Long Term Systemic Use of Calcium Channel Blockers and Incidence of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the systemic use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) using a diverse nationwide dataset. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study SUBJECTS: 213,424 individuals aged 40 years and older in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us dataset, notable for its demographic, geographic and medical diversity and inclusion of historically underrepresented populations. Patients with a diagnosis of POAG prior to use of any kind of anti-hypertensive medication were excluded. METHODS: Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between CCB use and POAG. CCB use was further divided into exposure to dihydropyridine CCBs and non-dihydropyridine CCBs, and subgroup analyses were performed using Chi-square and Fisher's tests. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnosis of POAG RESULTS: Within our cohort, 2,772 participants (1.3%) acquired a diagnosis of POAG, while 210,652 (98.7%) did not. Among patients who developed POAG, the mean age was 73.3 years, 52.5% were female, and 48.2% identified as White. Among POAG patients, 32.6% used one or more CCB, 28.2% used a dihydropyridine CCB, and 2.2% used a non-dihydropyridine CCB. In bivariate analysis, use of any CCBs was associated with an increased risk of POAG (OR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.27-1.31, p<0.001). In multivariable analysis adjusting for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and comorbidities such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, use of any CCBs remained associated with an increased risk of developing POAG (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.33-1.74, p<0.001). When stratified by type of CCB, the use of dihydropyridine CCBs (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.14-1.50, p<0.001) was associated with increased POAG risk. CONCLUSIONS: Use of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers was associated with a significantly higher risk of developing POAG, both before and while adjusting for demographic factors and comorbid medical conditions.

Evaluation of Publications from the American Academy of Ophthalmology: A 5-Year Analysis of Ophthalmology Literature.

Objective: To analyze recent publications in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Design: Retrospective review of published articles. Participants: No human participants were involved in the study. Methods: Articles published in Ophthalmology from January 2018 to December 2022 were reviewed and analyzed. Main Outcome Measures: Research and review articles were included and analyzed per the following: total number of published articles based on related subspecialty area, level of evidence using the modified Oxford level of evidence, number of citations, number of listed authors, gender of the corresponding author, country of affiliation of the corresponding and contributing author(s), and involvement of consortium(s), group(s), or committee(s). Results: A total of 965 articles were included. The mean (standard deviation) number of authors per article was 8.6 (5.7) and the majority of corresponding authors were male (665, 70.7%). The greatest number of published articles were related to retina (296, 30.7%) followed by glaucoma (172, 17.8%). The greatest number of Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines were also related to retina (7/24, 29.1%), followed by cornea/dry eye syndrome/external disease (6/24, 25%). Retina (77) had the most level 1 evidence, glaucoma (30) for level 2 evidence, and retina for levels 3 (69) and 4 (65). There were 223 articles contributed by consortia/groups/committees, with most from retina (73, 32.7%) followed by glaucoma (40, 17.9%). The mean number of citations per subspecialty article was highest in retina (45.8/article), followed by uveitis (31.7/article). The United States had the greatest number of affiliated corresponding authors (544, 56.4%), followed by the United Kingdom (68, 7.0%). There were 357 (37.0%) articles with coauthors affiliated outside the corresponding author's country of affiliation, although with a downward trend over the most recent 5-year period. There has been an increasing trend in the number of authors and consortia/group/committee involvement in publications. Conclusions: Although team science and collaborations have increased recently, ongoing efforts to diversify individuals, groups, and subspecialties may be needed. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Concept Coverage Analysis of Ophthalmic Infections and Trauma among the Standardized Medical Terminologies SNOMED-CT, ICD-10-CM, and ICD-11.

Purpose: Widespread electronic health record adoption has generated a large volume of data and emphasized the need for standardized terminology to describe clinical concepts. Here, we undertook a systematic concept coverage analysis to determine the representation of clinical concepts in ophthalmic infection and ophthalmic trauma among standardized medical terminologies, including the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED-CT), the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) version 10 with clinical modifications (ICD-10-CM), and ICD version 11 (ICD-11). Design: Extraction of concepts related to ophthalmic infection and ophthalmic trauma and structured search in terminology browsers. Data Sources: The American Academy of Ophthalmology Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC), SNOMED-CT, and ICD-10-CM terminologies from the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Athena browser, and the ICD-11 terminology browser. Methods: Concepts pertaining to ophthalmic infection and ophthalmic trauma were extracted from the 2022 BCSC free text and index terms. We searched terminology browsers to identify corresponding codes and classified the extent of semantic alignment as equal, wide, narrow, or unmatched in each terminology. The overlap of equal concepts in each terminology was represented in a Venn diagram. Main Outcome Measures: Proportions of clinical concepts with corresponding codes at various levels of semantic alignment. Results: A total of 443 concepts were identified: 304 concepts related to ophthalmic infection and 139 concepts related to ophthalmic trauma. The SNOMED-CT had the highest proportion of equal coverage, with 82.0% (249 of 304) among concepts related to ophthalmic infection and 82.0% (115 of 139) among concepts related to ophthalmic trauma. Across all concepts, 28% (124 of 443) were classified as equal in ICD-10-CM and 52.8% (234 of 443) were classified as equal in ICD-11. Conclusions: The SNOMED-CT had significantly better semantic alignment than ICD-10-CM and ICD-11 for ophthalmic infections and ophthalmic trauma. This demonstrates opportunity for continuing advancement of representation of ophthalmic concepts in standardized medical terminologies.

Assessing Usability of Smartwatch Digital Health Devices for Home Blood Pressure Monitoring among Glaucoma Patients.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Blood pressure (BP) dysregulation is a known risk factor, and home-based BP monitoring is increasingly used, but the usability of digital health devices to measure BP among glaucoma patients is not well studied. There may be particular usability challenges among this group, given that glaucoma disproportionately affects the elderly and can cause visual impairment. Therefore, the goal of this mixed-methods study was to assess the usability of a smart watch digital health device for home BP monitoring among glaucoma patients. Adult participants were recruited and given a smartwatch blood pressure monitor for at-home use. The eHEALS questionnaire was used to determine baseline digital health literacy. After a week of use, participants assessed the usability of the BP monitor and related mobile app using the Post-study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) and the System Usability Scale (SUS), standardized instruments to measure usability in health information technology interventions. Variations in scores were evaluated using ANOVA and open-ended responses about participants' experience were analyzed thematically. Overall, usability scores corresponded to the 80th-84th percentile, although older patients endorsed significantly worse usability based on quantitative scores and additionally provided qualitative feedback describing some difficulty using the device. Usability for older patients should be considered in the design of digital health devices for glaucoma given their disproportionate burden of disease and challenges in navigating digital health technologies, although the overall high usability scores for the device demonstrates promise for future clinical applications in glaucoma risk stratification.

Supernumerary Kidney Associated with Horseshoe Malformation: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

We report a case of supernumerary kidney associated with horseshoe malformation. A 35-year-old man presented complaining of vague and intermittent left flank pain from few months ago. Ultrasonography of urinary tract showed bilateral hydronephrosis and was suggestive of the horseshoe anomaly. Further evaluation with Intravenous urography showed three renal moieties consisting of a horseshoe kidney and a malrotated right kidney cephalad to and fused with the right moiety of horseshoe kidney.