The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

The International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR) was established in 2017 to advance the understanding of severe asthma and its management, thereby improving patient care worldwide. As the first global registry for adults with severe asthma, ISAR enabled individual registries to standardize and pool their data, creating a comprehensive, harmonized dataset with sufficient statistical power to address key research questions and knowledge gaps. Today, ISAR is the largest repository of real-world data on severe asthma, curating data on nearly 35,000 patients from 28 countries worldwide, and has become a leading contributor to severe asthma research. Research using ISAR data has provided valuable insights on the characteristics of severe asthma, its burdens and risk factors, real-world treatment effectiveness, and barriers to specialist care, which are collectively informing improved asthma management. Besides changing clinical thinking via research, ISAR aims to advance real-world practice through initiatives that improve registry data quality and severe asthma care. In 2024, ISAR refined essential research variables to enhance data quality and launched a web-based data acquisition and reporting system (QISAR), which integrates data collection with clinical consultations and enables longitudinal data tracking at patient, center, and population levels. Quality improvement priorities include collecting standardized data during consultations and tracking and optimizing patient journeys via QISAR and integrating primary/secondary care pathways to expedite specialist severe asthma management and facilitate clinical trial recruitment. ISAR envisions a future in which timely specialist referral and initiation of biologic therapy can obviate long-term systemic corticosteroid use and enable more patients to achieve remission.

Methods: This study analyzed US public interest in lumbar decompression and fusion surgery using Google Trends data from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2024. The relative search volume (RSV) was used to measure public interest. Temporal trends were assessed using linear regression analysis, whereas seasonal and geographic variations were evaluated using analysis of variance and Tukey’s post hoc tests. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: Public interest in lumbar decompression and fusion surgery showed a statistically significant upward trend from 2015 to 2024 (p<0.05), with R2 ranging from 0.0141 to 0.6748 across search terms. Monthly analysis revealed that the average search volume was highest in October (78.8%) and lowest in December (68.7%). No significant differences were observed among seasons (p=0.102). Geographically, the highest mean RSV was in the Northeast (43.3%), followed by the West (19.5%), Midwest (12.6%), South (11.1%), and Southwest (10.2%), with significant differences among these regions (p<0.001). Conclusions Public interest in lumbar decompression and fusion surgery has shown a consistent and statistically significant upward trend over the past decade. Although seasonal variation was not significant, notable geographic differences in search volume were observed, with the northeast showing the highest level of interest. These findings highlighted regional disparities in public engagement and may serve as a basis for future healthcare resource planning and patient education strategies.

Objective To observe the distribution of macular thickness and its relationship with axial length, gender, refraction status and race in six-year-old children. Methods 1543 six-year-old children from 34 schools in Sydney were randomly selected. The thickness of center macula(CM), inner macula(IM)and outer macula (OM)were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT), the differences of macular thickness between different genders and races were comparatively analyzed. The axial length and refraction status of all children were measured by IOL Master and autorefractor RK-F1 respectively. Results The CM, IM and OM thickness of all those six-year-old children were normally distributed,on average they were 193.6, 264.3 and 236.9 μm respectively, the differences were statistically significant (t = 0.40,0. 08,0.20;P＜0. 05). The CM,IM and OM average thickness was 194.2,264.9,229.0 μm for boys and 189.3,262.5,231.5 μm for girls respectively. CM and IM thickness of boys were thicker than those in girls(t=0. 15,0. 11;P＜0. 05). The CM, IM and OM average thickness was 196.0,265.2,237.5 μm for White kids,186.0,262.3,236.5 μm for East Asia kids and 193.4,263.7,233.8 μm for Central East kids respectively.The CM and IM thickness of White and Central East children were significantly thicker than East Asia children (t=0. 12,0.15; P＜0.05). There was no difference between these three races in OM thickness(t=0. 16,P=0.6). The IM and OM were thinner with longer axial length (P＜0. 05). The CM,IM and OM thickness was thicker with higher hyperopic degrees (P ＜0. 05). Conclusions Macular thickness was normally distributed in six-year-old children and was significantly affected by gender, race, axial length and refraction status.

INTRODUCTIONThe objectives of this study were to assess the utility and validity of the self-administered SF-36 and the effect of visual or cognitive impairment on these measures in an older population.

MATERIALS AND METHODSAttempt rates, completion rates and internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) were compared within the second cross-sectional, population-based Blue Mountains Eye Study (n = 3509, mean age 66.7 years, 57% women).

RESULTSThe SF-36 was attempted by 3162 (90.1%) participants, of which 2470 (78.1%) completed all items and 2873 (90.9%) completed sufficient items for calculation of all dimensions. In a multivariate model adjusting for age, sex, and presenting visual and cognitive impairments, women (P = 0.011) and participants with visual or cognitive impairments (P < 0.0001) were less likely to attempt the questionnaire. Completion rates were significantly lower with increasing age (P < 0.0001), in men (P < or = 0.0005) and in those with cognitive impairment (P < 0.0001). A high level of internal consistency (Cronbach alpha > 0.85 for all dimensions) and construct validity was demonstrated, the latter distinguishing between those with and without medical conditions, disabilities or recent hospital admissions (P < 0.01). As the prevalence of visual or cognitive impairment was relatively low in this population, we found no apparent effect of these impairments on the validity of SF-36.

CONCLUSIONSAttempt and completion rates, but not internal consistency and construct validity, of the SF-36 were influenced by age, gender, and presenting visual and cognitive impairments. The overall high attempt and completion rates, internal consistency and construct validity suggest that the self-administered SF-36 is a suitable healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL) measure in similar older community-living populations.

Aged ; Cognition Disorders ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Visually Impaired Persons

INTRODUCTIONTo assess the association between sensory and cognitive function, and the potential influence of visual function on cognitive function assessment, in a sample of clients accessing aged care services.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe recruited 260 non-institutionalised, frail, older individuals who sought aged care services. Visual acuity was assessed using a LogMAR chart and hearing function was measured using a portable pure-tone air conduction audiometer. Visual impairment was defined as visual acuity (VA) <6/12 (<39 letters read correctly in the better eye), moderate-to-severe hearing impairment as hearing thresholds >40 decibels (better ear) and cognitive impairment as Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score <24.

RESULTSVision and hearing assessments were randomly performed in 168 and 164 aged care clients, respectively. Visual acuity correlated weakly with MMSE scores, either including (r = 0.27, P <0.001) or excluding (r = 0.21, P = 0.006) vision-related MMSE items. After partialling out the effect of age, the association remained (r = 0.23, P = 0.013 including, or r = 0.18, P = 0.044 excluding vision-related items). No correlation was found between MMSE scores and hearing thresholds (r = -0.07, P = 0.375). After adjusting for age, sex and stroke, mean MMSE scores were lower in persons with visual impairment than those with normal vision (25.2 + 0.5 versus 26.8 + 0.4 including, or 18.2 + 0.5 versus 19.2 + 0.3 excluding vision-related items), but were similar between subjects with none or mild and those with moderate-to-severe hearing loss (26.3 + 0.4 versus 26.0 + 0.4).

CONCLUSIONSIn this study sample, visual and cognitive functions were modestly associated, after excluding the influence of visual impairment on the MMSE assessment and adjusting for age. Hearing thresholds were not found to be associated with cognitive function.

Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Australia ; epidemiology ; Cognition ; Cognition Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology ; Female ; Frail Elderly ; Geriatric Assessment ; Health Services for the Aged ; utilization ; Hearing Loss ; complications ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Pilot Projects ; Risk Assessment ; Sensation ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Vision Disorders ; complications ; epidemiology