The decline in retina visits during the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with many indicators of mobility, including COVID-19 incidence, geography, and social distancing measures. Different regions variably prioritized retina visits during the pandemic.
Background and Objective:
Newer hypoglycemics such as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have been increasingly used in diabetes. This study aimed to assess the relationship between usage of these hypoglycemic agents and effect on diabetic retinopathy (DR).
Materials and Methods:
Using the Vestrum Health Retina Database, patients with DR with 1 year follow-up after use of a hypoglycemic agent were included and stratified by agent, including no pharmacotherapy.
Results:
Of 60,649 eyes, in 1 year after hypoglycemic agent usage, progression rates from severe nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) were the following: DPP-4 (17%), SGLT-2 (12%), GLP-1 (21%), metformin (18%), and none (20%). Progression rates from moderate NPDR to severe NPDR or PDR were the following: DPP-4 (11%), SGLT-2 (10%), GLP-1 (11%), metformin (10%), none (13%). Progression rates from mild NPDR to moderate/severe NPDR or PDR were the following: DPP-4 (6%), SGLT-2 (9%), GLP-1 (9%), metformin (7%), and none (10%).
Conclusions:
Within a large real-world database, patients prescribed GLP-1 agonists were found to have DR progression rates comparable to those of patients receiving no hypoglycemic agents.
[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
2023; 54(3):158–165.]
Purpose: To explore the recent evolution of diabetic macular edema (DME) treatment practice patterns over 5 years among retina specialists in the United States. Methods: This retrospective analysis assessed 306 700 eyes with newly diagnosed DME from the Vestrum Health database between January 2015 and October 2020. The year-over-year and cumulative 5-year distributions of eyes treated with anti vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, steroids, focal laser, or any combination and those of untreated eyes were calculated. Changes from baseline visual acuity were assessed. Results: Yearly treatment patterns changed significantly from 2015 (n = 18056) to 2020 (n = 11042). The proportion of untreated patients declined over time (32.7% vs 27.7%; P < .001), the use of anti-VEGF monotherapy increased (43.5% vs 61.8%; P < .001), the use of focal laser monotherapy declined (9.7% vs 3.0%; P < .001), and the use of steroid monotherapy remained stable (0.9% vs 0.7%; P = 1.000). Of eyes that maintained follow-up for 5 years (from 2015 to 2020), 16.3% were untreated while 77.5% were treated with anti-VEGF agents (as monotherapy or combination therapy). Vision gains in treated patients remained approximately stable from 2015 (3.6 letters) to 2020 (3.5 letters). Conclusions: From 2015 to 2020, treatment patterns for DME evolved toward greater anti-VEGF monotherapy, stable steroid monotherapy, less laser monotherapy, and fewer untreated eyes.
China is one of the foremost online markets owing to the rising popularity of online shopping, and being the most populated country in the world, it is expected to develop into the largest market in the foreseeable future. India is not far behind. To conduct business online, website quality (WQ) has been regarded as a significant step. Henceforth, for WQ, along with analysis, several discussions have been dedicated. System quality (SQ), information quality (IQ), service quality, and website design are the WQ's strongest elements. Customer satisfaction (CS) is directly and positively affected by WQ. Similarly, CS has a direct and positive effect on purchase intentions (PIs). This effect is mediated significantly by CS with the existence of WQ's effect on PIs. Consequently, CS, WQ, and hypotheses, together with the research methodology, have been reviewed here. Website accuracy, along with consistency, is also explained here.
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