AcrySof ReSTOR Lens Is FDA-Approved for Cataract Patients
• Near, intermediate and distance vision are all corrected
in cataract patients with the ReSTOR intraocular lens with
apodized diffractive optics.
FORT WORTH, Texas, March 2005 — A new artificial lens
(intraocular lens) that often can restore sight at near,
intermediate, and distant ranges following cataract surgery
received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, said
Alcon Inc. officials in a news release.
"The clinical studies supporting the approval showed that 80
percent of patients who received the AcrySof ReSTOR lens did
not use glasses for any activities after cataract surgery,"
the release said.
Other intraocular lenses may produce vision at all ranges by
depending on the action of the eye's muscles accommodation).
But the AcrySof ReSTOR lens provides different ranges of
vision based on a lens configuration that enables specific
distribution of light in response to how wide or small the
eye's pupil might be. This light distribution design is
called apodized diffractive optics.
Most current intraocular lenses used for cataract surgery
are able to restore vision only in limited distance ranges,
hich means patients often must use eyeglasses or other
corrective lenses following surgery.
Alcon officials say surgeon training for use of the lens
will begin in the United States in April, followed by
commercial shipments of the lens in May.
AcrySof ReStor Lens Lets Cataract Patients See Both Near and
Far, Says Clinical Study
FORT WORTH, Texas, May 2004 — Most cataract surgery patients
receive monofocal intraocular lenses (IOL), which restore
their distance vision but require them to use reading
glasses for reading and other close-up activities. The
AcrySof ReStor IOL has demonstrated that it can
substantially restore the ability to see both near and far,
in a Phase III clinical study presented recently at the
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual
meeting.
In 566 patients who received the lens, 99% achieved distance
visual acuity of 20/40 or better, with 88% seeing 20/25 or
better. Regarding near vision, 74% of those who had the
implantation in both eyes achieved
20/25 vision. (This means they could read stock quotes
printed in a newspaper.) And 85% achieved 20/40 or better
vision at intermediate distance (the standard 60 cm distance
between a person and his computer screen).
The AcrySof ReStor lens has received approval for marketing
in Europe already, and Alcon Inc., the manufacturer,
anticipates FDA approval in 2005.
Eyedrop May Discourage Cataract Development in Diabetics
INNSBRUCK, Austria, February 2004 — Diabetic rats that were
given eyedrops containing verapamil, a calcium
channel-blocker, developed fewer cataracts than rats that
did not receive the eyedrops. And any cataracts that did
form were less dense. The University of Innsbruck
researchers said they could not explain the mechanism but
suggested that verapamil be tested for age-related cataracts
as well. The research is important for diabetics, since they
are at high risk for cataracts. The study was published in
the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
AcrySof Natural IOL
Implantation of Alcon's AcrySof Natural IOL; the lens
material is yellow because it filters out blue light, which
may be harmful to eyes.
AcrySof Natural Intraocular Lens Blocks Blue Light
FORT WORTH, Texas, January 2004 — According to research,
blue light may cause retinal damage, so Texas-based Alcon
developed the AcrySof Natural foldable intraocular lens. The
lens, which is used to replace a cataract patient's eye's
natural lens that has become clouded, filters both
ultraviolet and portions of high-energy blue light. The
yellow-tinted intraocular lens has been available overseas
since
2002 but is now FDA-approved for the U.S. market.
Vision Test Required for Elderly Florida Drivers
FLORIDA, November 2003 — If you're 80 or over and a Florida
resident, you will not be able to renew your driver's
license unless you pass a vision test at either an eye
doctor's office or the Department of Motor Vehicles. The new
law, which goes into effect in January 2004, requires 20/40
vision for everybody, either with or without eyeglasses or
contact lenses.
Florida's new law looks comparatively lenient considering
some of the other states that have special requirements for
seniors. In New Hampshire, vision and driving tests are
required for those 75 and older. In Utah a vision test is
needed if you're 65 and older, while in Oregon it's 50 and
in Maine it's 40.
The law will affect a lot of people: more than 650,000 of
Florida's drivers are 80 or older, and it is likely that
those with advanced cataracts or vision loss from glaucoma
or macular degeneration who are still on the road will not
pass the vision test.
Low-Protein Diets May Lead to Cataracts?
MONTPELLIER, France, March 2005 — Recently released results
from a large French study indicate that amino acids and
vitamins needed to maintain eye health could be missing in
lower protein diets and may lead to development of
cataracts, Archives of Ophthalmology reported in its
February 2005 issue.
More than 2,200 people between ages 60 and 95 were included
in final results of the Montpellier, France study, in which
researchers noted that levels of essential amino acids and B
vitamins could be lower in significant numbers of people who
have cataracts.
Protein markers of plasma albumin and transthyretin were
used in the analysis, which showed that low levels of
transthyretin in particular can be associated with formation
of the most common type of cataract (nuclear cataract)
associated with aging processes that lead to clouding of the
eye's natural
(crystalline) lens.
Could Lead
Exposure Cause Cataracts?
CHICAGO, December 2004 — A study that measured the lead
levels in 795 men age 60 and older found that those with the
most lead in their bodies were 2.7 times more likely to have
cataracts than the men with the least amount of lead.
The researchers measured the lead in the participants'
shin bones, where lead tends to remain for many years.
It is not clear what the link is between lead exposure and
cataract development, but the researchers speculated that
lead may have something to do with changes in the cells of
the eye's lens that lead to clouding of the lens. Lead has
also been linked to high blood pressure and dementia in
adults, as well as mental retardation and death in children.
The research, conducted by Dr. Debra Schaumberg and
associates at Harvard Medical School, was published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association.
100 Million People May Go Blind Unnecessarily by 2020
SAN FRANCISCO, September 2003 — Cataracts are the cause of
nearly 50 percent of all global blindness, according to the
American Academy of Ophthalmology.
But almost 20 million people who need cataract surgery must
go without.
The Academy has designated October as World Blindness
Awareness Month and says that cataracts and other eye
diseases, such as trachoma and onchocerciasis, will cause
100 million people to lose their sight by 2020 if nothing is
done. More than 1.5 million people are blind because of
vitamin A deficiency, measles, and other problems. And more
than 135 million people are going through life without the
means to correct their nearsightedness, farsightedness, and
other refractive errors.
Despite the fact that we have the scientific knowledge to
correct the situation, every five seconds a person goes
blind, at an estimated economic cost of $28 billion a year.
The Academy says it is addressing the problem of global
blindness through its public service foundation, Eyecare
America, which uses the volunteer services of member
physicians for treatment and education.
HEALTH ANSWERS
What's best for treating macular degeneration?
October 9, 2006
The short answer is a new drug called Lucentis, approved by
the US Food and Drug Administration in June . However, the
drug has side effects, is extremely expensive, and is useful
for only the rarer form of the disease. Macular degeneration
and its new treatments were the focus of five separate
articles in last week's New England Journal of Medicine.
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There are two kinds of macular degeneration -- a disease of
the retina that affects more than 9 million Americans and is
a leading cause of blindness in people over 55.
In the ``dry" form, which 90 percent of patients have, there
is a loss of the light-sensing cells in the retina and the
cells that nourish them. Vision is often disturbed but not
destroyed altogether, said Dr.
N.A. Adams of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins
Hospital in Baltimore .
There is no treatment for this form of the disease, said Pat
D'Amore , a senior scientist at the Schepens Eye Research
Institute in Boston.
``Wet" macular degeneration is rarer but far more
devastating. Abnormal blood vessels grow into the macula --
the central part of the retina -- where they bleed, leak,
and cause swelling, often leading to irreversible blindness.
Three relatively new drugs -- Lucentis, Macugen, and Avastin
-- all attack VEGF, the growth factor that stimulates blood
vessel growth. All must be injected directly into the eye.
Lucentis ``actually improves vision in 30 to 40 percent of
patients," said Dr.
Emily Chew of the National Eye Institute in Bethesda, Md.
Lucentis costs $1,950 per dose, but a very similar drug,
Avastin -- which is approved for treating colon cancer and
can be used ``off-label" to treat macular degeneration --
costs only $17 to $50 per dose. A head-to-head comparison of
the two drugs, both made by Genentech, has just been
approved.
Macugen was approved for the wet disease two years ago but
appears to be less effective.
Anyone with the wet form of the disease should ask his or
her doctor about starting one of these drugs, Adams said.
But be cautious: Some of the drugs can have rare but serious
side effects, including glaucoma, cataracts, inflammation,
and infection. And these risks are incurred repeatedly
because patients must have injections every four to six
weeks.
SOURCE The Boston Globe
HEALTHY HABITS
Holding your breath while lifting weights -- a common no-no
for exercisers -- could potentially increase the risk of
glaucoma.
In a recent study, researchers asked 30 men who were regular
exercisers and did not have glaucoma to do bench presses
while breathing normally and while holding their breath.
Their intraocular eye pressure was then measured during the
exercises.
Pressure increased 62 percent while the subjects were
breathing normally, researchers found, but increased by up
to 90 percent when they held their breath.
Holding air in, says lead researcher Dr. Geraldo Vieira, may
lead to a compression of the thoracic veins, which in turn
leads to increased pressure in the eye, although breathing
during the exercise does raise pressure as well.
Glaucoma causes damage to the optic nerve, and eye pressure
can damage the nerve fibers that make up the optic nerve.
Vieira adds that he often sees people holding their breath
while working out. "Usually the trainer tells us not to do
that, but sometimes we're not focused on this, so we forget
about it and hold the air."
He advises people who regularly strength-train be tested for
glaucoma, and those who have the disease check with their
physician before exercising.
SOURCE The Detroit News
Biovitrum Initiates Clinical Phase II Study of
Glaucoma Treatment
16 Oct 2006
Biovitrum has initiated a clinical Phase II study with the
candidate drug BVT.28949, a 5-HT2A antagonist for the
treatment glaucoma. The results are expected to be available
midyear of 2007.
STOCKHOLM, Sweden | Oct 16, 2006 | The biopharma company
Biovitrum, listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since
September 15, 2006, has initiated a clinical Phase II study
with the candidate drug BVT.28949, a 5-HT2A antagonist for
the treatment glaucoma. The results are expected to be
available midyear of 2007.
The first clinical safety study included 64 healthy
volunteers and was entered in September 2005. This study has
been compiled and evaluated and convincing positive results
support continued clinical trials.
The present Phase II study includes 150 patients with an
elevated intraocular pressure (a hallmark of
glaucoma) and the study is estimated to be completed during
spring 2007 with results available in the middle of the
year. The Phase II study is placebo-controlled (results are
compared to patients treated with a preparation without real
pharmacological effect), and is carried out at several
clinics in both Sweden and Ukraine.
- It is with great satisfaction we see this project develop
further in clinical phase. Our commitment to the area of
serotonergic mechanisms has once more proven to be
successful. We hope that our efforts shall lead to an
efficient and safe medicine that improves the situation for
many who suffer from glaucoma, says Anders Ullman, Senior
Vice President R&D at Biovitrum.
Glaucoma is a disease characterized by damage to the optic
nerve and it is in most cases accompanied by an increased
pressure within the eye. The disease leads to gradually
impaired vision and is the most common cause of blindness in
the industrialized world. It is estimated that nearly 70
million people worldwide suffer from glaucoma. Current
treatments aim to reduce intraocular pressure either by
reducing the production or by increasing the outflow of
aqueous humor. The total market value for this type of
medicines amounts to approximately $3.9 billion.
The current hypothesis is that BVT.28949 reduces intraocular
pressure by stimulating the outflow of aqueous humor through
a mechanism different from that of presently available
products, which means that
BVT.28949 could function as a monotherapy or as a
combination alternative with existing products. The glaucoma
project builds on considerable knowledge and experience of
serotonergic mechanisms and how these are used to create
safe and effective pharmaceutical substances.
Biovitrum has presently two projects in clinical Phase
II,three projects in Phase I, and another six projects in
late preclinical phase within the prioritized areas of
metabolic disease, pain and blood and eye disorders.
For more information, please contact:
Biovitrum AB (publ)
Mats Pettersson, CEO
Phone: +46 8 697 2000
mats.pettersson@biovitrum.com
Anders Ullman, Senior Vice President R&D
Phone: +46 8 697 2000
anders.ullman@biovitrum.com
Anna Karin Källén, Vice President, Communications & IR
Phone: +46 8 697 2085
Mobile: +46 73 433 20 85
annakarin.kallen@biovitrum.com
Facts to the editor
Biovitrum
Biovitrum is one of the largest biopharma companies in
Europe. With operations in Sweden and in the UK Biovitrum
conducts research and develops pharmaceuticals for unmet
medical needs both for common diseases and conditions that
affect smaller patient populations. Biovitrum has a broad
and balanced R&D portfolio with several projects in clinical
and preclinical phases for the treatment of obesity,
diabetes, inflammation and eye and blood diseases as well as
a number of well defined niche indications. Biovitrum
develops and produces protein-based drugs on a contractual
basis and markets a range of specialist pharmaceuticals
primarily in the Nordic countries. Biovitrum has
approximately revenues of USD 119 million and 550 employees.
Biovitrum is listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange since
September 15, 2006. For more information see
www.biovitrum.com/.
The serotonergic technology platform and BVT.28949 While
several effective treatments exist for decreasing
intraocular pressure, they do not successfully control
glaucoma in a significant number of patients. According to
Biovitrum's opinion there is a need for glaucoma treatments
acting through novel mechanisms, with the potential to be
used as a second-line monotherapy or in combination with
current therapies.
BVT.28949 is a selective 5-HT2A antagonist (serotonin
receptor 2A antagonist), suitable for topical administration
in the form of eye drops.
5-HT2A-receptors control the outflow of aqueous humor from
the eye globe. BVT.28949 lowers the intraocular pressure by
increasing the outflow of aqueous humor and Biovitrums
current hypothesis is that BVT.28949 acts through
stimulation of outflow via the trabecular meshwork, unlike
prostaglandins (e.g. Xalatan®) which reduce intraocular
pressure through another outflow mechanism.
Other projects within Biovitrum that are based on the
serotonergic technology platform target other diseases such
as obesity. Already today there are several medicines with
serotonergic mechanisms of action on the market. As an
example, earlier this year Biovitrum acquired the Nordic
rights to the drug Aloxi®, a second generation serotonin
receptor (5.HT3) antagonist, for treatment of nausea and
vomiting in cancer patients.
This information was brought to you by Waymaker:
http://www.waymaker.net
SOURCE: Biovitrum
http://www.pipelinereview.com/joomla/content/view/7298/109/
Diabetes is the Leading Cause of Blindness in Minnesota;
Annual Eye Exams are Critical for Early Detection
November is American Diabetes Month
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With an increase in obesity
and decrease in exercise Minnesotans and all Americans are
at risk for preventable Type 2 diabetes.
In addition to the risks of cardiovascular disease and
strokes, diabetes is also the leading cause of blindness
among people aged 20-74 in Minnesota.
Each year, says the Minnesota Department of Health, between
400 and 700 Minnesotans go blind due to diabetes
complications. An estimated 60 percent of those having Type
1 diabetes for 10 years will have some signs of retinopathy,
the most common diabetic eye disease, and after 15 years,
virtually all Type 1 diabetic patients will have
retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy can be detected early and treated
through yearly dilated eye exams, according to the Minnesota
Optometric Association (MOA). Early treatment of retinopathy
reduces the incidence of severe vision loss by 50-60
percent. As November is American Diabetes Month, it is an
opportune time to raise awareness about this issue.
The Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) has developed
initiatives this year in education about prevention and
management of diabetic-related eye diseases. The Save Your
Sight Kit, with tips, facts and related articles is
available on the MOA web site at
www.minnesotaoptometrists.org
At its booth at the Health Fair 11 Building at the Minnesota
State Fair this summer, the MOA optometrists found during
retinal screenings, that at least 20 people daily showed
signs of retinopathy that required follow-up care and a
thorough eye exam. Most of these fairgoers were unaware of
their condition, because there are often no early warning
signs.
“Diabetic eye disease, which includes most commonly,
diabetic retinopathy, as well as cataracts and glaucoma,”
said Dr. Linda Chous, whose optometric practice is Glasses
Menagerie in Minneapolis. Dr.
Chous is an MOA board member and is also diabetic. “My
practice includes a number of diabetic children, who must be
checked regularly by an eye doctor as part of their medical
regime,” she said.
Currently, only eight in 10 Minnesotans with diabetes have a
dilated eye exam every two years. “While it is important for
all people to have yearly eye exams, it is even more
critical for diabetic patients to come in every year,” urges
Dr. Chous. “Waiting two years or even worse, not coming in
at all, can have a catastrophic effect. People also may not
realize that their diabetes can cause changes in vision that
require regular exams.”
Diabetic retinopathy is caused by changes in the blood
vessels of the retina. In some people with diabetic
retinopathy, retinal blood vessels may swell and leak fluid;
in others, abnormal new blood vessels grow on the surface of
the retina. These changes may result in vision loss or
blindness.
“Many people don’t know that diabetics are twice as likely
to suffer from both cataracts and glaucoma,”
said Dr. Chous “Again, both conditions are easily caught and
successfully treated through an annual eye exam.”
To help prevent diabetic eye diseases, the American Diabetes
Association an the American Optometric Association
recommends people suffering from diabetes
should:
* Keep your blood sugar under good control. People who keep
their blood sugar levels closer to normal are less likely to
have retinopathy.
* Bring high blood pressure down. High blood pressure can
make eye problems worse.
* Get a dilated eye exam by a family eye doctor every year.
Your optometrist will use drops to enlarge your pupils to
look inside your eyes.
The Minnesota Optometric Association (MOA) recommends you
see your family eye doctor right way if you have any of the
following problems:
* Your vision is blurry.
* You see double, spots or floaters
* One or both eyes hurt
* You feel pressure in your eye
* You can't see things at the periphery as well as before
* You have trouble reading
The Minnesota Optometric Association has 525 member doctors
of optometry around the state. The MOA is committed to
furthering awareness of optometrists as primary eye care or
family eye doctors and to bringing about change that
positively impacts the MOA member doctors and their
patients. For more information on the MOA, visit
www.MnEyeDocs.org.
Contacts
For the Minnesota Optometric Association Joan Knight,
612-349-2716 jknight@visi.com
SOURCE Business Wire
Carl Zeiss Meditec Announces 2,600th GDx Installation in
U.S.
More Patients Have Access to Powerful Tool in Fight to
Prevent Vision Loss
DUBLIN, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- October 12, 2006 -- Making a
powerful tool in the fight to preserve vision in glaucoma
more widely available, Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., today
announced the 2,600th GDx Scanning Laser Polarimeter
installation at the private offices of Douglas P. Webb,
M.D., in Cleveland, Ohio.
"As a general ophthalmologist for the past 20 years, I have
taken care of many patients with glaucoma, and have
therefore followed the development of new imaging
technologies for the optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber
layer very closely," said Dr. Webb. "The GDx system offers a
new tool for diagnosing and managing glaucoma, as it
provides us with information that can't be obtained from
visual inspection of the optic nerve, visual field testing
or intraocular pressure measurements, all of which had been
the traditional triad of markers for glaucoma."
In order to preserve vision in glaucoma, early detection is
imperative and RNFL damage is one of the early
manifestations of the disease. The GDx Scanning Laser
Polarimeter provides highly detailed measurements of the
retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) for the early detection and
management of glaucoma.
"The new system has been a valuable addition to my practice,
and from a cost standpoint, it is paying for itself
quickly," continued Dr. Webb. "In addition to being
technically advanced, it has been very easy for the staff to
learn to use and we find the system extremely reliable."
GDx technology compares the patient's RNFL to a large,
multi-racial normative database, and also uses neural
network techniques to calculate the probability of glaucoma.
Study results show that even before visual field loss, the
GDx can differentiate between normal eyes and glaucomatous
eyes with sensitivity and specificity of 83 percent and 82
percent respectively*. The system also produces highly
repeatable results even with different operators, which
makes it an essential tool for tracking change over time.
"For a lot of patients with glaucoma, considerable RNFL
damage may have already occurred by the time they notice any
vision loss," said Jim Taylor, president and chief executive
officer for Carl Zeiss Meditec.
"Precise, in-depth assessment of the RNFL as well as ongoing
monitoring for change is critical in early diagnosis and
vision preservation.
"The GDx not only helps physicians make their diagnostic
decisions, but also helps them explain glaucoma to patients,
so they are more likely to comply with their treatments,"
said Taylor.
About Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal
sight without warning. In the early stages of the disease,
there may be no symptoms. In fact, experts estimate that
half of the people affected by glaucoma may not know they
have it. Early detection is vital to stopping the progress
of the disease, as there is no cure for glaucoma. According
to the World Health Organization (WHO), glaucoma is the
leading cause of blindness among African Americans, and the
second leading cause of blindness in the world. If detected
early and accurately, physicians will have more time to
treat the disease and preserve vision, possibly before
vision loss.
About Carl Zeiss Meditec
Built on an unparalleled 160-year heritage of optical
innovation, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (International Securities
Identification Number DE000531370) is one of the world's
leading eye care solutions providers.
Its product line includes systems for the diagnosis and
treatment of the four main diseases of the eye:
vision defects (refraction), cataracts, glaucoma and retinal
disorders. The company has incorporated its technological
expertise into a stream of product innovations throughout
the years, from slit lamps and fundus cameras; to the
Humphrey® Field Analyzer, recognized as the global standard
for glaucoma detection and management; to its newest
applications of lasers as embodied in its leading-edge
MEL-80™ refractive laser and innovative Stratus OCT™ device
for glaucoma diagnosis. Since 2005, the company has also
been present in the market for intraocular lenses and
consumables, and now covers almost the entire value chain of
ophthalmic surgery. The company is looking to continue its
profitable growth in the future. The planned acquisition of
Carl Zeiss Surgical is intended to further supplement the
eye surgery product portfolio and to open up additional
growth prospects in neuro and ENT surgery. Carl Zeiss
Surgical is the world's leading provider of visualisation
solutions in the two named fields.
Carl Zeiss Meditec AG is based in Jena, Germany, with
subsidiaries in Pirmasens, Germany (Carl Zeiss Meditec
Systems GmbH), the USA (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.), Japan
(Carl Zeiss Meditec Co. Ltd.) and France (IOLTECH S.A., Carl
Zeiss Meditec SAS). The rapidly aging global population and
other trends are expected to grow the ophthalmic market in
the long term. The company is focused on applying innovative
optical technologies to protect and enhance vision now and
into the future.
Thirty-five percent of Carl Zeiss Meditec shares are in free
float. The remaining 65 percent are held by Carl Zeiss, one
of the world's leading international groups engaged in the
optical and opto-electronics industry.
All Trademarks are the property of their respected owners.
*Medeiros FA, Zangwill LM, Weinreb RN et al. Use of
Progressive Glaucomatous Optic Disk Change as the Reference
Standard for Evaluation of Diabnostic Tests in Glaucoma.
American Journal of Ophthalmology 2005; 139:1010-1018.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=172021
SOURCE Carl Zeiss Meditec
Three New Hypotheses Reported by Catalyst For a Cure
Researchers
In December 2005, the Catalyst For a Cure (CFC) research
team reported the development of three new hypotheses for
how glaucoma is initiated and where new therapeutic targets
can be found.
The first theory is derived from a fascinating event that
occurs months or even years before nerve cells die in the
retina. During the lifespan of a neuron, it continuously
samples the microenvironment of its distal connections. In
the case of a Retinal Ganglion Cell (RGC), this means that
the cell is sampling the microenvironment of the brain by
its longest process called the axon. It appears that the
transport machinery or highway that RGCs use to bring
neurotrophins — “food” really — back from the brain becomes
dysfunctional early in the disease long before the RGC cell
dies.
The second hypothesis is based on two primary observations.
The CFC has found that there are distinct changes in the
structure and functional state of glial cells in the
glaucomatous retina. Glial cells get their name as a type of
support cell or glue for the neurons, but until recently
glial cells have not been adequately studied. The CFC has
made an important finding that glial cells react very early
in the progression of glaucoma. The most exciting aspect of
these data is that changes in glial cells appear to be the
earliest event reported in the progression of glaucoma
occurring well before neuronal loss or even vision begins to
decline.
The final favored hypothesis is based on a family of
molecules that have been discovered in the last 10 years and
their genes are just being discovered. The molecules are
called mechanical receptors and are located throughout the
brain and retina and represent a complex family of
molecules. Although they have an as yet unknown function in
the brain, their presence in the retina has obvious
implications for a disorder where pressure is clearly a
cofactor. Until this observation, the general concept was
that pressure simply compressed the retina making it sick.
These observations could provide a more specific mechanism
for pressure-induced damage in the retina and, hence, one
that could be specifically blocked therapeutically.
SOURCE Glaucoma Research Foundation
Denial our main
blind spot
A FRIENDLY nudge from behind. That's how 34-year-old Claudia
Fuentes describes her first stroke.
It was late June 2004, and she was at work managing a
Brisbane petrol station. A bump in the back from a colleague
caused her to fall over. Or so she thought.
Four weeks later, putting on makeup in readiness for a
family night out on the Gold Coast, Ms Fuentes was felled by
a crippling headache.
An ambulance was called. There was a visit to a nearby
hospital. Diagnosis: migraine. Treatment: pain-killers and
rest.
"But I didn't feel well and I couldn't see much at all –
just a pinhole – but I put it down to the headache,"
she said.
The pain and loss of vision persisted, and the next day Ms
Fuentes' mother insisted she visited a Brisbane doctor who
immediately sent her to the Mater Private Hospital.
"I had more visual tests and he (the doctor) tested my blood
pressure, which was extremely high," she said.
After several more tests, including an MRI, the then
32-year-old was told she'd had one of two things: a heart
attack or a stroke.
"I asked if there was a third option," she said, laughing.
A neurologist confirmed that Ms Fuentes had had two strokes.
Although she experienced some physical weakness as a result,
the long-term effect has been loss of sight – she now has
just 15 per cent sight in each eye.
Ms Fuentes is just one of more than half a million
Australians with low vision – of which only 3 per cent
access services that could greatly improve their lives.
More than 80 per cent of vision loss is caused by five
conditions:
1. Age-related macular degeneration – a degeneration of the
central part of the retina. About a quarter of people who
live into their 90s will eventually lose vision from this
condition.
2. Cataract – a clouding of the clear lens of the eye.
3. Diabetic eye disease – when tiny bloody vessels inside
the retina at the back of the eye are damaged.
4. Refractive error – includes myopia
(short-sightedness) and hyperopia (long-sightedness) or
astigmatism. Refractive errors mean an image is not focused
properly on to the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the
back of the eye.
5. Glaucoma – a group of eye diseases that slowly destroy
the optic nerve.
Queensland University of Technology School of Optometry
associate professor Dr Jan Lovie-Kitchin said vision loss
could be overwhelming.
"Because it's an older person's disease – people who are
over 60, and particularly over 70, are most commonly
affected – and it's a time when they are wanting to slow
down a bit and do lots of reading and driving to visit
friends and go to movies," she said.
"So losing that detailed vision can be quite distressing."
The misery caused by vision loss permeates every aspect of a
person's life, but the most significant for most is the
restriction on reading.
Medication labels, books, computers, post, television – even
dials on the stove or radio – are all part of a person's
life that keeps them in touch with the world.
Vision 2020 Australia is an organisation that raises
awareness of the issues surrounding vision loss and the
services available to people with it.
Vision 2020 Australia CEO Jennifer Gersbeck said older
people who lost their sight as they aged might be in denial
about their vision loss.
"They might not relate to the services – for example with
the guide dogs and the Royal Blind Foundation, they have
'blind' in the name so people often will think that's not
for me, I'm not blind," she said.
"And yet these organisations offer services for people with
low vision."
The low-vision services on offer train people to deal with
difficulties such as catching public transport.
"There's also denial – I'm not losing my sight, I'm just
getting old and I'll be fine," Ms Gersbeck said.
For people like Claudia Fuentes, whose lives are turned
upside-down when they are robbed of all or part of their
vision, a gentle nudge in the right direction can help their
world get back on to its axis.
For more details visit www.vision2020Australia.org.au or
phone 1300 102 020 Eye opening facts
* More than 500,000 Australians are blind or vision-impaired
– a figure that is expected to reach more than a million in
20 years.
* Only 3 per cent of these people access services that could
significantly improve their lifestyles.
* About three-quarters of blindness and vision loss can be
prevented or treated.
* About half of Australia's population fear blindness as
much as they fear contracting cancer or having a heart
attack.
* The direct health costs of treating eye disease were
calculated at $1.8 billion in 2004 and the cost to the
community in the past decade has doubled.
* Every five seconds, one person in the world goes blind and
a child goes blind every minute.
SOURCE: The Courier-Mail - Australia
Blindness threat
increases
Loss of vision is an extremely serious issue among African
Americans. The Vision Council of America estimates that more
than 2.4 million African Americans face the threat of losing
their sight from untreated visual problems. One reason for
this is being unable to access preventive vision care
service.
Optometrist Edwin C. Marshall of the Vision Council urges
African Americans to try to obtain eye exams, because early
detection and treatment can prevent or control glaucoma,
diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.
Those conditions are nearly twice as prevalent among Black
as White Americans.
Eye exams also can provide early warnings of diabetes and
hypertension, two potentially fatal conditions that occur
more often among African Americans.
Marshall also urges African Americans to contact an eye
doctor if there is trouble seeing near or far, loss of
peripheral vision, double vision and poor night vision or
faded colors.
SOURCE Insight News
Asthma
Drugs May Be Linked to Cataracts
MONTREAL, July 2006 — Older people with asthma who use
cortisone-based medications in their inhalers might consider
asking their physicians about reducing dosages to avoid
cataracts or their progression, say researchers at McGill
University Health Centre in Montreal.
The Montreal researchers in a large-scale study found that
people older than 65 using daily doses of inhaled
corticosteroids (ICS) to reduce risk of attacks of asthma or
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increase their
risk of developing cataracts by 24%.
Results of the study of more than 100,000 older Quebec
residents were published in the June 2006 issue of European
Respiratory Journal.
"We recommend that elderly asthma sufferers keep using these
very effective medications, but make efforts to reduce the
dose of ICS as much as possible,"
epidemiologist and senior study author Samy Suissa, M.D.,
said in a news release.
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Could Help Prevent Cataract
Progression
MADISON, Wis., June 2006 — Cholesterol-lowering drugs known
as statins could decrease the occurrence of a common type of
age-related cataract, according to study results announced
in June 2006 by the University of Wisconsin School of
Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
Researchers say follow-up studies are needed. But initial
results from close examination of 1,299 people who
participated in the Beaver Dam Eye Study from 1998 through
2000 uncovered a strong correlation between use of statins
and reduced incidence of common nuclear cataracts.
When other risk factors such as smoking and diabetes were
eliminated to achieve a balanced comparison between people
who used statins and those who did not, statin users were
found to have a 60% reduced risk of developing advanced
nuclear cataracts.
Alcon's CustomCornea for Lasik Shows Improved Farsighted
Results
• FDA clinical trail study of the wavefront-guided laser
indicates higher probability of a good outcome over
conventional Lasik.
Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/01/2006 -- Results of the
Alcon FDA Custom Cornea wavefront based LASIK clinical trial
for farsighted astigmatism show that wavefront-based LASIK
provides better results in terms of uncorrected visual
acuity and contrast sensitivity and reduced the induction of
higher order aberrations compared to conventional LASIK with
the Alcon system.
The study was presented in March at the meeting of the
American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons in San
Francisco by James Salz, MD.
“Just as in Alcon wavefront based CustomCornea LASIK for
nearsightedness, the results in the farsighted eyes showed
superior outcomes,” stated Dr. Salz. “A higher percentage of
patients achieved uncorrected vision of 20/20 and 20/40.
Visual quality was improved as evidenced by better contrast
sensitivity and less increase in higher order aberrations
when compared to conventional LASIK.”
LASIK is a popular form of laser eye surgery uses a
combination of automated lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) using a
microkeratome (FDA approved) to create a “flap” and the
excimer laser (FDA approved) to reshape the cornea (“zap”).
LASIK is the most commonly performed laser eye procedure
worldwide.
Laser eye surgery was first approved by the FDA in
1996 and the procedure has undergone multiple refinements
since the original approval including flap creation with a
laser instead of a blade and customized wavefront based
treatments which improve the chances of obtaining 20/20
vision or better and provide better quality vision with a
lower probability of any side effects.
Perfect Vision, via Surgery, Is Helping and Hurting Navy
BETHESDA, Md., June 17 — Almost every Thursday during the
academic year, a bus carrying a dozen or so Naval Academy
midshipmen leaves Annapolis for the 45-minute drive to
Bethesda, where Navy doctors perform laser eye surgery on
them, one after another, with assembly-line efficiency.
Nearly a third of every 1,000-member Naval Academy class now
undergoes the procedure, part of a booming trend among
military personnel with poor vision.
Unlike in the civilian world, where eye surgery is still
largely done for convenience or vanity, the procedure's
popularity in the armed forces is transforming career
choices and daily life in subtle but far-reaching ways.
Aging fighter pilots can now remain in the cockpit longer,
reducing annual recruiting needs. And recruits whose bad
vision once would have disqualified them from the special
forces are now eligible, making the competition for these
coveted slots even tougher.
But the surgery is also causing the military some unexpected
difficulties. By shrinking the pool of people who used to be
routinely available for jobs that do not require perfect
eyesight, it has made it harder to fill some of those
assignments with top-notch personnel, officers say.
When Ensign Michael Shaughnessy had the surgery in his
junior year at the Naval Academy, his new 20-20 vision
qualified him for flight school. And that is where he
decided to go after graduating last month ranked in the top
10 percent of his class, rather than pursuing a career as a
submarine officer.
"The cramped environment in submarines is something that
turned me off," Ensign Shaughnessy, 22, said.
For generations, Academy graduates with high grades and bad
eyes were funneled into the submarine service. But in the
five years since the Naval Academy began offering free eye
surgery to all midshipmen, it has missed its annual quota
for supplying the Navy with submarine officers every year.
Officers involved say the failure to meet the quota is due
to many factors, including the perception that submarines no
longer play as vital a national security role as they once
did. But the availability of eye surgery to any midshipman
who wants it is also routinely cited.
"Some of the guys with glasses who would have gone to
submarines or become navigators are getting the chance to do
something they'd rather do, and the communities that are
losing the people are not as happy about it as the aviation
community, which is gaining better candidates," said Cmdr.
Joseph Pasternak, the ophthalmologist who oversees the
program at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
[Source: New York Times]
Lasik May Be Appropriate Where Normally Contraindicated
• New evaluation shows Lasik laser eye surgery may be
performed safely for some patients with systemic diseases.
May 26, 2006 -- SACRAMENTO -- A new study published in the
April issue of the medical journal Ophthalmology indicates
that patients with systemic diseases that are traditionally
listed as relative or absolute contraindications may have
Lasik safely and with predictable results.
The study evaluated the Lasik outcomes of 141 consecutive
patents with autoimmune connective-tissue disorders,
psoriasis, intestinal inflammatory diseases, diabetes
mellitus, and history of keloid formation. Twenty-nine
patients were receiving systemic immunosuppressive therapy.
The outcomes of patients with systemic diseases were
compared to a control group of 181 similar patients without
the conditions.
Mild anatomic complications were observed in the case and
control groups with similar percentages, and there were no
statistical differences between groups. The only significant
functional finding was a worse refractive outcome in the
collagen vascular diseases group compared with controls.
There were no other statistical differences detected in the
other systemic disease groups.
The outcomes indicate that LASIK can be performed
effectively and safely in selected patients with stable and
controlled systemic diseases. The absolute exclusion of
certain systemic contraindications should be reconsidered on
a case-by-case basis.
[Source: Ophthamology]
