during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown in Wuhan. Consecutive patients seeking APAC treatment at the Wuhan Aier Eye Hospital during the 76 days (January 23-April 8, 2020) when the lockdown policy was implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic were compared to those during the same period the following year (January 23-April 8, 2021), when the lockdown policy was not implemented. The cohorts were compared to assess demographic variables and clinical presentations. A total of 54 patients (64 eyes) were included in the 2020, compared with 46 patients (51 eyes) in the 2021. Demographic factors were similar between the groups. Significantly more patients developed blindness in the 2020 cohort (21.87%) than in the 2021 cohort (7.84%). Patients in the 2020 showed a longer time from symptom to treatment (241.84 ± 211.95 h in 2020 vs. 121.53 ± 96.12 h in 2021; P = 0.001), higher intraocular pressure at presentation (52.63 ± 12.45 mmHg in 2020 vs. 45.16 ± 9.79 mmHg in 2021; P = 0.001), larger pupil diameter (5.47 ± 1.62 mm in 2020 vs. 4.33 ± 1.27 mm in 2021; P = 0.001), and more glaucomatous optic neuropathy diagnoses [20/64 eyes (31.25%) in 2020 vs. 7/51 eyes (13.73%) in 2021; P = 0.03]. The time between the onset of APAC symptoms and its treatment during the COVID-19 epidemic lockdown was significantly prolonged, which increased the blindness rate of APAC patients.

Seeing Red: Associations between Historical Redlining and Present-Day Visual Impairment and Blindness

Redlining was a discriminatory housing policy in the United States that began in 1933 and denoted neighborhoods with high proportions of Black individuals as "undesirable" and a high risk for lending, which therefore excluded people from obtaining traditional insured mortgages to purchase a home. Simultaneously, realtors discouraged Black individuals from purchasing homes in predominantly non-Black neighborhoods. This resulted in decreased home ownership and wealth accumulation among Black individuals and neighborhoods with high proportions of Black individuals. This study investigated rates of visual impairment and blindness (VIB) in neighborhoods that at one time were graded for redlining. Secondary data analysis of American Community Survey data and historical grades for redlining. United States census tracts (CTs) from 2010 with historical grades for redlining. One-way analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test, and logistic regression modeling. The main outcome was CT percentage of residents reporting VIB and the association with historical grades for redlining. Grades were converted to numeric values (1 to 4, with higher values indicating worse grade) and aggregated over a CT based on the distribution of grades within to obtain a redlining score. Logistic regression was used to model the effect of redlining on the probability of having VIB. Eleven thousand six hundred sixty-eight CTs were analyzed. Logistic regression found that a 1-unit increase in average redlining score was associated with a 13.4% increased odds of VIB after controlling for CT measures of age, sex, people of color (any non-White race), state, and population size (odds ratio [OR], 1.134; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.131-1.138; P < 0.001). Similar results were observed for an additional model that adjusted for the estimated percentage of Black residents within a CT (OR, 1.180; 95% CI, 1.177-1.183; P < 0.001). Historical government-sanctioned residential segregation through redlining was found to be associated with higher proportions of people living with VIB in these neighborhoods today. Understanding how neighborhood segregation impacts eye health is important for planning improved mechanisms of eye care delivery to mitigate health disparities. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Visual Impairment in Patients with Angioid Streaks and Macular Neovascularization

To estimate the incidence and risk factors of visual impairment and complications in eyes with macular neovascularization (MNV) because of angioid streaks (ASs). Longitudinal multicenter retrospective cohort study. Patients with AS-associated MNV treated with anti-VEGF agents and a follow-up of > 3 months. Clinical and MNV characteristics were collected at baseline. Visual acuity (VA) values and the presence of atrophy or fibrosis were collected at each visit. Rate of VA change over time and associated factors; the incidence rate of moderate-to-severe visual impairment (MSVI) and blindness and hazard ratio (HR) of candidate risk factors for MSVI; the incidence rate of fibrosis and macular atrophy. Overall, 84 eyes of 66 patients (39 men, 58%) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 55.7 (13.8) years were followed for a mean (standard deviation) of 67.7 (48.5) months. The median number of anti-VEGF doses per eye was 13. The average rate (95% confidence interval [CI]) of visual loss was+0.04 (0.02-0.06) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution/year (P < 0.001); the visual loss was faster in nonnaive eyes (P= 0.007) and those with better baseline VA (P < 0.001); it was slower in eyes with pattern dystrophy-like features (P= 0.04). The incidence rates (95% CI) of MSVI and blindness were 10.4 (6.88-15)/100-eye-years and 2.33 (1.12-4.29)/100-eye-years. A higher number of injections (HR [95% CI]= 0.45 [0.19-0.94] for receiving ≥ 13 injections vs. < 13; P= 0.03) was protective against MSVI. The incidence rates (95% CI) of fibrosis and macular atrophy were 24.1 (17.5-32.3)/100-eye-years and 14.3 (10.1-19.6)/100-eye-years. Eyes with MNV-related AS had a high rate of visual impairment and propensity to macular fibrosis and atrophy. A higher number of injections yielded better chances of maintaining good VA, suggesting the need for intensive treatment. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Analysis of the Influence of Motivation Factors on Employee Performance at KMU Gresik Clinic

Background: The level of challenge of an organization with increasing time becomes large, but if later it will not be even greater, then it is certain that it will not follow and will be eaten by time itself or die. As a health facility that focuses mainly on eye and cataract surgery, the Utama Eye Clinic must be able to demonstrate the existence of its organization in responding to these bigger challenges. Now the biggest challenge is the quality of human resources working to reduce the rate of blindness due to cataracts which is increasing every day.Objectives: Analyzing the effect of the relationship between employee motivation on their performance at work at KMU Gresik.Methods: This research is a descriptive analytic study which was conducted using a quantitative cross sectional approach. The statistical test used was the Chi Square test. The number of respondents for filling out the questionnaire was 35 respondents. When the research was conducted in January 2018.Results: The statistical test of this study shows that there is a significant relationship between motivation and employee performance working at KMU Gresik with a correlation value of 15.251 and p-value = 0.000.Conclusions: The influence relationship between employee performance variables and employee motivation variables working at KMU Gresik is very significant, so it is recommended for employee motivation at KMU Gresik to be recognized and improved so that employee performance results increase.

Global, regional, national burden and gender disparity of cataract: findings from the global burden of disease study 2019

BackgroundTo evaluate the global burden of cataracts by year, age, region, gender, and socioeconomic status using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and prevalence from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2019.MethodsGlobal, regional, or national DALY numbers, crude DALY rates, and age-standardized DALY rates caused by cataracts, by year, age, and gender, were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Socio-demographic Index (SDI) as a comprehensive indicator of the national or regional development status of GBD countries in 2019 was obtained from the GBD official website. Kruskal-Wallis test, linear regression, and Pearson correlation analysis were performed to explore the associations between the health burden with socioeconomic levels, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to investigate the gender disparity.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2019, global DALY numbers caused by cataracts rose by 91.2%, crude rates increased by 32.2%, while age-standardized rates fell by 11.0%. Globally, age-standardized prevalence and DALYs rates of cataracts peaked in 2017 and 2000, with the prevalence rate of 1283.53 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 1134.46–1442.93] and DALYs rate of 94.52 (95% UI 67.09–127.24) per 100,000 population, respectively. The burden was expected to decrease to 1232.33 (95% UI 942.33–1522.33) and 91.52 (95% UI 87.11–95.94) by 2050. Southeast Asia had the highest blindness rate caused by cataracts in terms of age-standardized DALY rates (99.87, 95% UI: 67.18–144.25) in 2019. Gender disparity has existed since 1990, with the female being more heavily impacted. This pattern remained with aging among different stages of vision impairments and varied through GBD super regions. Gender difference (females minus males) of age-standardized DALYs (equation: Y = -53.2*X + 50.0, P < 0.001) and prevalence rates (equation: Y = − 492.8*X + 521.6, P < 0.001) was negatively correlated with SDI in linear regression.ConclusionThe global health of cataracts is improving but the steady growth in crude DALY rates suggested that health progress does not mean fewer demands for cataracts. Globally, older age, females, and lower socioeconomic status are associated with higher cataract burden. The findings of this study highlight the importance to make gender-sensitive health policies to manage global vision loss caused by cataracts, especially in low SDI regions.

Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in India stratified by known and undiagnosed diabetes, urban–rural locations, and socioeconomic indices: results from the SMART India population-based cross-sectional screening study

National and subnational estimates of the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy (VTDR) are needed to inform the stepwise implementation of systematic retinal screening for people with diabetes in India to decrease the rate of blindness. We aimed to assess these national and subnational estimates and to stratify the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and VTDR on the basis of people with known versus undiagnosed diabetes, urban versus rural residence, and epidemiological transition level (ETL) and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) categories of states. We did a multicentre cross-sectional screening study for diabetic retinopathy using a complex cluster sampling design in people aged 40 years or older in ten Indian states and one union territory between Dec 20, 2018, and March 20, 2020. We did non-mydriatic retinal screening and assessed risk factor burden for people with diabetes. We estimated nationally weighted prevalence of diabetic retinopathy and VTDR for individuals with known and undiagnosed diabetes by urban versus rural residence, and by state categorisation by ETL and SDI. We also assessed adjusted risk factors. From 42 146 participants screened, 7910 (18·8%) were identified to have diabetes. Of these, 6133 (77·5%; 4350 with known diabetes and 1783 with undiagnosed diabetes) had gradable retinal images. 3411 (56%) participants were women and 2722 (44%) were men, and the median age was 56 years (IQR 49-65). The estimated national prevalence was 12·5% (95% CI 11·0-14·2) for diabetic retinopathy and 4·0% (3·4-4·8) for VTDR, with no significant differences between urban and rural residence for diabetic retinopathy. Compared with individuals with undiagnosed diabetes, we observed a higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (15·5% [13·4-17·8] vs 8·0% [6·3-10·1]) and VTDR (5·3% [4·5-6·3] vs 2·4% [1·6-3·6]) in individuals with known diabetes. The prevalence was significantly lower in low ETL-SDI states compared with high and middle ETL-SDI states for diabetic retinopathy (by 7·0%, 1·9-12·2, p=0·024) and VTDR (by 4·8%, 3·0-6·6, p<0·0001). Hyperglycaemia was the strongest modifiable risk factor. We estimate that, in absolute numbers, approximately 3 million people aged 40 years or older have VTDR in India, with a higher prevalence in those with known diabetes residing in high and middle ETI-SDI states. UKRI Global Challenge Research Fund.

Ferrostatin-1 alleviates tissue and cell damage in diabetic retinopathy by improving the antioxidant capacity of the Xc--GPX4 system

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common microvascular complication leading to a high blindness rate among patients with diabetes. Ferroptosis is a type of cell death caused by the accumulation of iron-dependent lipid peroxides. Studies have shown that ferroptosis plays an important role in DR. The rat model of DR was constructed and treated with Ferrostatin-1 (Ferr-1). Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) were used to detect the degree of retinopathy. Oxidative stress levels were detected by ELISA. Perl’s staining was used to detect iron deposition in retinal tissues. Ferritin levels were measured by ELISA. The expression of GPX4 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). GSH/GSSG kit was used to detect the content and proportion of reduced/oxidized glutathione. Western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. TUNEL assay was used to detect cell apoptosis. The expression of GSDMD was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis and pyroptosis-related proteins. Then, high glucose (HG)-induced retinal epithelial cell line ARPE-19 was treated by Erastin (ferroptosis activator) and Ferr-1. CCK-8, ELISA, western blot, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence (IF) staining were used to detect oxidative stress levels, ferroptosis and cell damage. The mechanism was further explored by adding ferroptosis agonist Erastin. In vitro and in vivo results showed that oxidative stress was increased in DR model, resulting in ferroptosis and tissue or cell damage. After administration of Ferr-1, the antioxidant capacity was improved, ferroptosis levels were reduced and tissue or cell damage was alleviated. In vitro results showed that Ferr-1 reversed the impacts of Erastin on oxidative stress, ferroptosis, and cell damage in HG-induced ARPE-19 cells. Ferr-1 alleviated tissue and cell damage by improving the antioxidant capacity of the Xc--GPX4 system.

Comparative risk of blindness and vision-threatening ocular comorbidities in patients with Behçet's disease versus the general population.

To compare the risk of blindness and vision-threatening ocular comorbidities in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) vs the general population. Using 2002-2017 Korea National Health Insurance Service database, we did a population-based cohort study comparing newly diagnosed BD patients and age- and sex-matched non-BD controls at a 1:5 ratio. The primary outcome was blindness, defined as a best-corrected visual acuity of ≤20/500 in the better-seeing eye. Secondary outcomes were vision-threatening ocular comorbidities (cataract, glaucoma and retinal disorders) that require surgical interventions and incident uveitis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We performed subgroup analyses by sex and BD diagnosis age. We included 31 228 BD patients and 156 140 controls. During a follow-up of 9.39 years, the incidence rate of blindness per 1000 person-years was 0.24 in BD and 0.02 in controls with an HR of 10.73 (95% CI 7.10, 16.22). The HR for secondary outcomes was 2.06 (95% CI 1.98, 2.15) for cataract surgery, 5.43 (4.57, 6.45) for glaucoma surgery and 2.71 (2.39, 3.07) for retinal surgery. The HR of incident uveitis was 6.19 (95% CI 5.83, 6.58). Males suffered a disproportionately higher risk of blindness than females due to greater severity rather than a lower incidence of uveitis. The risk of uveitis and blindness decreased as BD diagnosis age increased. In this large population-based cohort study, BD patients compared with the general population have a 10.73-fold risk of blindness in 10 years and also a substantially higher risk of diverse ocular comorbidities that pose potential threats to vision.

Advances in the research of plant-derived natural products against retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a highly aggressive ocular tumor, and due to socioeconomic and medical constraints, many children receive treatment only in the metaphase and advanced clinical stages, resulting in high rates of blindness and disability. Although several approaches exist in the treatment of RB, some children with the disease do not have satisfactory results because of various factors. Plant-derived natural products have shown definite therapeutic effects in the treatment of various tumors and are also widely used in the study of RB. We review plant-derived natural products used in the study of anti-RB to provide ideas for the clinical application of these drugs and the development of new therapeutic drugs.

Glaucoma in rural China (the Rural Epidemiology for Glaucoma in China (REG-China)): a national cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the prevalence of glaucoma with associated factors in the rural populations of 10 provinces in China.DesignA population-based cross-sectional study.MethodsAll participants aged 6 years or older...

Karakteristik Pasien Penyakit Mata Di RSUD Masohi Maluku Tengah; Studi Deskriptif

Maluku is one of the provinces with a fairly high blindness rate in Indonesia. The prevalence of blindness in Maluku was 2.6%, according to the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) between 2013 and 2017. Some of the causes are cases of uncorrected refraction, cataracts, pterygium, glaucoma, and diseases of the posterior segment of the eye. This study aims to determine the characteristics of eye diseases recorded in Masohi Hospital, Central Maluku. This study uses a quantitative method through a retrospective approach. Data collection was conducted through patient medical records at Masohi Hospital, Central Maluku, from January 2019 to December 2020. The results of data analysis showed that there were 852 new patient visits throughout 2019 and 465 people in 2020. The prevalence of cases was mostly found in women in 2019 and 2020. Masohi City District is the sub-district with the highest number of eye patients, followed by Amahai District. The most cases in 2019 included refraction, cataract, pterygium and asthenopia. While in 2020, refraction was the most cases, followed cataract, pterygium and asthenopia.Keywords: Blindness; characteristics of eye diseases; visual disturbances