F.Y.Eye
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F.Y.EYE 488 CAN J OPHTHALMOL—VOL. 44, NO. 4, 2009 Stress important factor in psoriasis Psoriasis is considered an immune mediated disease, as evidenced by the improvement with immunosuppres- sives. It has been hypothesized that there is a brain–skin axis in psoriasis, and researchers in Germany studied the effects of stress in the induction of psoriatic disease. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze peripheral T- and NK-cell subsets (including CD8+ T lymphocytes, CLA+ lympho- cytes, and LFA-1+ lymphocytes) in patients with psoriasis and in healthy volunteers at baseline and following stress. In all subjects, analysis was conducted immediately before exposure to psychological stress in the laboratory, then im- mediately after, and 1 hour later. There was a significant in- crease in CD3+ T lymphocytes, and specifically in cytotoxic CD8+ and CLA+ CD3+ lymphocytes, following stress in patients with psoriasis. This was not found in the healthy volunteers. Circulating NK cells showed an increase in both groups following stress, but only the patients with psoriasis had an increase in CLA+ NK cells. The researchers con- cluded that CLA+T and CLA+NK cells may play a role in stress-related aggravation of psoriasis. Schmid-Ott G, Jaeger B, Boehm T, et al. Immunological effects of stress in psoriasis. Br J Dermatol 2009;160:782–5. Promoting water consumption reduces risk of obesity in school children Researchers in Germany looked at the impact of pro- moting water consumption over juice and pop on rates of obesity. In a randomized, controlled cluster trial, 32 ele- mentary schools, in socially deprived neighborhoods of German cities, were enrolled. In the intervention group, water fountains were installed and the grade 2 and 3 teach- ers presented lessons promoting water consumption. In the control group, there was no intervention. In both groups, the prevalence of obesity, BMI scores, and rates of juice and pop consumption were determined at the start of the school year and again at the end of the school year. In the interven- tion group the amount of water usage from the fountains was measured for the duration of the school year. There were 1641 students enrolled in the intervention group and 1309 in the control group. In the intervention group, the rate of water consumption was 1.1 glasses per day greater after the installation of the fountains and the educational sessions. The risk of obesity was reduced by 31% in the intervention group compared to the control group, despite there being no changes in juice and soft drink consumption during the study period in the intervention group. Muckelbauer R, Libuda L, Clausen K. et al. Promotion and pro- vision of drinking water in schools for overweight prevention: randomized, controlled cluster trial. Pediatrics 2009;123:e661–7. Higher red meat consumption increases risk of AMD The link between diet and age-related macular degen- eration was investigated by researchers in Australia to de- termine if red meat consumption affects risk for macular degeneration. A cohort study of 6734 people from 1990 to 1994 was undertaken, with an initial questionnaire to establish meat intake. Follow-up was conducted from 2003 to 2006 with AMD screening via macular photography. Of the people enrolled, there were 1680 cases of “early” AMD and 77 cases of “late” AMD. After adjusting for age, smok- ing, and other confounders, a higher intake of red meat was associated with AMD, with an odds ratio of 1.47 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.79; p < 0.001) for those who ate red meat at least 10 times per week versus those who ate red meat less than 5 times per week. The opposite trend was noted for intake of chicken, with an odds ratio of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.91; p = 0.007) for those who ate chicken at least 3.5 times per week versus less than 1.5 times per week. The authors sug- gest that lifestyle modifications around meat consumption may play a role in prevention of macular degeneration. Chong EW, Simpson JA, Robman LD et al. Red meat and chick- en consumption and its association with age-related macular de- generation. Am J Epidemiol 2009;169:867–76. Not getting enough sleep increases risk of coronary artery disease One predictor of coronary heart disease is coronary artery calcification (CAC), and previous studies have linked the risk factors for CAC (glucose regulation, blood pressure, body mass index) with sleep duration. Researchers in Chi- cago looked at the effect of sleep duration on CAC directly. An observational cohort of 495 people was followed for 5 years. All participants had CAC measured by CT at base- line and again after 5 years. Longer measured sleep duration (based on sleep metrics) was significantly associated with reduced calcification incidence, with 1 hour extra sleep per night associated with a 33% reduction in the development of CAC. King CR, Knutson KL, Rathouz PJ et al. Short sleep duration and incident coronary artery calcification. JAMA. 2008;300:2859–66. F.Y.Eye presents summaries of publications and news stories of in- terest to ophthalmologists. If you have any suggestions or contribu- tions, please send them to Ian McIlraith at [email protected].
Transcript of F.Y.Eye
F.Y.EYE
488 CAN J OPHTHALMOL—VOL. 44, NO. 4, 2009
Stress important factor in psoriasisPsoriasis is considered an immune mediated disease,
as evidenced by the improvement with immunosuppres-sives. It has been hypothesized that there is a brain–skin axis in psoriasis, and researchers in Germany studied the effects of stress in the induction of psoriatic disease. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze peripheral T- and NK-cell subsets (including CD8+ T lymphocytes, CLA+ lympho-cytes, and LFA-1+ lymphocytes) in patients with psoriasis and in healthy volunteers at baseline and following stress. In all subjects, analysis was conducted immediately before exposure to psychological stress in the laboratory, then im-mediately after, and 1 hour later. There was a significant in-crease in CD3+ T lymphocytes, and specifically in cytotoxic CD8+ and CLA+ CD3+ lymphocytes, following stress in patients with psoriasis. This was not found in the healthy volunteers. Circulating NK cells showed an increase in both groups following stress, but only the patients with psoriasis had an increase in CLA+ NK cells. The researchers con-cluded that CLA+T and CLA+NK cells may play a role in stress-related aggravation of psoriasis.
Schmid-Ott G, Jaeger B, Boehm T, et al. Immunological effects of stress in psoriasis. Br J Dermatol 2009;160:782–5.
Promoting water consumption reduces risk of obesity in school children
Researchers in Germany looked at the impact of pro-moting water consumption over juice and pop on rates of obesity. In a randomized, controlled cluster trial, 32 ele-mentary schools, in socially deprived neighborhoods of German cities, were enrolled. In the intervention group, water fountains were installed and the grade 2 and 3 teach-ers presented lessons promoting water consumption. In the control group, there was no intervention. In both groups, the prevalence of obesity, BMI scores, and rates of juice and pop consumption were determined at the start of the school year and again at the end of the school year. In the interven-tion group the amount of water usage from the fountains was measured for the duration of the school year. There were 1641 students enrolled in the intervention group and 1309 in the control group. In the intervention group, the rate of water consumption was 1.1 glasses per day greater after the installation of the fountains and the educational sessions. The risk of obesity was reduced by 31% in the intervention group compared to the control group, despite there being no changes in juice and soft drink consumption during the study period in the intervention group.
Muckelbauer R, Libuda L, Clausen K. et al. Promotion and pro-vision of drinking water in schools for overweight prevention: randomized, controlled cluster trial. Pediatrics 2009;123:e661–7.
Higher red meat consumption increases risk of AMDThe link between diet and age-related macular degen-
eration was investigated by researchers in Australia to de-termine if red meat consumption affects risk for macular degeneration. A cohort study of 6734 people from 1990 to 1994 was undertaken, with an initial questionnaire to establish meat intake. Follow-up was conducted from 2003 to 2006 with AMD screening via macular photography. Of the people enrolled, there were 1680 cases of “early” AMD and 77 cases of “late” AMD. After adjusting for age, smok-ing, and other confounders, a higher intake of red meat was associated with AMD, with an odds ratio of 1.47 (95% CI: 1.21, 1.79; p < 0.001) for those who ate red meat at least 10 times per week versus those who ate red meat less than 5 times per week. The opposite trend was noted for intake of chicken, with an odds ratio of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.91; p = 0.007) for those who ate chicken at least 3.5 times per week versus less than 1.5 times per week. The authors sug-gest that lifestyle modifications around meat consumption may play a role in prevention of macular degeneration.
Chong EW, Simpson JA, Robman LD et al. Red meat and chick-en consumption and its association with age-related macular de-generation. Am J Epidemiol 2009;169:867–76.
Not getting enough sleep increases risk of coronary artery disease
One predictor of coronary heart disease is coronary artery calcification (CAC), and previous studies have linked the risk factors for CAC (glucose regulation, blood pressure, body mass index) with sleep duration. Researchers in Chi-cago looked at the effect of sleep duration on CAC directly. An observational cohort of 495 people was followed for 5 years. All participants had CAC measured by CT at base-line and again after 5 years. Longer measured sleep duration (based on sleep metrics) was significantly associated with reduced calcification incidence, with 1 hour extra sleep per night associated with a 33% reduction in the development of CAC.
King CR, Knutson KL, Rathouz PJ et al. Short sleep duration and incident coronary artery calcification. JAMA. 2008;300:2859–66.
F.Y.Eye presents summaries of publications and news stories of in-terest to ophthalmologists. If you have any suggestions or contribu-tions, please send them to Ian McIlraith at [email protected].
