OcuTerra Therapeutics’ Post

A courageous pursuit that has furthered the understanding of clinical resolution in ophthalmic diseases.

Screening for LDL-Cholesterol – Special Attention Needed in Diabetes Patients @Amgen today reported their initiative in promoting the cause of diagnostic #ldl screening. The burden of #dyslipidemia and #hypertension has been increasing significantly over the last two decades, in both the developing and developed world.  The higher burden of dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes (#T2DM) has been well known. However, the prevalence of this along with hypertension in young-onset diabetes, and the pro-active treatment pathway for the management of dyslipidemia and hypertension has not been studied well at population level. Last year, with my PhD student @Joannaling and postdoc Olga Montvida , we presented an extensive evaluation of the prevalence, risk factor dynamics and the treatment pathway for these two conditions in 255 K + incident T2DM people from UK (diagnosed between 2005 – 2018). I thought, it is timely to provide population-level evidence on the extent of the burden, and the persistent therapeutic inertia in this context – as briefly presented below: 1.      The prevalence of dyslipidemia has been consistently increasing over the last decade in people aged < 60 years at T2DM diagnosis - ~ 10% increase between 2005-2016. The average percentage increase between consecutive years in dyslipidemia prevalence was highest in people aged 18- 50 years at T2DM diagnosis (2.3 – 3.9%). 2.      In people with prevalent dyslipidemia and/or hypertension at T2DM onset, ~ 85% people had high estimated ASCVD risk at baseline. 3.      Time to lipid-lowering treatment (LLT) initiation post T2DM diagnosis: The median months to initiate LLT in the high ASCVD risk group in the 18-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years groups were 27, 13 and 10 months respectively. 4.      The effect of delaying LLT initiation (therapeutic inertia): In the 18-39 /40-49 /50-59 /60-69 /70-79 years age-groups at T2DM diagnosis with dyslipidemia, among people with high and low ASCVD risk status respectively, compared to early LLT initiators, those who initiated LLT after 1 year had 16 /20 /21 /24 /22% and 23 /22 /24/ 25/ 23% significantly higher probability of failing lipid control over 2 years of follow-up.   Significant delay in initiating cardioprotective medications, when needed, is observed in incident T2DM people. This resulted in a very high probability of clinically unacceptable blood pressure and lipid burden during disease progression at population level. American Diabetes Association European Association for the Study of Diabetes e.V. (EASD) Diabetes UK #diabetescare #cardiovasculardisease American College of Cardiology #primarycare Hafiz T.A. Khan, PhD, CStat Alka Shaunik, MD, MBA William Polonsky, PhD, CDCES #realworldevidence #realworlddata Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Puja Myles Kausik Ray MD FMedSci Azeem Majeed Jyothis George

#dr_khalid_zohair Angioid streaks are bilateral, narrow, irregular lines deep to the retina configured in a radiating fashion emanating from the optic disc, which result from breaks in a weakened Bruch's membrane.Systemic diseases associated with angioid streaks are many, ~3% of patients with sickle cell, 12% with Paget disease, and almost all with pseudoxanthoma elasticum, A popular mnemonic used to recall the more common associations is PEPSI: Pseudoxanthoma elasticum, Ehler-Danlos syndrome, Paget's disease of bone, Sickle cell disease and other hemoglobinopathies, Idiopathic, Other systemic associations include abetalipoproteinemia, acromegaly, diabetes mellitus, facial angiomatosis, hemochromatosis, hemolytic anemia, hereditary spherocytosis, hypercalcinosis, hyperphosphatemia, lead poisoning, myopia, neurofibromatosis, senile elastosis, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis.Most patients are asymptomatic but secondary complications can result in choroidal neovascularization, lead to vision loss. don't forget to mention this data were collected and published by dr khalid zohair, Diagnosis confirmed with fluorescein angiography, which is important to rule out associated choroidal neovascularization. Differential Diagnosis: Lacquer cracks (pathologic myopia), Choroidal rupture, Toxoplasmosis, Histoplasmosis, Metastatic choroidal tumor, Central serous chorioretinopathy. Can cause subretinal hemorrhages from choroidal fibrovascular ingrowth. These hemorrhages can resolve spontaneously or can lead to choroidal neovascularization, which can be recurrent and lead to progressive visual loss. Treatment is observation unless associated choroidal neovascularization is present, Intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment is the mainstay of treatment with good results.

A 62-year-old man presents to your clinic complaining of intermittent abdominal pain, fatigue, and a change in bowel habits for the past 2 months. He describes the pain as a dull, crampy sensation that is often relieved by bowel movements. He has noticed occasional blood in his stool, which he describes as "dark and tarry." Physical examination reveals mild abdominal tenderness on palpation without rebound tenderness or guarding. The stool guaiac test shows positive occult blood. Laboratory Findings: Complete blood count (CBC): Hemoglobin: 10.5 g/dL Hematocrit: 31% Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 75 fL Liver function tests (LFTs): Normal Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): Elevated See the attached image with the abnormality surrounded by white arrows. What is the most likely diagnosis? 1. Colon cancer 2. Rectal cancer 3. Ulcerative colitis 4. Acute diverticulitis Please like, follow, share, repost, and comment if you like my content. I try my best to respond to every comment personally. If you want to see all of my future posts, hit the bell icon next to my profile. If you like this, you will love my FREE High-Yield Must-Know Esophageal Images e-book. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/g8ng9z9y

🏅 We welcome you to read this #editorschoice #review by Luigi Uccioli et al. The Immune-Centric Revolution in the Diabetic Foot: Monocytes and Lymphocytes Role in Wound Healing and Tissue Regeneration—A Narrative Review 👉 Full text: https://lnkd.in/d_8AbJza #clinical #medicine #openaccess #woundhealing #diabeticfoot 📑 This article belongs to the Special Issue Diabetic Foot Complications: Current Challenges and Future Prospects—Part II

Why is the visualization of plaque critical for personalized coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis? A recent article in European Heart Journal highlights the clinical utility of advanced plaque analysis by coronary CTA and the critical need for the visualization of atherosclerosis for CAD prognosis. Population-based risk factors correlate imprecisely to an individual’s true risk for MACE. Yet, our system still relies on these indirect markers of risk for prevention and treatment - and heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States. It is time to move away from the emphasis of downstream sequelae and start treating an individual’s actual disease: atherosclerosis. Advanced plaque analysis allows us to visualize disease, enhancing the following: - Personalized risk assessment - Personalized medical therapy - Drug efficacy assessment with serial imaging - Cardiac catheterization gatekeeping Large-scale randomized trials, like the ongoing TRANSFORM trial, are the next step in showing the efficacy of advanced plaque analysis for the prevention of MACE. #yesCCT Nick Nurmohamed, Alexander van Rosendael, MD PhD, Quyen Ngo-Metzger Kausik Ray MD FMedSci, Jeroen J. Bax, Gemma Figtree, Udo Hoffmann MD MPH, James P Earls MD, FSCCT, Deepak L. Bhatt, MD, MPH, MBA, Marc Bonaca Full Paper: https://lnkd.in/eNt7dSr5

#Bladdercancer can recur even after treatment. We advise all #bladder #cancersurvivors to undergo follow-up testing after successful treatment. https://lnkd.in/dG4Cif4H

#Bladdercancer can recur even after treatment. We advise all #bladder #cancersurvivors to undergo follow-up testing after successful treatment. https://lnkd.in/dG4Cif4H

HVR Cardio & Almaral join forces to revolutionize mitral valve repair!   Heart valve disease has been on the rise, with an alarming increase of over 60% in morbidity over the last decade. For individuals over 75, this figure skyrockets to over 160%. The impact is staggering, affecting more than 10% of this age group with clinically relevant mitral valve disease. But amidst these challenges, there's hope on the horizon. Introducing HVR Cardio, a pioneering Finnish cardiovascular device company dedicated to revolutionizing mitral valve repair. Their innovative approach, centered around proprietary helix technology, aims to tackle this pressing issue head-on. Their mission is clear: to develop solutions that are not only effective but also faster, easier to use, and less invasive.   At Almaral (Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) partner), we believe in investing in transformative ventures that have the potential to change lives. That's why we're thrilled to announce our partnership with HVR Cardio as one of the key investors in their latest funding round. Together, we're paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in cardiovascular care.  

Did you know Sarcoma Awareness Month is observed each July? Sarcomas are a group of rare cancers that begin in the bones and soft tissues including fat, muscle, fibrous tissue, nerves, cartilage and blood vessels. The awareness campaign aims to educate about the early signs and symptoms of sarcoma to promote early detection. Here are some things to be aware of: 📌 Most common sarcomas begin as soft, painless lumps in an arm or leg that cannot easily be moved and get bigger over time 📌 Other sarcomas can cause bone pain and swelling that limits movement Sarcoma in a lung can cause a cough, and breathlessness 📌 Sarcoma in the abdomen can cause pain, swelling, vomiting and constipation 📌 A gastrointestinal stomal tumour can lead to bleeding that gives stools a dark colour, bloody vomit, and present similar to signs of anaemia such as shortness of breath and tiredness At Synergy we frequently conduct research in rare disease areas. We regularly have conversations with oncologists and individuals undergoing treatment, and we hear over and over how important early detection and diagnosis is. We understand how important raising awareness is for improving patient outcomes, which has been demonstrated in some of our published work. For example, you can read about our award-winning research with Myeloma UK on delayed diagnosis here: https://lnkd.in/gAHd-_3A Most importantly, if you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms – get checked out. #healthcare #marketresearch #healthcareinnovation #healthawareness