Risk of Glaucoma in Patients Receiving Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study

Evaluating the risk of new-onset glaucoma in chronic kidney disease patients: a nationwide cohort study

BACKGROUND

A better understanding of the association between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and glaucoma is required to optimize clinical outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association of chronic kidney disease (CKD) with new diagnoses of glaucoma over time from January 2009 to December 2019.

METHOD

This retrospective propensity-matched cohort study utilizing Taiwanese electronic health records examined the incidence of newly diagnosed glaucoma in patients with and without chronic kidney disease (CKD). The exposure variable was the diagnosis of CKD, identified through diagnostic codes. The primary outcome was the incidence of new-onset glaucoma. Subgroup analyses on glaucoma risk included age, gender, comorbidities, glaucoma subtypes, and dialysis status. Statistical analyses included Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox proportional hazards models, and Poisson regression models, with the associated hazard ratios and confidence intervals reported.

RESULTS

Seven hundred twenty-three thousand two hundred sixteen patients with CKD (42.3% female; mean [SD] age at index, 66.3 [15.6] years) and 723,216 patients without CKD (42.3% female; mean [SD] age at index, 66.3 [15.7]) were recruited. We showed a significantly increased risk of glaucoma irrespective of subtypes in CKD patients compared to those without CKD (HR: 1.29 [CI: 1.26-1.32], p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed a significantly increased glaucoma risk in both the dialytic subtype and non-dialytic CKD patients when compared to their non-CKD counterparts (p < 0.001). We also showed that all genders (aHR 1.17 [CI: 1.13-1.21] for females vs. aHR 1.39 [CI:1.35-1.43] for males), all ages (< = 49: aHR 1.49 [CI: 1.37-1.62]; 50-59: aHR 1.48 [CI: 1.40-1.56]; 60-69: aHR 1.30 [CI: 1.25-1.6]; 70-79: aHR 1.21 [CI: 1.17-1.26]; > 80: aHR 1.29 [CI: 1.21-1.37]); all income brackets and all urbanization status were associated with significantly increased risk of glaucoma from among the CKD cohort when compared to their respective non-CKD cohort (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our cohort study spanning 12 years showed an elevated glaucoma risk following a CKD diagnosis compared to a frequency-matched non-CKD cohort. Our findings have relevance for the clinical practice of at-risk CKD patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Due to the retrospective nature of the study, no registration was necessary.

Risk Factors for Primary Angle-closure Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 45 Studies

SIGNIFICANCE

This study summarized primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG)-related factors across different dimensions.

OBJECTIVES

This review aimed at systematically summarizing the associated factors of PACG in published literatures.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted by searching the electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from their inception to November 2021. The pooled risk estimates of continuous and categorical variables were calculated using weighted mean difference (WMD) and odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]), respectively.

RESULTS

We included 45 studies in this review. In the meta-analysis, intraocular pressure (WMD, 3.13; 95% CI, 2.37 to 3.89), anterior chamber depth (WMD, -0.52; 95% CI, -0.70 to -0.34), axial length (WMD, -0.77; 95% CI, -1.26 to -0.28), retinal nerve fiber layer (WMD, -21.23; 95% CI, -30.21 to -12.25), and spherical equivalent (WMD, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.66 to 1.38) were the most common ophthalmic anatomic factors, and lower body weight (WMD, -3.65; 95% CI, -6.48 to -0.82) was the most significant general morphological indicators. The presence of cataract (OR, 3.77; 95% CI, 3.46 to 4.11) and hyperlipidemia (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.20) were significantly associated with PACG. Increased level of triglyceride (WMD, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.27) was associated with PACG. In addition, an association between short-term antidepressant exposure (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.70) and acute angle-closure glaucoma was observed.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF KEY FINDINGS

This review identified a few consistent factors related to PACG, providing important information for primary care physicians, general ophthalmologists, and public health professionals to counsel their patients on PACG risks.

Vision-Related Quality of Life and Ocular Parameters in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Purpose

To evaluate the vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) of patients receiving hemodialysis through the assessment of the impact of vision impairment (IVI) questionnaire and ocular parameters, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), and refraction as calculated by spherical equivalent (SE) of each eye.

Methods

Fifty-one patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis at a single center were recruited, and a total of 77 eyes were evaluated. BCVA, IOP, and SE were evaluated before and after hemodialysis (within 30 min).

Results

Of the 51 patients recruited, 13 (25%) were female, 37 (73%) were male, and one (2%) chose not to specify gender. The mean age was 61.85 ± 32 years. The mobility IVI score was correlated significantly with the presence of hypertension (P = 0.01), eye drop usage (P = 0.04), and gender (P = 0.04). Emotional IVI scores were correlated significantly with diabetes (P = 0.03) and hypertension (P < 0.01). IOP significantly correlated with the IVI overall score (P = 0.02), including the reading IVI subscale and the emotional IVI subscale. Several factors were associated with posthemodialysis ocular parameters, including predialysis ocular parameters, age, and hypertension (P < 0.05 for all).

Conclusions

IOP significantly correlated with VRQoL in hemodialysis patients. Demographic variables such as diabetes status, hypertension, eye drop usage, and gender also significantly correlated with subsections of the IVI questionnaire. This study investigated the relationship between ocular parameters and VRQoL in hemodialysis patients, and future longitudinal research is needed to further elucidate the mechanisms.

Insights From the Eye for Patients With Kidney Transplant

The eye and the kidney share structural and developmental similarities on a cellular and clinical level, and they are often affected by the same disease processes. Performing an eye exam to look for signs of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes can provide a helpful window into the health of the kidney. Patients with kidney transplants (KT) are a unique population that require close monitoring. These patients are maintained on a number of immunosuppressive medications and may face complications such as medication side effects, infections, and graft rejection. Patients with KT are at higher risk of both infectious and noninfectious eye conditions related to underlying systemic disease or use of immunosuppressive medications. Screening for eye conditions is important because preserving visual function is integral to quality of life, and also because the eye exam can help with early detection and treatment of systemic conditions. Here we describe some of the common eye findings and conditions in patients with KT. We recommend that patients with KT receive annual eye exams, and we hope that the information provided here can help nephrologists become more familiar with eye findings and identify situations where a referral to ophthalmology is warranted.

Bidirectional association between glaucoma and chronic kidney disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Glaucoma and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are prevalent and debilitating conditions, with common pathogenic pathways like oxidative stress and fluid dysregulation. We evaluated if there is a bidirectional association between them, as previous studies have yielded conflicting results.

METHODS

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library from inception until 15 June 2021, including full-length English articles published in peer-reviewed journals reporting on glaucoma and CKD as either exposure or outcome, among participants aged ≥18 years. We pooled overall summary estimates of odds ratios using random-effect meta-analysis and conducted subgroup meta-analyses and univariate meta regression. We assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and quality of evidence using the GRADE framework. Our article is PROSPERO-registered and adherent to both PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. This review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021262846).

FINDINGS

We identified 14 articles comprising of 3 retrospective cohort studies and 12 cross-sectional studies from 2,428 records, including 1,978,254 participants. Risk of bias was low to moderate. Participants with CKD at baseline had higher pooled odds of glaucoma (odds ratio[OR]=1.18, 95% confidence interval[CI]=1.04-1.33, I²=66%, N=12) compared to participants without CKD. The association remained significant in subgroups of longitudinal studies, participants with diabetes, East Asian studies and primary open-angle glaucoma. In the reverse direction, participants with glaucoma at baseline had over three-fold higher odds of incident CKD compared to participants without glaucoma after 10-15 years of follow-up in longitudinal studies (OR=3.67, 95% CI=2.16-6.24, I²=75%, N=2). All studies adjusted for age and sex, while most studies adjusted for comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. Meta-regression identified ethnicity (East Asians vs Non-East Asians) as a significant effect moderator. Associations were robust to trim-and-fill adjustment for publication bias, single-study influence and cumulative meta-analyses.

INTERPRETATION

Our meta-analysis suggests a bidirectional relationship between glaucoma and CKD, particularly among East Asians. Further studies are required to elucidate underlying mechanisms and account for differential association by ethnicity.

FUNDING

Ching-Yu Cheng is supported by Clinician Scientist Award (NMRC/CSA-SI/0012/2017) of the Singapore Ministry of Health's National Medical Research Council.

Association of Long Non-Coding RNA Growth Arrest-Specific 5 Genetic Variants with Diabetic Retinopathy

The aim of this work was to appraise the potential associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of long non-coding RNA growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a diabetes mellitus (DM) population. Two loci of the GAS5 SNPs (rs55829688 and rs145204276) were genotyped via TaqMan allelic discrimination in 449 non-DR patients and 273 DR subjects. The SNP rs145204276 Del/Del showed a significantly higher distribution in the DR group compared to the non-DR group (AOR: 2.487, 95% CI: 1.424–4.344, p = 0.001). During subgroup analyses, the non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) subgroup demonstrated a significantly higher ratio of the SNP rs145204276 Del/Del (AOR: 2.917, 95% CI: 1.574–5.406, p = 0.001) and Ins/Del + Del/Del (AOR: 1.242, 95% CI: 1.016–1.519, p = 0.034) compared to the non-DR population, while the proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) subgroup did not reveal significant differences in either SNP rs145204276 or rs55829688 distributions compared to the non-DR group. Furthermore, patients with a GAS5 SNP rs145204276 Del/Del showed a significantly shorter DM duration than the wild type (Ins/Ins) (p = 0.021). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that the GAS5 SNP rs145204276 Del/Del variant is associated with an increased susceptibility to DR in DM patients, particularly in those patients with NPDR.

Predisposing Factors for Severe Complications after Cataract Surgery: A Nationwide Population-Based Study

We conducted a retrospective group study to evaluate the potential systemic risk factors for major postoperative complications of cataract surgery. Individuals diagnosed with (n = 2046) and without (n = 8184) serious complications after cataract surgery were matched 1:4 for age, sex, and index date obtained using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. The outcome was defined as at least one new inpatient or outpatient diagnosis of systemic disease one year before the index date. The effect of demographic data on postoperative complications was also analyzed in the multivariable model. Data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate conditional logistic regression models to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals of the risk of developing serious complications. After the entire study interval, the major postoperative complications of cataract surgery were associated with the following systemic diseases: hypertension (adjusted OR (aOR) = 2.329, p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (aOR = 2.818, p < 0.001), hyperlipidemia (aOR = 1.702, p < 0.001), congestive heart failure (aOR = 2.891, p < 0.001), rheumatic disease (aOR = 1.965, p < 0.001), and kidney disease needing hemodialysis (aOR = 2.942, p < 0.001). Additionally, demographic data including old age, higher urbanization level, higher level of care, and more frequent inpatient department visits were associated with a higher rate of postoperative complications. In conclusion, metabolic syndrome, chronic heart failure, end-stage renal disease, rheumatic disease, older age, and frequent inpatient department visits are correlated with the development of severe postoperative complications of cataract surgery. Therefore, cataract surgery patients should be informed about a higher possibility of postoperative complications.