Effective refractive error coverage in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of updated estimates from population-based surveys in 76 countries modelling the path towards the 2030 global target.

Background: In 2024, WHO included effective refractive error coverage (eREC) into the results framework of the 14th General Programme of Work, which sets a road map for global health and guides WHO's work between 2025 and 2028. eREC is a measure of both the availability and quality of refractive correction in a population. This study aimed to model global and regional estimates of eREC as of 2023 and evaluate progress towards the WHO global target of a 40 percentage-point absolute increase in eREC by 2030.

Comprehensive Update on Multiple Sclerosis-Associated Uveitis and New Epidemiological Insights from the United Kingdom.

Multiple sclerosis (MS)-associated uveitis is characterised most frequently by bilateral intermediate uveitis with peripheral vascular leakage or panuveitis. The interesting association between these autoimmune diseases, which develop in two immune-privileged sites, places some undifferentiated uveitis patients at heightened risk of demyelination and clinical MS precipitation from the use of licensed anti-tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) biologic therapy. However, their association may also open novel treatment avenues, considering the rapidly expanding arsenal of highly effective MS disease-modifying therapies.

How far should I manage acute optic neuritis as an ophthalmologist? A United Kingdom perspective.

Optic neuritis (ON) is an inflammation of or around the optic nerve, frequently caused by infectious or immune-mediated inflammatory disorders. In the UK, its strongest association is with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), though the combined prevalence of other associated infectious and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (I-IMID) is similar to that of MS-ON. Prompt identification and understanding of ON's underlying cause informs tailored management and prognosis.

Applying a genetic risk score model to enhance prediction of future multiple sclerosis diagnosis at first presentation with optic neuritis.

Optic neuritis (ON) is associated with numerous immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, but 50% patients are ultimately diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Differentiating MS-ON from non-MS-ON acutely is challenging but important; non-MS ON often requires urgent immunosuppression to preserve vision. Using data from the United Kingdom Biobank we showed that combining an MS-genetic risk score (GRS) with demographic risk factors (age, sex) significantly improved MS prediction in undifferentiated ON; one standard deviation of MS-GRS increased the Hazard of MS 1.

Sight impairment registration in Trinidad: trend in causes and population coverage in comparison to the National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago.

Background: Little was known about the population coverage and causes of sight impairment (SI) registration within the Caribbean, or the extent to which register studies offer insights into population eye health.

Methods: We compared causes of SI registration in the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association (TTBWA) register with findings from the 2014 National Eye Survey of Trinidad and Tobago (NESTT), and estimated registration coverage. Cross-sectional validation studies of registered clients included interviews, visual function and cause ascertainment in July 2013, and interviews and visual function in July 2016.

Identifying important questions for Cochrane systematic reviews in Eyes and Vision: Report of a priority setting exercise.

Introduction: Systematic reviews are important to inform decision-making for evidence-based health care and patient choice. Deciding which reviews should be prioritized is a key issue for decision-makers and researchers. Cochrane Eyes and Vision conducted a priority setting exercise for systematic reviews in eye health care.

Evaluating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for future clinical trials in adult patients with optic neuritis.

Objective: To search for and critically appraise the psychometric quality of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) developed or validated in optic neuritis, in order to support high-quality research and care.

Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE(Ovid), Embase(Ovid), PsycINFO(Ovid) and CINAHLPlus(EBSCO), and additional grey literature to November 2021, to identify PROM development or validation studies applicable to optic neuritis associated with any systemic or neurologic disease in adults. We included instruments developed using classic test theory or Rasch analysis approaches.

Self-reported dual sensory impairment and related factors: a European population-based cross-sectional survey.

Background: Data on population-based self-reported dual vision and hearing impairment are sparse in Europe. We aimed to investigate self-reported dual sensory impairment (DSI) in European population.

Methods: A standardised questionnaire was used to collect medical and socio-economic data among individuals aged 15 years or more in 29 European countries.

Effective refractive error coverage in adults aged 50 years and older: estimates from population-based surveys in 61 countries.

Background: In 2021, WHO Member States endorsed a global target of a 40-percentage-point increase in effective refractive error coverage (eREC; with a 6/12 visual acuity threshold) by 2030. This study models global and regional estimates of eREC as a baseline for the WHO initiative.

Methods: The Vision Loss Expert Group analysed data from 565 448 participants of 169 population-based eye surveys conducted since 2000 to calculate eREC (met need/[met need + undermet need + unmet need]).

Evaluating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for clinical trials and clinical practice in adult patients with uveitis or scleritis: a systematic review.

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) capture impact of disease and treatment on quality of life, and have an emerging role in clinical trial outcome measurement. This study included a systematic review and quality appraisal of PROMs developed or validated for use in adults with uveitis or scleritis. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and grey literature sources, to 5 November 2021.

Risk of a subsequent diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease in subjects with ophthalmic disorders associated with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective cohort analysis of UK primary care data.

Objectives: Ophthalmic conditions including anterior uveitis (AU), episcleritis and scleritis may occur in association with the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) as ophthalmic extraintestinal manifestations. The aim of this study was to assess the risk of a later IBD diagnosis in those presenting with IBD associated ocular inflammation (IAOI).

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and risk of age-related macular degeneration in individuals with hypertension.

Aims: Several observational studies have examined the potential protective effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE-I) use on the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and have reported contradictory results owing to confounding and time-related biases. We aimed to assess the risk of AMD in a base cohort of patients aged 40 years and above with hypertension among new users of ACE-I compared to an active comparator cohort of new users of calcium channel blockers (CCB) using data obtained from IQVIA Medical Research Data, a primary care database in the UK.

Methods: In this study, 53 832 and 43 106 new users of ACE-I and CCB were included between 1995 and 2019, respectively.

The economics of vision impairment and its leading causes: A systematic review.

Vision impairment (VI) can have wide ranging economic impact on individuals, households, and health systems. The aim of this systematic review was to describe and summarise the costs associated with VI and its major causes. We searched MEDLINE (16 November 2019), National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects and the Health Technology Assessment database (12 December 2019) for partial or full economic evaluation studies, published between 1 January 2000 and the search dates, reporting cost data for participants with VI due to an unspecified cause or one of the seven leading causes globally: cataract, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, corneal opacity, trachoma.

Metformin and risk of age-related macular degeneration in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in its late stages is a leading cause of sight loss in developed countries. Some previous studies have suggested that metformin may be associated with a reduced risk of developing AMD, but the evidence is inconclusive.

Aims: To explore the relationship between metformin use and development of AMD among patients with type 2 diabetes in the UK.

Capturing the experiences of patients with inherited optic neuropathies: a systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and qualitative studies.

Purpose: To identify and comprehensively evaluate studies capturing the experience of individuals affected by an inherited optic neuropathy (ION), focusing on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and qualitative studies where the health status and quality of life (QoL) of these individuals have been explored.

Methods: Systematic review of five databases using a search strategy combining four concepts: (1) ION; (2) QoL and health status; (3) PROMs; and (4) qualitative research. Studies assessing the impact of ION on any QoL domain using a PROM or qualitative methodology were included and appraised, using criteria based on the COSMIN checklist (for PROM studies) and the CASP checklist (for qualitative studies).

Development and application of the ocular immune-mediated inflammatory diseases ontology enhanced with synonyms from online patient support forum conversation.

Background: Unstructured text created by patients represents a rich, but relatively inaccessible resource for advancing patient-centred care. This study aimed to develop an ontology for ocular immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (OcIMIDo), as a tool to facilitate data extraction and analysis, illustrating its application to online patient support forum data.

Methods: We developed OcIMIDo using clinical guidelines, domain expertise, and cross-references to classes from other biomedical ontologies.

Epidemiology of Scleritis in the United Kingdom From 1997 to 2018: Population-Based Analysis of 11 Million Patients and Association Between Scleritis and Infectious and Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disease.

Objective: To estimate 22-year trends in the prevalence and incidence of scleritis, and the associations of scleritis with infectious and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (I-IMIDs) in the UK.

Methods: The retrospective cross-sectional and population cohort study (1997-2018) included 10,939,823 patients (2,946 incident scleritis cases) in The Health Improvement Network, a nationally representative primary care records database. The case-control and matched cohort study (1995-2019) included 3,005 incident scleritis cases and 12,020 control patients matched by age, sex, region, and Townsend deprivation index.

The Impact of Adult Uveitis on Quality of Life: An Exploratory Study.

: This exploratory qualitative research was conducted to understand the quality of life (QoL) impacts of adult uveitis to develop a uveitis QoL item bank, and we present here the results of qualitative analysis of uveitis patient experience.: A qualitative approach with phenomenological study design was employed to explore the common QoL domains in uveitis. Data were collected using focus groups and face-to-face interviews.

Self-reported visual difficulties in Europe and related factors: a European population-based cross-sectional survey.

Purpose: There is a relative paucity of self-reported vision problems data in European countries.

Methods: In this context, we investigated self-reported vision problems through European Health Interview Survey 2, a cross-sectional European population survey based on a standardized questionnaire including 147 medical, demographic and socioeconomic variables applied to non-institutionalized individuals aged 15 years or more in 28 European countries, in addition to Iceland and Norway.

Results: The survey included 311 386 individuals (54.

Trends in Optic Neuritis Incidence and Prevalence in the UK and Association With Systemic and Neurologic Disease.

Importance: Epidemiologic data on optic neuritis (ON) incidence and associations with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) are sparse.

Objective: To estimate 22-year trends in ON prevalence and incidence and association with IMIDs in the United Kingdom.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study analyzed data from The Health Improvement Network from January 1, 1995, to September 1, 2019.

Estimating the global cost of vision impairment and its major causes: protocol for a systematic review.

Introduction: Vision impairment (VI) places a burden on individuals, health systems and society in general. In order to support the case for investing in eye health services, an updated cost of illness study that measures the global impact of VI is necessary. To perform such a study, a systematic review of the literature is needed.