Working in mice, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have devised a treatment that prevents the optic nerve injury that occurs in glaucoma, a neurodegenerative disease that is a leading cause of blindness.Researchers increased the resistance of optic nerve cells to damage by repeatedly exposing the mice to low levels of oxygen similar to those found at high altitud
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‘Positive Stress’ Helps Protect Eye from Glaucoma
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4463 days ago (Editorial)Genes Linked To Common Forms Of Glaucoma
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4443 days ago (Editorial)
Results from the largest genetic study of glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness and vision loss worldwide, showed that two genetic variations are associated with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), a common form of the disease. The identification of genes responsible for this disease is the first step toward the development of gene-based disease detection and treatment. About 2.2 million people
Stargazing Science Used to See Inside the Human Eye
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4422 days ago (Editorial)
A technique originally developed to see distant stars now allows researchers to diagnose eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration months to years sooner than possible with other current methods.The enchanting twinkling of the stars is disheartening to astronomers studying distant galaxies. Distortions in the atmosphere such as turbulence and wind shear create those twinkling effect w
Problem in Transport of Donate Human Retina Led Researchers to Discover New Treatment Path For Eye Disease
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4408 days ago (Editorial)
Sloppy shipping of a donated human retina to an Indiana University researcher studying a leading cause of vision loss has inadvertently helped uncover a previously undetected mechanism causing the disease. The discovery has led researchers to urge review of how millions of dollars are spent investigating the cause of a type of age-related macular degeneration called choroidal neovascularization.
Prevent Blindness America Launches “AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference”
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4402 days ago (Editorial)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for people over 50 in the Western world. With no known cure, early detection and treatment are keys to saving sight. Prevent Blindness America and its affiliates across the country will once again be offering the “AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference” program. AMD is characterized by loss of central vision, usually in both eyes
Cheaper eye drug may cause vision loss, study says
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4391 days ago (Editorial)
A new study suggests that a drug commonly used to treat a type of age-related macular degeneration may in fact increase the risk of severe side effects, including vision loss.The study, led by Dr. Sanjay Sharma, a professor of ophthalmology at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont., found that patients who were treated with the drug Avastin had a 12-fold increase in the risk of developing severe in
More Americans Facing Blindness
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4372 days ago (Editorial)
A summary of the statistics brings the rather troubling problem out into the light with:
- 2,069,403 people age 50 and older have late AMD (age-related macular degeneration), a 25 percent increase
- 24,409,978 million people age 40 and older have cataracts, a 19 percent increase
- 719,379 million people age 40 and older have open-angleglaucoma, a 22 percent increase
Eyesight Problems Reducing Among Older Americans
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4363 days ago (Editorial)
Older Americans are reporting fewer serious eyesight problems today than they were a generation ago, according to a new study published in the journal Ophthalmology recently. The researchers suggest improvements in healthcare such as cataract surgery and lower rates of macular degeneration may be the main reasons.From 1984 until 2010, the decrease in visual impairment in those 65 and older was hi