Beneficial Effects of Ginger Extract on Eye Fatigue and Shoulder Stiffness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, and Placebo-Controlled Parallel Study.

This study aimed to assess ginger extract's impact on ocular and peripheral blood flow and its potential to alleviate eye fatigue and shoulder stiffness. This study included 100 healthy individuals aged 20-73 years with eye fatigue and shoulder stiffness. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either placebo capsules or ginger extract capsules daily for eight weeks. Ocular blood flow, peripheral blood flow, eye fatigue (visual analog scale [VAS]), shoulder stiffness (VAS), body warmth (VAS), and shoulder muscle stiffness were assessed at weeks 0, 4, and 8, respectively. No improvement in ocular blood flow was observed under the study conditions. Conversely, peripheral blood flow in deep areas was enhanced in females (p = 0.033). Subgroup analysis by age (≥51 or <51 years) revealed that ginger's effect on enhancing peripheral blood flow in deep vessels was restricted in females under 51 (p = 0.017). Similarly, subjective complaints of eye fatigue and shoulder stiffness were improved by ginger consumption in females under 51. Body warmth was favorably changed significantly in males ≥51 years due to ginger consumption. The muscle stiffness showed no statistically significant changes. In conclusion, ginger consumption reduces eye fatigue and shoulder stiffness by enhancing peripheral blood flow in relatively young females.

Usefulness of Eye Deformation in the Corvis ST Measurement to Predict Postoperative Hypotony Complications in Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of measuring biomechanical parameters using the Corvis ST to predict the occurrence of hypotony maculopathy and choroidal detachment (CD) following trabeculectomy or bleb needling revision with mitomycin C. DESIGN: Clinical cohort study. METHODS: This study included 100 eyes of 100 patients who underwent trabeculectomy (88 eyes of 88 patients) or bleb needling (12 eyes of 12 patients) with mitomycin C. A significant predictor of hypotony complications was identified from (1) operation (trabeculectomy or bleb needling), (2) age, (3) sex, (4) disease type (primary open-angle glaucoma, exfoliation glaucoma or other), (5) lens status (phakia or pseudophakia), (6) preoperative Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) intraocular pressure (IOP), (7) preoperative central corneal thickness (CCT), (8) preoperative axial length (AL), (9) preoperative anterior chamber depth, (10) "Min IOP" (IOP value when hypotony complications occurred, otherwise the minimum IOP during 3 months from trabeculectomy or bleb needling), (11) preoperative corneal curvature, and (12-24) 12 Corvis ST parameters using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 13 and 21 eyes developed hypotony maculopathy and CD, respectively. Male gender, greater preoperative GAT IOP, and greater highest concavity deflection Amplitude were significant predictors of the occurrence of hypotony maculopathy (P < .05). On the other hand, shorter AL, thinner CCT, greater preoperative GAT IOP and pseudophakia were significant predictors of the occurrence of CD (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: A careful attention should be paid to the occurrence of hypotony maculopathy with male gender and greater highest concavity deflection Amplitude despite higher preoperative GAT IOP. Different risk factors were identified; shorter AL, thinner CCT, greater preoperative GAT IOP, and pseudophakia.

Effect of Ocular Dominance on Ocular Blood Flow Parameters.

PURPOSE: In binocular vision, there is a dominant eye and a nondominant eye, a phenomenon termed ocular dominance. This study determined the differences and associations of the ocular blood flow parameters between dominant and nondominant eyes in healthy Japanese subjects. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 128 eyes of 64 subjects (13 male and 51 female) aged ≥ 20 years. The ocular blood flow parameters were assessed using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), and software was used to calculate the mean blur rate (MBR), which reflects the blood flow velocity. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in axial length (AL), spherical equivalent (SE), intraocular pressure (IOP), uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), or ocular blood flow parameters between the dominant and nondominant eyes. The ocular blood flow parameters of the dominant eye were significantly and positively correlated with those of the nondominant eye (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences in ocular blood flow parameters exist between the dominant and nondominant eyes in healthy subjects. The ocular blood flow parameters in the dominant eye are associated with those in the nondominant eye.

Comparison of Corvis ST Parameters between Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Primary Angle-Closure Glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: We compared corneal visualization Scheimpflug technology (CST) parameters between eyes with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on data from 89 eyes with POAG and 83 eyes with PACG that had CST examinations. CST parameters were compared between eyes with POAG and those with PACG using a linear mixed model (LMM). RESULTS: No differences were observed in age, central corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, or use of antiglaucoma eye drops between the two groups. Patients with PACG had a significantly shorter axial length (AL), a higher proportion of females, CST parameters, longer applanation 2 (A2) time, deeper A2 deformation amplitude, shorter peak distance, longer whole eye movement, and longer whole eye movement time than patients with POAG. The highest concavity (HC) length and PD showed a significant positive correlation with AL. However, A1 length, A1 deformation amplitude, A2 time, A2 velocity, A2 length, A2 deformation amplitude, HC time, whole eye movement, and whole eye movement time were negatively correlated with AL. CONCLUSIONS: The biomechanical properties of the cornea differed between POAG and PACG. In some parts, AL differences between the POAG and PACG groups might contribute to the variation in CST parameters.

Blood flow in the optic nerve head in patients with primary aldosteronism.

PURPOSE: Optic nerve head (ONH) blood flow decrease without changes in intraocular pressure in a possible rat model of retinal ganglion cell loss by systemic administration of aldosterone. To compare the blood flow in the ONH, using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), in healthy eyes and in eyes with primary aldosteronism (PA). METHODS: The ONH tissue area mean blur rate (MT) was evaluated in this single center, retrospective, cross-sectional study using LSFG. In order to compare the MT between PA patients and normal subjects, mixed-effects models were used, with adjustments made for the mean arterial pressure, disc area, and ß-peripapillary atrophy (ß-PPA) area. Mixed-effects models were also used to analyze the risk factors affecting the MT. RESULTS: This study evaluated a total of 29 eyes of 17 PA patients and 61 eyes of 61 normal subjects. There was a significantly lower MT in PA patients (10.8 ± 0.4) as compared to the normal subjects (12.3 ± 0.3) (P = 0.004). The MT was significantly lower in PA patients (10.8 ± 0.6) even after adjusting for the potential confounding factors when compared to normal subjects (12.3 ± 0.3) (P = 0.046). Multivariate mixed-effects model analysis demonstrated that the MT was significantly associated with the PA and ß-PPA. CONCLUSIONS: There was a significantly lower ONH blood flow in PA patients as compared to normal subjects.