The Importance of the Correlation between CCT and Corneal Curvature in Refractive Surgery

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) in patients with refractive anomalies and emmetropes, in three different age groups. Methods and Results: The study included 330 respondents, with a total of 660 eyes, divided into two groups. The test group included 180 respondents with refractive anomalies (65 respondents with hypermetropia, 65 with myopia, and 50 with astigmatism); the control group included 150 emmetropic respondents with uncorrected visual acuity (VA) – 6/6 in both eyes. Corneal curvature was measured by automated keratometry. We analyzed mean CC (Km), also known as mean keratometry, which is the average of the two major meridians of CC (K1 and K2) measured in diopters (D). CCT was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry. The mean CCT in the myopic group was 521.0±28.2 μm, which was lower than in both the control group (550.0±18.0 μm) and the astigmatic groups (530.3±30.0 μm). In the emmetropic group, with increasing age, the CCT values decreased from 557.6±19.7 μm in the age group 0.05). In the astigmatism and emmetropic groups, we found no statistically significant difference between the mean CCT values depending on gender (P>0.05). In the hypermetropic group, the mean CCT values were higher in women (569.1 ± 28.9 μm) than in men (555.1 ± 23.5 μm) (P=0.008). At the same time, in the myopic group, the CCT values were higher in men (529.5 ± 28.0 μm) than in women (516.0 ± 41.8 μm) (P=0.049). Regarding the correlation between CCT and CC, we found no significant correlation in the hypermetropic (rs=-0.101; P=0.249) and myopic (rs=-0.0101; P=0.869) groups. However, a statistically significant low negative correlation was found between CCT and Km in the astigmatism group (rs=-0.322; P=0.001), and a statistically significant low positive correlation was found between CCT and Km in the control group (rs=0.144; P=0.0120). Conclusion: CCT is found to be thicker in hypermetropic patients than in emmetropes. With increasing age, the cornea tends to become thinner. We found no significant correlation between the CCT values and corneal keratometry. Also, we found that in the astigmatism group, the CCT values were higher in the corneal keratometric group 42-48D. The cornea is inclined to become thinner and steeper in myopes. These biometric findings will serve to update and advance protocols in refractory surgery

Predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic healthy non-diabetic postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Cardiovascular disease progresses after menopause. Conventional risk factors, particularly diabetes, for atherosclerosis are well-established predictors of phenotypic arterial disease. The aim of this study is to assess the predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis in asymptomatic non-diabetic postmenopausal women. METHODS: This prospective study included 117 consecutive postmenopausal women (mean age 59 ± 7 years) referred from the outpatient Rheumatology Clinic of the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo, recruited between September 2021 and December 2022. Clinical, biochemical, carotid ultrasound and coronary CT angiography data were analysed. Subclinical atherosclerosis was diagnosed when plaque and/or carotid intima-media thickness >1.00 mm were present. RESULTS: Women who had subclinical atherosclerosis had higher erythrocyte sedimentation (p = 0.022), higher total cholesterol (p = 0.013), higher CAC score (p = 0.017), and higher prevalence of CAC > 100 HU and CAC > 400 HU (p = 0.017 and p = 0.034, respectively) compared to those without subclinical atherosclerosis. Women who had mild coronary calcification (CAC score ≥10 HU) were older (p = 0.005), in longer menopause (p = 0.005), had thicker CIMT (p = 0.008) with higher prevalence (p = 0.03) compared to those with CAC score <10 HU. Women with moderate coronary calcification (CAC score ≥100 HU) had higher triglycerides, worse CIMT (p = 0.005) with higher prevalence (p = 0.039) compared to those with CAC score <100 HU. In multivariate analysis [odds ratio 95% confidence interval], age [1.101 (1.032-1.174), p = 0.037] and cholesterol [2.020 (1.225-3.331), p = 0.006] independently predicted the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to the impact of age, hypercholesterolaemia is an important predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis in non-diabetic postmenopausal women