Educational Disparities in Distribution of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Quality of Care in Korean Adults: Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey IV / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate how educational status influences cardiovascular risk factors and care of diabetes mellitus and hypertension. METHODS: From Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey IV, we obtained survey results of 6,835 men and 9,067 women more than 30 years old. We performed multivariate logistic regression to compare cardiovascular risk factors and care of hypertension and diabetes respective to educational status. RESULTS: There were disparities in cardiovascular risk factors by educational status. In men, impaired fasting glucose, high triglyceride, and smoking were less frequently found in the highest educated group than in the middle educated group. In women, the prevalence of abdominal obesity, impaired fasting glucose, high blood pressure, high triglyceride, and metabolic syndrome among the highest educated group were significantly lower. The proportion of those with proper physical activity in the highest educated group was found to be less than that of the middle educated group, regardless of gender. For care of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, disease recognition and treatment were lower among the lowest educated group in men, while these disparities were not shown in women. Instead, the lowest educated group in diabetic women received screening exams for eye and kidney complications less than the middle education group. In both genders, the high education group had a higher chance of receiving education about diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: There were educational disparities in cardiovascular risk factors and care of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The disparities were found to be different by gender.

Antidepressant Use and Diabetes Mellitus Risk: A Meta-Analysis / 가정의학회지

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies have reported inconsistent findings regarding the association between the use of antidepressants and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) risk. We performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the association between antidepressants and type 2 DM risk. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (through Dec 31, 2011), including references of qualifying articles. Studies concerning the use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), or other antidepressants and the associated risk of diabetes mellitus were included. RESULTS: Out of 2,934 screened articles, 3 case-control studies, 9 cohort studies, and no clinical trials were included in the final analyses. When all studies were pooled, use of antidepressants was significantly associated with an increased risk of DM in a random effect model (relative risk [RR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29 to 1.71). In subgroup analyses, the risk of DM increased among both SSRI users (RR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.58) and TCA users (RR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.26 to 1.96). The subgroup analyses were consistent with overall results regardless of study type, information source, country, duration of medication, or study quality. The subgroup results considering body weight, depression severity, and physical activity also showed a positive association (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.28). A publication bias was observed in the selected studies (Egger's test, P for bias = 0.09). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the use of antidepressants is associated with an increased risk of DM.

Clinical Outcomes of Toric Implantable Collamer Lens implantation

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of the Toric Implantable Collamer Lens (Toric ICL) to treat moderate to high myopic astigmatism. METHODS: Toric ICL was implanted in 77 eyes of 40 patients with myopia (spherical equivalent [SE] between 3.5 and 18.5 diopters [D]) and astigmatism between 1 and 6 D. The patients were followed up for at least 3 months. Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), refraction, best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), adverse events, and postoperative complications were evaluated. RESULTS: At 3months postoperatively, the proportion of eyes with 1.0 or better UCVA (56 eyes out of 77 eyes, 72.7%) was significantly greater than the proportion of eyes with preoperative 1.0 or better BSCVA (38 eyes out of 77 eyes, 49.4%). The mean manifest refractive cylinder dropped from 2.78D (+/-1.05) at baseline to 0.35D (+/-0.34) postoperatively, an 87.4% decrease in astigmatism. Mean manifest refraction SE (MRSE) improved from -9.93D (+/-2.66) preoperatively to 0.15D (+/-0.33) postoperatively. A total of 96.1% of eyes were predicted accurately to within +/-0.75D of predicted MRSE. Mean improvement in BSCVA was 0.79lines; there were no eyes that lost two lines of BSCVA after 3 months postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the efficacy and predictability of Toric ICL implantation to treat moderate to high myopic astigmatism.

Multifocal Electroretinogram before and after Epiretinal Membrane Surgery

PURPOSE: To assess macular function before and after vitrectomy and membrane removal in epiretinal membranes by means of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). METHODS: The mfERGs (RETIscan(R), Roland, Germany) of 28 consecutive patients (28 eyes) with idiopathic epiretinal membranes were recorded before epiretinal membrane surgery and 3 to 6 months after surgery. The average retinal response density and implicit time of each local response were estimated as anatomic macular areas corresponding roughly to 5 rings. Preoperative and postoperative responses of mfERG were compared. The correlation of the change of retinal response density and postoperative macular configuration on optical coherent tomography (OCT) was statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The postoperative value of P1 amplitude and implicit time were not statistically correlated with the preoperative value (p>0.05). There were no significant correlations between the changes of rings 1 and 2 with regard to the retinal response density of the mfERGs and visual acuity. There was no significant correlation between the change of retinal response density and postoperative macular configuration according to OCT. CONCLUSIONS: The use of mfERGs does not seem useful for predicting clinical prognosis after epiretinal membrane surgery. Further studies of influence of internal limiting membrane removal on mfERG response should be conducted.

Clinical Results of Different Surgical Procedures in Correcting Involutional Entropion

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of different surgical procedures according to horizontal eyelid laxity in correcting involutional entropion. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 104 eyes of 79 patients with involutional lower eyelid entropion who underwent surgical repair. The 62 eyes with horizontal eyelid laxity were classified as group I. In 17 eyes of group I, we performed the lateral tarsal strip procedure alone (group Ia), while in 45 eyes of group I, we performed the lateral tarsal procedure and Quickert suture (group Ib). The 42 eyes without horizontal eyelid laxity were classified as group II. In 13 eyes of group II, we performed a lower eyelid retractor reinsertion procedure only (group IIa), and in 29 eyes of group II, we performed combined lower eyelid retractor reinsertion and orbicularis resection (group IIb). RESULTS: The recurrence rate in these four surgical subsets (group Ia , group Ib, group IIa, group IIb) was 11.7%, 0%, 15.4%, and 6.9%, respectively, with an average follow-up of 11 months. Six recurrent eyelids and two overcorrected eyelids successfully underwent procedures to correct recurrent entropion and ectropion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The lateral tarsal strip procedure is an effective approach for achieving long-lasting correction of involutional entropion with horizontal eyelid laxity, whereas the lower eyelid retractor reinsertion procedure is an effective approach for achieving long-lasting correction for involutional entropion without horizontal eyelid laxity. Use of the Quickert suture reduced the need to repeat the lateral tarsal strip procedure and additional orbicularis resection decreased the need to repeat the lower eyelid retractor reinsertion procedure.

Subretinal Hemorrhage After Photodynamic Therapy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical features of subretinal hemorrhage after photodynamic therapy in eyes with exudative age-related macular degeneration. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data for 267 eyes of 243 patients who had undergone PDT for the treatment of ARMD between January 2005 and December 2006. Best corrected visual acuity, fundus photography, fluorescein angiography, and ICG angiography were performed before and after treatment. We followed up the patients at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment and at 3-month intervals thereafter. RESULTS: Postoperative subretinal hemorrhage was seen in 36 (13.4%) of 267 eyes. The pretreatment and post-treatment mean visual acuities were logMAR 0.80 and logMAR 1.05 respectively, representing a decrease of 2.05 lines. On FAG, two eyes were predominantly classic, four eyes were minimally classic, and 30 eyes were occult. The laser irradiation spot size was under 3,000 micrometer in one case and from 3,000 micrometer to 5,000 micrometer in 19 cases and over 5,000 micrometer in 16 eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Subretinal hemorrhage after PDT for ARMD can be a common complication in patients who have been treated for larger irradiation spot sizes and for pigment epithelial detachment (PED), so doctors should be aware of the risk of serious hemorrhagic complications in such situations.