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Aim: To examine the relationship between patient–provider communication, psychosocial patient self‐efficacy, resources and support for self‐management and socio‐demographics within individualized care of older adults with diabetes. Design: A quantitative study with a cross‐sectional survey design. Methods: Data were collected from September 2019 to January 2021 using: Individualized Care Scale, The Communication Assessment Tool, The Diabetes Empowerment Scale and The Resources and Support for Self‐Management Scale. Patients with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus that were 65 years old and over (N = 145) participated in the study. Results: The most positive aspects of patient–provider communication were respect and creating a comfortable environment for the patient. A significant relationship was observed between patients' perceptions and support of individualized care and diabetes‐related measures. Effective communication was the main factor associated with support for individualizing care, and together with education level, empowerment and access to resources, explained 23% of the variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective A case-control study was conducted to assess seasonal influenza vaccine effectiveness (SIVE) during the 2015-2016 influenza season. Methods A study was performed in three departments in Lithuania between 1 December 2015 and 1 May 2016. Data on demographic and clinical characteristics including influenza vaccination status were collected from the patients recommended to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine. Influenza virus infection was confirmed by multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) . Results Ninety-one (56.4%) of the 163 included subjects were =65 years old. Fifteen (9.2%) subjects were vaccinated against influenza at least 2 weeks before the onset of influenza symptoms, 12 of them were =65 years old. Of the 72 (44.2%) influenza virus positive cases, 65 (39.9%) were confirmed with influenza A (including 50 cases of influenza A(H1N1)pdm09), eight (4.9%) were confirmed with influenza B and one was a co-infection. Unadjusted SIVE against any influenza, influenza type A and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 57% (95% CI -41% to 87%), 52% (95% CI -57% to 85%) and 70% (95% CI -43% to 94%) respectively. Conclusion Although SIVE estimates were not statistically significant the point estimates suggest moderate effectiveness against influenza type A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a progressive retinal disease, is responsible for an impaired central vision in about 180 million people worldwide. Current options for ARMD prevention and treatment are limited due to an incomplete understanding of disease etiopathogenesis. We aimed to test the hypothesis that the single nucleotide polymorphism rs5888 of SCARB1 gene reflecting lipid and antioxidant micronutrient metabolism pathways is associated with ARMD susceptibility and to evaluate if there is any relation between SCARB1 rs5888 and the macular lesion area. Materials and methods: The prospective case-control study included patients with ARMD (n = 215) and the reference group (n = 238) drawn from a random sample of the Lithuanian population (n = 1436). The genotyping test of SCARB1 rs5888 was carried out using the real-time polymerase chain reaction method. Results: Regression analysis adjusted by gender and age demonstrated that SCARB1 rs5888 TT genotype significantly decreased the odds for ARMD development (OR: 0.61, 95%; CI: 0.380-0.981, p = 0.04). A smoking habit and leading an outdoor life are associated with larger macular lesion areas in ARMD patients (0.54 (0.00-39.06) vs. 3.09 (0.02-19.30) and 0.27 (0.00-34.57) vs. 0.75 (0.00-39.06), respectively). In late stage ARMD subjects with CT genotype, the macular lesion area was larger than in TT carriers (7.64 (0.49-39.06) mm² vs. 5.02 (0.03-37.06) mm², p = 0.006). Conclusions: SCARB1 rs5888 and environmental oxidative stress have a prominent role in ARMD susceptibility, early ARMD progression to advanced stage disease and even in the outcome of the disease--an area of macular lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]