Diabetic retinopathy is a well-known complication of diabetes and a major cause of visual impairment and blindness in developed countries.
We explored visual impairment and diabetic retinopathy among participants with diabetes in the Tromsø Eye Study. The prevalence of visual impairment (corrected Snellen visual acuity < 20/40) was 4.1% in the better-seeing eye. We found no legally blind participants. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 26.9% and macular edema 3.9%. In a multivariable logistic regression model, retinopathy was associated with longer diabetes duration, insulin use, non-fasting glucose and urinary albumin excretion. We found a very low microalbuminuria cut-off level for increased risk of diabetic retinopathy (urinary albumin-creatinine ratio > 1.16 mg/mmol).
Visual impairment and diabetic retinopathy were also explored in diabetes patients recruited from general practitioners in a multi-centre study conducted in Tromsø, Tønsberg and Stavanger. In this study the prevalence of visual impairment (corrected Snellen visual acuity < 20/40) was 5.4% and one participant was legally blind. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 28.2%. This study also showed that about one third of the diabetes patients did not attend at least biannual eye examination as recommended by the national guidelines.
Retinopathy lesions, such as microaneurysms and retinal haemorrhages, are also common in subjects without diabetes. We explored retinopathy in subjects without diabetes in the Tromsø Eye Study, and the overall prevalence of retinopathy was 14.8%. Men had a higher prevalence of retinopathy compared to women (15.9% vs. 14.0%, p=0.04). In men retinopathy was associated with hypertension and HbA1c. In women retinopathy was associated with age, hypertension and urinary albumin excretion. In women, the microalbuminuria cut-off level for increased risk of retinopathy was very low (urinary albumin-creatinine ratio > 0.43 mg/mmol).
Visual impairment was also explored in a general population using data from both diabetic and non-diabetic participants in the Tromsø Eye Study and the overall prevalence of visual acuity < 20/60 was 1.2%.
Description:
The papers of this thesis are not available in Munin: 1. Bertelsen G, Erke MG, von Hanno T, Mathiesen EB, Peto T, Sjølie AK and Njølstad I.: 'The Tromsø Eye Study: study design, methodology and results on visual acuity and refractive errors', Acta Ophthalmologica (2012), online before print, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2012.02511.x 2. Bertelsen G, Peto T, Lindekleiv H, Schirmer H, Solbu MD, Toft I, Sjølie AK and Njølstad I.: 'Tromsø Eye Study: prevalence and risk factors of diabetic retinopathy', Acta Ophthalmologica (2012), online before print, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2012.02542.x 3. Bertelsen G, Peto T, Lindekleiv H, Schirmer H, Solbu MD, Toft I, Sjølie AK and Njølstad I.: 'Sex differences in risk factors for retinopathy in non-diabetic men and women. The Tromsø Eye Study' (manuscript) 4. Kilstad HN, Sjølie AK, Gøransson L, Hapnes R, Henschien HJ, Alsbirk KE, Fossen K, Bertelsen G, Holstad G and Bergrem H.: 'Prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in
Norway: report from a screening study', Acta Ophthalmologica (2012), vol. 90(7):609–612, available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2011.02160.x
Granaas, Magnus Løkke(Master thesis; Mastergradsoppgave, 15-May-2013)
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Abstract:
PDE5 is a member of the superfamily of phosphodiesterases, and it is identified as the main mechanism for breakdown of cGMP in mammals. Sildenafil is a well-known inhibitor of the PDE5 enzyme and it is also shown that sildenafil inhibits the ABCC5 transporter pump. ABCC5 is a member of the superfamily of ABC-transporters, and identified as an important transporter for mediating the cellular efflux of cGMP. Research group of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University in Tromsø recently showed that sildenafil analogs, IS-39213 and IS-60049, almost completely blocked the cGMP efflux in cancer cell lines C33A and C-4I by inhibiting the ABBC5 transporter pump. It is not known if these sildenafil analogs also inhibit the PDE5 enzyme. To further investigate this, an assay was developed for determining PDE5 activity and for screening of these potential inhibitors on the PDE5 enzyme in cancer cell lines C-4I and C-33A. Both IS-39123 and IS-60049 were shown to inhibit the PDE5 enzyme in the same degree as sildenafil, but the time available did not allow completion of the characterization of inhibitors and their mutual potency.
Prevalence of dental caries is still high in developing countries affecting mainly the low-income population. Knowledge of dental caries prevention among dental practitioners is one of the main aspects for the effectiveness in the provision of preventive measures. The purpose of study is to evaluate the application of preventive measures in regards of knowledge and impediments in dental caries prevention and the provision of oral health care services among Dominican dental practitioners in the private sector. This is a cross-sectional study and data collection is from self-administered surveys to Dominican dental practitioners working for the private sector in the Dominican Republic. 308 Dominican dental practitioners participated in the study between the ages of 23-70. The majority of dentists answered positively to the application of preventive measures and knowledge of dental caries prevention. Patients’ poor oral health and poor knowledge of potential caries were a great concern, as well as the use of fluorides. The study concludes that Dominican dental practitioners have the general knowledge of dental caries prevention and provide the necessary preventive measures to the Dominican population. The study had positive results even the high prevalence of dental caries in the Dominican Republic. Some weaknesses were found for the provision of preventive measures from the private sector and the Ministry of Health, but new oral health trends and policies are taken into account.
Keywords: Preventive dentistry, dental caries prevention, dental public health, Dominican Republic
Rationale: Nowadays, diabetes mellitus is continuing to be an increasing international health burden. But greatest increases of this burden are seen particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This thesis attempts to account for the factors associated with the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the disparity in this prevalence across country income groups.
Method: An analytic ecological study was performed using 183 WHO Member States grouped into low-, lower middle-, upper middle- and high-income countries. Linear regression analyses were used to determine possible associations between diabetes mellitus prevalence and health expenditure for diabetes plus other health indicators (that is, life expectancy at birth, prevalence of tuberculosis, population living in urban areas, out-of-pocket health expenditure, adults aged ≥ 20 years who are obese, alcohol consumption among adult aged ≥ 15 years), both in the 183 WHO Member States and within each WHO country income group.
Results: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is associated with health expenditure for diabetes, life expectancy, tuberculosis prevalence, urban population, out-of-pocket expenditure, adults aged ≥ 20 years who are obese, and alcohol consumption among adults ≥ 15 years. The association between diabetes mellitus and these factors vary depending on the different country income groups.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that since diabetes mellitus prevalence is associated with several factors which vary according to country income groups, strategies for diabetes prevention should not only be person-centered but also income group-specific.
I prosjekt ”Samtale med barn i barnevernet” kombineres forskning, utvikling og implementering av arbeidsmetoder i barnevernet. Prosjektet gjennom føres i fire faser i perioden 2003-2007. Det rapporteres her for Fase 3 ”Samtale med barn i barnevernet - utprøving og evaluering av implementeringsstrategier”. Dette delprosjektet er
finansiert av stiftelsen Wøyen.