Currently, traditional and non-traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease have been established. The first group includes age, which constitutes one of the most important factors in the development of chronic diseases. The second group includes inflammation, the pathophysiology of which contributes to an accelerated process of vascular remodelling and atherogenesis in autoimmune diseases. Indeed, the term inflammaging has been used to refer to the inflammatory origin of ageing, explicitly due to the chronic inflammatory process associated with age (in healthy individuals). Taking this into account, it can be inferred that people with autoimmune diseases are likely to have an early acceleration of vascular ageing (vascular stiffness) as evidenced in the alteration of non-invasive cardiovascular tests such as pulse wave velocity. Thus, an association is created between autoimmunity and high morbidity and mortality rates caused by cardiovascular disease in this population group. The beneficial impact of the treatments for rheumatoid arthritis at the cardiovascular level has been reported, opening new opportunities for pharmacotherapy.

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Background Sjögren’s Syndrome compromises the exocrine function, producing xerostomia and xerophthalmia. It can appear as an isolated condition or associated with other autoimmune diseases (polyautoimmunity). The Unstimulated Salivary Flow rate (UWSF) is used to quantify saliva production. There is no objective evidence to differentiate the values in patients with Sjögren’s versus healthy people or patients with non-Sjögren’s sicca. The objective of the present review was to evaluate the UWSF in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome in comparison to controls (healthy and non-Sjögren’s sicca patients). Methods A systematic literature review was carried out (PRISMA guidelines). Analytical observational studies of cases and controls, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies and randomized clinical trials (including healthy controls) were considered. The Medline/OVID, Lilacs, Embase, and Cochrane/OVID databases were consulted. MeSH, DeCS, keywords, and Boolean operators were used. The meta-analysis (RevMan 5.2) was done through the random-effects model [mean difference (MD)]. Level and quality of evidence were evaluated by the Oxford Center Levels of Evidence and Joanna Brigs list respectively. Results Thirty-two articles were included (20 were case-control studies, 6 were cross-sectional, 2 prospective cohort, 2 retrospective cohort, and 2 studies were abstracts) and 28 were meta-analyzed. The unstimulated whole salivary flow rate in the Sjögren’s group was lower than in controls (healthy and patients with non-Sjögren Sicca syndrome) (MD-0.18 ml/min; 95% CI, − 0.24 to − 0.13; chi2-P-value < 0.00001). Heterogeneity was 97% and there was publication bias (funnel plot). The level of evidence was mostly 3 or 4. The quality of evidence was met (97% of items valued). Conclusion For the first time, the unstimulated whole salivary flow rate is found to be lower in patients with Sjögren’s syndrome compared to controls (healthy and non-SS sicca) through a meta-analysis. Trial registration PROSPERO CRD42020211325.

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Nanotechnology is a subject that studies, processes, and applies various functional materials, equipment, and systems, and controls substances on a nanoscale. Nanomedicine refers to its application in diagnosing, treating, preventing, and monitoring various diseases. Drugs administered through eye drops must travel a long distance to avoid various eye barriers reaching the posterior segment of the eye, to achieve the lowest drug level. This review focuses on nanotechnology-based eye disease treatment systems and highlights the obstacles affecting the drug management of eyes and nano-systems for the treatment of eye diseases. This paper summarizes the development prospect of nanotechnology and the challenges it faces in the treatment and diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases, to provide information and new ideas for the implementation of treatment and the development of a refractory eye disease management system.

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Identificar las patologías oculares más frecuentes en el servicio de urgencias, categorizar el número de consultas urgentes y no urgentes, evaluar la concordancia diagnóstica entre el médico de urgencias (MU) y el oftalmólogo. Métodos: Estudio observacional analítico de corte transversal. Se incluyeron pacientes que asistieron al servicio de urgencias de un hospital universitario de alto nivel de complejidad en Bogotá, Colombia, por un motivo de consulta oftalmológico, desde el 1 de noviembre de 2016 al 30 de abril de 2017. Se extrajeron variables sociodemográficas (edad, sexo, aseguradora de salud), tipo de lesión (traumática/no traumática), clasificación del cuadro clínico (urgente/semiurgente/no urgente), diagnóstico del MU, diagnóstico del oftalmólogo. Resultados: Se analizaron 473 pacientes. El 52.9% de las visitas fueron de carácter urgente, el 17.1%, semiurgentes y el 30%, no urgentes. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue de cuerpo extraño corneal (22,4%), la mayoría relacionados con accidentes laborales (p < 0.01), y el sexo masculino fue el más afectado. El acuerdo diagnóstico entre el MU y el oftalmólogo fue del 34.1%. Conclusiones: Se encontró una alta prevalencia de cuerpo extraño corneal comparado con la literatura mundial, lo que evidencia la necesidad de insistir en el uso de protección ocular en casa y en el trabajo. El 30% de las visitas se consideraron no urgentes, lo que enfatiza la necesidad de informar a los pacientes y al personal encargado del triaje en urgencias para identificar urgencias oftalmológicas verdaderas. La pobre concordancia en los diagnósticos posiblemente refleja una falta de entrenamiento en oftalmología del personal de urgencias.

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