Search

Background Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes affecting the eyes and can lead to blindless if left untreated. Several significant risk factors have been reported for DR, of which several can be classified as some form of disease. Furthermore, several systematic reviews have reported associations between several types of mortality and DR. Numerous meta-analyses have pooled the data on these factors, however, a systematic evaluation of these meta-analytic relationships is lacking. In this study, therefore, we performed an umbrella review of systematic reviews of meta-analyses for mortality, diseases and DR, grading the credibility of evidence. Methods A comprehensive database search for observational meta-analyses was conducted from inception until 29/04/2022 against pre-published inclusion criteria. For each meta-analytic outcome, a random-effects meta-analysis was re-conducted, stratifying by study design (and type of DR where possible) of included studies. Several statistical variables, including publication bias, heterogeneity, excess significance bias, and prediction intervals were used to grade the credibility of significant evidence from I to IV, using the recommendations from the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) criteria. Results Of the 1,834 initial results, 11 systematic reviews with meta-analyses were included covering 16 independent outcomes (total participants = 299,655; median participants per outcome: 7,266; median individual studies per outcome = 5). Overall, 10/16 outcomes (62.5%) yielded significant results, most of which were graded as ‘highly suggestive’ (Grade II) evidence. DR was associated with all-cause and cardio-vascular mortality, obstructive sleep apnoea, depression eating disorders, and several forms of cognitive impairment. Conclusions Results show highly suggestive evidence for associations between health outcomes and/or conditions and DR. Public health professionals and practitioners should note these findings when developing and/or reviewing public health polices.

Post-COVID syndrome can be defined as symptoms of COVID-19 that persist for longer than 12 weeks, with several studies reporting persistent symptoms relating to the sensory organs (eyes, ears, and nose). The aim of this systematic review was to examine the prevalence of persistent anosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and hypogeusia, as well as eye/vision and ear/hearing related long-COVID symptoms. Authors searched the electronic databases from inception to November 2021. Search terms included words related to long-COVID, smell, taste, eyes/vision, and ears/hearing, with all observational study designs being included. A random effects meta-analysis was undertaken, calculating the prevalence proportions of anosmia, hyposmia, ageusia, and hypogeusia, respectively. From the initial pool, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria (total n 4,707; median n per study 125; median age = 49.8; median percentage female = 59.2%) and 14 were included in the meta-analysis The prevalence of anosmia was 12.2% (95% CI 7.7–16.6%), hyposmia 29.9% (95% CI 19.9–40%), ageusia 11.7% (95% CI 6.1–17.3%), and hypogeusia 31.2% (95% 16.4–46.1%). Several eye/vision and ear/hearing symptoms were also reported. Considering that changes in the sensory organs are associated with decreases in quality of life, future research should examine the etiology behind the persistent symptoms.Systematic review registration[www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD42021292804].

Screen time has increased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and several correlates have been associated with these increases. These changes, however, have not been aggregated. It was the aim of this review to (a) aggregate changes in screen time in adults and children, and (b) report on variables in relation to screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic.A systematic review of major databases was undertaken for studies published from inception to 06/12/2021, using a pre-published protocol (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021261422). Studies reporting (a) screen time pre-versus-during the pandemic, (b) screen time percentage change, or (c) correlates of screen time during the pandemic were included. A random effects meta-analysis was undertaken with subgroup analysis by age group and type of screen time.After review, 89 studies (Pooled evidence suggest that primary aged children reported the highest increase in both total and leisure screen time during COVID-19. It is recommended that screen time should be reduced in favour of non-sedentary activities. This study has the potential to inform public health policy and future guidance regarding screen time, and to inform future research in this area.No funding was received for this study.