Expression of the primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) susceptibility gene PLEKHA7 in endothelial and epithelial cell junctions in the eye.

Purpose: The role of the recently identified primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) susceptibility gene, pleckstrin homology domain containing, family A member 7 (PLEKHA7), in PACG is unknown. PLEKHA7 associates with apical junctional complexes (AJCs) and is thus implicated in paracellular fluid regulation. We aimed to determine PLEKHA7's localization in the eye and its association with AJCs to elucidate its potential role in PACG.

Pitfalls in evidence assessment: the case of chlorhexidine and alcohol in skin antisepsis.

Chlorhexidine has attracted increasing attention for its role in skin antisepsis in recent years. It was tested in several prominent clinical trials and subsequently recommended in important guidelines for blood culture collection, vascular catheter insertion and surgical skin preparation. We noticed and subsequently reported a widespread misinterpretation of evidence surrounding chlorhexidine and its role in skin antisepsis.

Differences in late cardiovascular mortality following acute myocardial infarction in three major Asian ethnic groups.

Aim: the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in long-term mortality following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients from three major ethnicities of Asia.

Methods And Results: We studied 15,151 patients hospitalized for AMI with a median follow-up of 7.3 years (maximum 12 years) in six publicly-funded hospitals in Singapore from 2000-2005.

The effect of comorbidity on hospital mortality in patients with SLE from an Asian tertiary hospital.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the disease burden of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the usefulness of the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) as risk-adjusted hospital mortality predictors in patients with SLE using a hospital administrative database.

Methods: A historical cohort study of a hospital discharge database from 2004 to 2011 was used to identify cases with SLE and comorbidity using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, ninth revision, Australian modification (ICD-9-AM) codes.

Results: Over the eight years, 841 patients met the criteria of SLE with a hospital mortality rate of 9.

Falls in Older people with Cataract, a longitudinal evalUation of impact and riSk: the FOCUS study protocol.

Background: Falls result in >$1 billion in treatment, disability, lost output and mortality each year in Australia and people with cataract are at increased risk. Previous research is inconclusive; one large Australian study using linked hospital data found no protective effect of cataract surgery. We aim to examine the impact of cataract-related vision impairment on falls risk and the additional effects of delays in access to surgery, refractive management (type of spectacles and changes to spectacle prescription) and the resulting level of function, particularly binocular function which can impact balance.

The association between dietary omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular death: the Singapore Chinese Health Study.

Background: Although studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids intake may reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk, few studies have differentiated dietary eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA) from alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and epidemiological research in Asian populations is limited.

Methods: The Singapore Chinese Health Study is a population-based cohort that recruited 63,257 Chinese adults aged 45-74 years from 1993 to 1998. Usual diet was measured at recruitment using a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire, and mortality information was identified via registry linkage up to 31 December 2011.

Ethnic variation in the correlation between fasting glucose concentration and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

Objective: We aimed to determine the relationship between fasting serum glucose (FSG) concentration and glycated hemoglobin-A1c (HbA1c) in the 3 ethnicities in Singapore after adjustment for demographic and therapeutic variables.

Methods: Fasting serum glucose (FSG), HbA1c, and serum creatinine levels were simultaneously sampled from 575 patients with diabetes (389 Chinese, 97 Indians, 89 Malays) in this cross-sectional study between January and May 2008, and the results were subjected to multivariate linear regression analysis.

Results: We found a significant interaction between FSG and ethnicity on HbA1c.