Aim To determine whether significant correlations exist between retinal sensitivity measured by fundus-related microperimetry and the visual acuity and the foveal thickness measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods A retrospective chart review of 32 eyes with DME and 17 normal healthy eyes that had undergone fundus-related microperimetry and OCT. The macular sensitivity was measured using the recently introduced fundus-related microperimeter, Micro Perimeter 1. The mean retinal sensitivities within the central 21 and 101 were correlated with the best-corrected visual acuity and OCT-measured foveal retinal thickness. Results The mean sensitivities in the central 21 and 101 were significantly lower in patients with DME than in normal subjects (Po0.0001). The mean retinal sensitivities in the central 21 and 101 were inversely correlated with visual acuity (r 2 ¼ 0.623, Po0.0001; r 2 ¼ 0.581, Po0.0001) and foveal thickness (r 2 ¼ 0.581, Po0.0001; r 2 ¼ 0.551, Po0.0001). Conclusions The mean retinal sensitivities measured with fundus-related microperimetry were significantly lower in eyes with DME than in normal eyes. Because a significant correlation of the microperimeter-determined retinal sensitivity to visual acuity and foveal thickness was observed, the retinal sensitivities obtained by fundus-related microperimetry may be another measure that can be used to assess the effects of DME.

The oldest old in Japan work to arrive at a conclusion with their lives, all the while coping with the drawbacks of ageing, such as declining physical and cognitive functions. This resilient and flexible way of life makes their form of ageing an equally 'successful' one.

The purpose of this study was to determine the morphological and functional changes in the macula after pars plana vitrectomy with the creation of a posterior vitreous detachment in eyes with diabetic macular edema (DME). A simple posterior vitreous detachment was created during pars plana vitrectomy accompanied by simultaneous cataract surgery in 19 eyes of 17 patients with DME. The visual acuity (log MAR units), multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs), and optical coherence tomographically (OCT)-determined foveal thickness were determined preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively. The median preoperative log MAR visual acuity was 0.7 (20/100; range, 0.3-1.1), and it improved significantly to 0.4 (20/50; range, 0.15-1.0) postoperatively (p = 0.016). The median foveal thickness was 510 (range, 194-800) microm preoperatively and was significantly reduced to 201 (range, 60-631) microm postoperatively (p =0.0002). The median of response density of the mfERGs in the macular area was 6.3 nV/ deg2 (range, 2.8-14.8) preoperatively, and 6.1 nV/deg2 (range, 2.4-14.3) postoperatively, a non-significant change (p = 0.27). The median of peak latency of the macular response was 30.0 ms (range, 25.0-44.2) preoperatively and it decreased significantly to 28.3 ms (range, 26.7-35.0) postoperatively (p = 0.003). In conclusion, vitrectomy with the creation of a PVD in eyes with DME improved the visual acuity and foveal thickness significantly. In addition, a decrease of the peak latency of the macular mfERGs suggested an improvement of the physiological function of the macula although the amplitude of the mfERGs was not changed significantly.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the factors influencing the requirement of a certificate of long-term care using a basic checklist and items listed in the Special Health Checkup.Method: This study included 7,820 individuals living in Uji city, who were selected from among 8,000 elderly individuals who, in 2008, underwent a specific health checkup (hereafter referred to as the ‘specific health checkup for the old-old elderly individuals’) for those aged 75 years and above. They answered questions from basic checklists at the time, and 180 individuals were excluded as they had already qualified for requiring the certificate of long-term care at the time of the checkup. The follow-up period extended from the day of the specific health checkup for the old-old elderly individuals to March 31, 2013. The data were analyzed using the certificate of needing long-term care as the response variable. The explanatory variables were the basic attributes, items listed in the specific health checkup for the old-old elderly individuals, interview sheets, and basic checklists. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was conducted.Results: In total, 1,280 elderly individuals qualified for requiring the certificate of needing long-term care. The risk factors for the young-old elderly individuals aged 65 to 74 years were as follows: hepatic dysfunction (hazard ratio {HR}=1.69), the presence of subjective symptoms (HR=1.41), an above-normal abdominal circumference (HR=1.36), old age (HR=1.13), a reduced frequency of going out since the previous year (HR=1.87), the use of support for standing up after being seated on a chair (HR=1.86), no deposit or withdrawals made (HR=1.84), the anxiety of falling down (HR=1.50), an inability to climb stairs without holding a railing or wall (HR=1.49), as well as an increased difficulty in eating tough food items compared with 6 months prior (HR=1.44). The risk factors for the old-old elderly individuals were as follows: a positive reaction on proteinuria (HR=1.27), anemia (HR=1.18), old age (HR=1.10), inability to travel on a bus or train by themselves (HR=1.53), the inability to climb stairs without holding a railing or wall (HR=1.48), weight loss (HR=1.36), a reduced sense of appreciation of the activities they had previously participated in, over a span of 2 weeks (HR=1.30), the use of support for standing up after being seated on a chair (HR=1.23), and the anxiety of falling down (HR=1.20).Conclusion: The items listed in the specific medical checkup as well as the basic checklists were found to be risk factors for both the young-old elderly individuals and the old-old elderly individuals, indicating the need to utilize these lists for the prevention of nursing even in the late stages of life. Moreover, these results suggest the importance of screening elderly individuals suffering from hyperkinesis using the basic checklist and conducting preventive interventions in order to maintain and improve their physical functions.

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