University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston researchers have discovered that a drug already prescribed to millions of people with diabetes could also have another important use: treating one of the world's leading causes of blindness. In laboratory rat and cell-culture experiments, the scientists found that metformin, which is commonly used to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes, a
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Metformin for Diabetes May Treat Uveitis, A leading Cause of Blindness
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4397 days ago (Editorial)Prevent Blindness America Launches “AMD: Awareness Makes a Difference”
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4397 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
Untreated Sleep Apnea Interferes with Treatment for AMD
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4397 days ago (Editorial)
Patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who do not respond to treatment with intravitreal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy may have untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), researchers said here at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2012 Annual Meeting.Obstructive sleep apnea is a systemic disease that affects many organs," lead
Myopia Protects Against Diabetic Vision Loss
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4399 days ago (Editorial)
The longer axial length (AL) of myopia appears protective against diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, according to results from a longitudinal study involving 630 eyes.In an article published online May 23 in Ophthalmology, Ryan Eyn Kidd Man, BSc, from the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, analyzed measurements of AL, sp
Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration Responds Equally to Avastin and Lucentis
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4399 days ago (Editorial)
whether two drug treatments (Lucentis and Avastin), are equally effective in treating neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), have been reported at an international research meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.* The findings will also appear online in the leading journal Ophthalmology. Wet AMD is a common cause of loss of vision in older people. In the UK, around 70 per ce
Study Offers Hope for More Effective Treatment of Nearsightedness
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4399 days ago (Editorial)
Research by an optometrist at the University of Houston (UH) supports the continued investigation of optical treatments that attempt to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children. Conducted by UH College of Optometry assistant professor David Berntsen and his colleagues from The Ohio State University, the study compared the effects of wearing and then not wearing progressive addition len
Dry Eye Disease May Respond to New Topical Treatment
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4399 days ago (Editorial)
Tofacitinib, a topical ophthalmic Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, may be effective in patients with dry eye disease (DED), according to a new study. Treatment for 8 weeks resulted in a reduction of cell surface HLA-DR expression, as well as a reduction in tear levels of proinflammatory cytokines and inflammatory markers.Steven Pflugfelder, MD, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and
Sun protection for your eyes
Posted by Bharat (#1) 4399 days ago (Editorial)
When one goes unprotected in the sun, the ultraviolet rays can elevates one's risk of developing eye ailments by damaging the retina. It is general knowledge that UV rays are so damaging that they can lead to macular degeneration later in life, if one is exposed to the sun for long periods of time. Quality sunglasses are an important purchase. These should have 99 to 100 per cent of UVA and UVB r