Association of self-reported psychiatric and systemic risk factors in dry eye disease in adult Korean population.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between dry eye disease (DED) and various psychiatric and systemic diseases in an adult Korean population aged 40 years or older. METHODS: Population-based cross-sectional data of 6,732 participants aged ≥40 years was extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 (KNHANES VII). Data including DED, demographic variables, behavioral factors, psychiatric conditions, and systemic diseases was analysed to determine the prevalence and psychiatric and systemic risk factors for DED. RESULTS: The weighted prevalence of DED was 7.9 ± 0.4% (mean ± SE). Multivariate analysis showed that female sex and urban residence were associated with an increased risk of DED. The prevalence of DED was lower in patients aged ≥70 years than in those aged 40-69 years. Self-reported psychological conditions including perceived stress and depression were associated with the risk of DED. Self-reported Systemic conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative arthritis, osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease, and chronic renal failure had association with an increased risk of DED. CONCLUSION: DED may be associated with several self-reported psychiatric and systemic conditions, which highlights the need for an integrated approach to manage these diseases for optimal treatment of DED.

Central retina thickness measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in Parkinson disease: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can detect visual alterations associated with Parkinson disease, such as damage to the retinal nerve fiber layer or changes in retinal vasculature. Macula thinning in association with Parkinson disease (PD) remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the central retina thickness in PD measured using spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). METHODS: We searched PubMed and the Excerpta Medica database to identify studies that compared macular thickness between patients with PD and healthy controls published before July 31, 2021. A random-effects model was used to examine PD-associated changes in macular thickness. Meta-regression analysis was performed by assessing heterogeneity, publication bias, and study quality. RESULTS: Thirty-two studies with a cross-sectional design were selected, including 2118 patients with PD and 2338 controls. We identified significant differences in the thickness of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.66 to -0.16; I2 = 80%), ganglion cell complex (SMD, -0.33; 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.17; I2 = 0%), and of all inner and outer sectors of the macula (SMD range, -0.21 to -0.56; all P < .05) between patients with PD and controls. DISCUSSION: These results corroborate the increased prevalence of changes in OCT measures in individuals with PD, highlighting the efficacy of SD-OCT-determined macular thickness as a biomarker for PD. Our findings may provide helpful guidelines for clinicians in rapidly evolving areas of PD diagnosis.

Association between plasma sRAGE and emphysema according to the genotypes of AGER gene.

BACKGROUND: Higher soluble receptor for advanced glycation end product (sRAGE) levels are considered to be associated with severe emphysema. However, the relationship remains uncertain when the advanced glycation end-product specific receptor (AGER) gene is involved. We aimed to analyse the association between sRAGE levels and emphysema according to the genotypes of rs2070600 in the AGER gene. METHODS: We genotyped rs2070600 and measured the plasma concentration of sRAGE in each participant. Emphysema was quantified based on the chest computed tomography findings. We compared sRAGE levels based on the presence or absence and severity of emphysema in each genotype. Multiple logistic and linear regression models were used for the analyses. RESULTS: A total of 436 participants were included in the study. Among them, 64.2% had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 34.2% had emphysema. Among the CC-genotyped participants, the sRAGE level was significantly higher in participants without emphysema than in those with emphysema (P < 0.001). In addition, sRAGE levels were negatively correlated with emphysema severity in CC-genotyped patients (r = - 0.268 P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed that sRAGE was an independent protective factor for the presence of emphysema (adjusted odds ratio, 0.24; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11-0.51) and severity of emphysema (ß = - 3.28, 95% CI - 4.86 to - 1.70) in CC-genotyped participants. CONCLUSION: Plasma sRAGE might be a biomarker with a protective effect on emphysema among CC-genotyped patients of rs2070600 on the AGER gene. This is important in determining the target group for the future prediction and treatment of emphysema.