Aims To determine the prevalence and identify associated risk factors for pterygium in an elderly Mongolian population at high altitude in Henan County, China. Methods A population-based survey was conducted from June 2006 to September 2006. A stratified, clustered, random sampling procedure was used to select 2486 Mongolian people aged 40 years and older. Pterygium was diagnosed and graded clinically as grade 1 (transparent), 2 (intermediate), and 3 (opaque). Risk factors associated with pterygium were evaluated with logistic regression models. Results From 2486 eligible subjects, 2112 (84.9%) were examined. There were 378 people with either unilateral (n ¼ 228) or bilateral (n ¼ 150) pterygia, equivalent to an overall prevalence of 17.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 16.3, 19.5). The prevalence increased with older age (v 2 -test of trend Po0.001). Visual acuity decreased with higher group of pterygium (v 2 ¼ 97.759, Po0.0001). Pterygium was independently associated with Schirmer's test (p5 mm) (odds ratio (OR) 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9, 3.1), tear breakup time (p10 s) (OR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.8, 2.9), lower education level (o3 years) (OR 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4, 3.2), increasing age (OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4, 2.8) for persons 70-79, compared with 40-49, and other risk factors. Conclusions The prevalence of pterygium in an older Mongolian population at high altitude is high, primarily because of ocular sun exposure and the other effects of the unique plateau climate, and representing an important health problem. People should be strongly encouraged to wear a wide-brimmed hat and/or sunglasses whenever they are outside.

The toxic effects of x-ray radiation on eye development was measured using zebrafish as a model organism. Zebrafish embryos at 8 h post-fertilization (hpf) were irradiated using X-rays at doses of 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy. At 24 and 48 hpf, x-ray radiation induced a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and cell apoptotic signals. Both of these increases were dose dependent and there were significant positive relationships between them at 24 hpf. At 48 and 72 hpf, the increase of ROS concentration can be eliminated by increasing activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Although the ROS generated by x-ray radiation caused a significant increase in cell apoptosis at 24 and 48 hpf, the cellular layers of the retina and lens formation in the irradiated groups were not significantly disrupted at 144 hpf compared with the control group, with the exception of a heterogeneous distribution of the cells in inner nuclear cell layer and a significant decrease in the diameters of whole eyes after 8 Gy irradiation. X-Ray radiation at later stages of gastrulation may not cause distinct optic complications; however, there is still a risk of microophthalmia at high doses of irradiation.

OBJECTIVES: Numerous studies have investigated the efficacy of whole grains; however, research on multigrain remains limited. Grains exhibit combined positive effects against various diseases. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of multigrain and white rice consumption on periodontitis.METHODS: We analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V-3 and VI, collected between 2012 and 2015, which included 12,450 patients (4,859 male and 7,591 female) aged 19-64 years. The World Health Organization’s Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was utilized to assess the presence of periodontitis, with periodontitis defined as a CPI index score of ≥3. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed after adjusting for potential confounding variables.RESULTS: The group that consumed only multigrain rice was less likely to have periodontitis than the group that consumed only white rice (odds ratio [OR], 0.80; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69 to 0.93). When stratified by sex, the risk of periodontitis demonstrated a 24% decrease in female who consumed only multigrain rice (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.93). A similar result was observed in the age group of 40-64 years (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.99). In the diabetes stratification model, the normal group that consumed only multigrain rice exhibited a 25% decrease in the odds of periodontitis (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.62 to 0.91).CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the prevalence of periodontitis may vary depending on the type of rice consumed.