Characterization of Esophageal and Sphincter Reflexes across Maturation in Dysphagic Infants with Oral Feeding Success vs Infants requiring Gastrostomy.

Recent International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates indicate that, around 589 million adults aged 20–79 were affected by diabetes globally in 2025, exceeding 10% of the world’s adult population. It is expected that this figure will climb to 853 million by 2050. China alone has an estimated 174 million patients, representing more than one-quarter of the global burden. Such a high prevalence suggests a substantial and growing impact on population health. The most serious consequences of diabetes arise from long-term chronic complications. Among them, diabetic retinopathy (DR) has received increasing attention due to its profound effect on visual function. Initially, DR typically presents without symptoms. With disease progression, microaneurysms, retinal hemorrhages, exudation, and macular edema may occur. If the condition worsens further, it can lead to pathological neovascularisation and fibrous vascular proliferation, which can develop into proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), pulling retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and eventually leading to irreversible vision loss or blindness. Fundus examination is crucial in the clinical management of diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, in primary medical institutions, the early screening rate is low due to limited equipment, the shortage of trained professionals, and the lack of patient awareness and compliance. As a result, many patients missed the best time for intervention and suffered preventable visual impairment. Therefore, identifying simple and effective biomarkers is of great importance for enhancing early detection and management of DR. The etiology of DR is complex. Oxidative stress is recognized as a key pathogenic driver. Obesity, a chronic inflammatory state, may exacerbate hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, thereby contributing to microvascular injury., In addition, dyslipidemia is another potential risk factor for DR. Damage to the retinal lipid clearance mechanism in diabetic patients may promote non-enzymatic oxidation, glycation and inflammatory activation, resulting in increased vascular permeability and damage to the blood retinal barrier.