Archive for January, 2010
Why do doctors tend to continue practicing what they knew last year?
01.29.2010
Burying one's head in the sand might not be the best survival behavior.
It comes as a shock to patients to learn that many doctors don’t keep up with the latest literature in their field. New studies come out in high quality, peer reviewed scientific journals. But physicians, as a lot, tend to be dubious of the results. And it often takes YEARS and several corroborative studies before the doctors feel comfortable enough to change their behavior. And it may still not happen unless they discuss the issue with their peers and everyone else has made the change. As a rule, doctors tend to have a herd mentality.
After 20 years in practice, I have finally recognized this. But it was my involvement with VisiVite.Com, beginning in 2001, that alerted me to this disturbing trend.
In November 2002, one full year after the National Eye Institute’s Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) was published, our company presented our VisiVite vitamin formulas at the largest annual meeting of ophthalmologists in the world, the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Annual Meeting. Nearly 30,000 ophthalmologists attended.
Only one hundred or so eye doctors (1/3 of one percent) wanted to discuss eye vitamin research with us. And among them, the comments were along the lines, “Nothing helps macular degeneration, certainly not eye vitamins.”
And mind you, this was one year after the most prestigious ocular research institution published a beautifully designed, randomized, double-blind, prospective study of thousands of patients measured over five years proving the benefits of the AREDS formulation. It took nearly 5 more years before eye doctors began routinely recommending eye vitamins to their patients with AMD.
So it continues to frustrate me, and it should frustrate you as well, to read the letter below, sent to me on January 29, 2010, about a patient’s lament that the doctor wants to stay with “what he knows.”
Where does that leave you, the patient?
My friends, you need to be your own, and best, health care advocate.
Paul L. Krawitz, M.D., President
Vitamin Science, Inc.
———————-
Dear Dr. Krawitz,
I purchased the Premier Ocular Formula 2 for my husband …he has wet AMD
in one eye & dry AMD in the other….yesterday, I showed his Retina Specialist
the info on said vitamins but he said he would rather my husband stayed with
the _________ (husband is a smoker) since it is the only one with any scientific
basis. I have to say I was rather disappointed because I liked what I read about
the Premier Ocular 2 Formula.
Dear Mary,
Doctors are sometimes slow to come on board with the most recent research.
The Premier Ocular Formula No. 2 contains everything that ________ has, AND MORE!
Compare below:
- Vitamin C: 452 mg in ________, 500 mg in VisiVite
- Vitamin E: 400 IU in both
- Zinc: 69.9 in ________, 80 mg in VisiVite
- Copper: 1.6 in ________, 2.0 in VisiVite
- Lutein: 10 mg in both
But…
________ has NO OMEGA 3 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS! And the research
supporting their use in the prevention of AMD is strong.
And the National Eye Institute and others now know that these are CRITICAL to
prevention of AMD worsening. The proof is so strong that they are now including
the verysame Omega-3 formulation that’s in VisiVite Premier in the AREDS 2
research.
You can read more about AREDS 2 here:
Ultimately you and your husband have to do what is comfortable for you and
what you think holds the best chance for preventing him from losing vision.
I’d be happy to write your husband’s doctor a personal note explaining the
benefits of VisiVite Premier Ocular Formula No. 2. if you wish.
Dr. Krawitz
Trabectome another procedure available to glaucoma patients
01.27.2010Another procedure that is revolutionizing the treatment of glaucoma is the Trabectome. Like canaloplasty, the Trabectome is a minimally invasive surgical technique. The Trabectome works by restoring the eye’s natural drainage pathways.
Ultimately, this procedure stabilizes optic nerve health to minimize any further damage to the patient’s field of vision. A focused electro-surgical pulse works by re-establishing access to the eye’s natural drainage pathway.
The Trabectome offers several advantages. There is minimal patient risk and a low complication rate. In addition, it is a safe and economical alternative to traditional therapies which include oral medications, lasers and eyedrops.
Trabectome has been used successfully in both the United States and around the world since 2004. If you are a glaucoma patient, you would need to consult your ophthalmologist to see if you are a candidate for Trabectome.
Dr. Paul Krawitz, the President and CEO of Vitamin Science and VisiVite.Com, is one of a limited number of certified Trabectome specialists in New York State. You can read more about Dr. Krawitz at http://www.eye-surgeons.net/paul-krawitz-md.html.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
New technique lowers intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients
01.26.2010Glaucoma elevates the intraocular pressure in a patient’s eyes. A surgical procedure known as trabeculectomy has been the only surgical method available to reduce the elevated eye pressure. This surgical technique is invasive and carries a risk of infection or pressure which is too low post-operatively, either of which can ultimately lead to vision loss.
A new surgical procedure reduces the intraocular pressure while carrying little risk of infection or ocular hypotension. The new surgical method is called canaloplasty. This 
procedure involves using a flexible micro-catheter which is inserted into Schlemm’s Canal in the eye and injecting a gel which opens the collapsed area. The surgeon also inserts a micro-suture in the canal to make sure that the canal stays open. This allows for proper drainage of the fluid in the eye.
Patients with mild to moderate forms of glaucoma are good candidates for the procedure. Other good candidates are those who are at high risk of complication from trabeculectomy and those who take several medications in order to lower their intraocular pressure.
Doctors are equally pleased with the shorter recovery time which canaloplasty offers to patients.
Canaloplasty is considered a “non-penetrating” glaucoma surgery, because although an incision is made in the eye, it doesn’t rely on the creation of a permanent hole in the eye that drains fluid. Soon, I’m going to discuss another “non-penetrating” surgery known as Trabectome.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Eye test in development that may provide early diagnosis of glaucoma and Alzheimer’s
01.22.2010The eyes may be more than the windows to the soul. They may allow doctors to diagnose neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s years before the onset of symptoms.
An eye test in early development may transform doctors’ ability to detect and treat diseases such as glaucoma and Alzheimer’s.
The technology behind the eye test is based upon the knowledge that nerve cell death is the key element in all degenerative brain disorders. Until now, there has been no way to measure brain cell death.
The new test uses a special camera and fluorescent markers that attach to retinal cells in various stages of death. This provides a real-time measurement of brain cell death by taking advantage of the fact that the eye is basically an exposed part of the brain. When brain cells are dying then retinal cells die as well. A large number of dead retinal cells would point to a neurological disorder.
While it is still to early to determine if the simple eye test will be an effective diagnostic tool in humans, researchers remain hopeful that the test will be available within the next few years.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Promising new treatment for dry AMD in clinical trials
01.21.2010Acucela Inc. has announced Phase 2 clinical trials of it’s ACU-4429 for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). ACU-4429 works by decreasing the levels of toxic products in the eye thus hopefully stopping the advance of dry AMD.
More than 29 million people worldwide are affected by either “wet” or “dry” AMD. The leading cause of the loss of vision in people over the age of 50 is 
dry AMD. 90 percent of AMD patients suffer from the dry form of AMD. Currently, there are no FDA approved therapies to treat dry AMD which will make the trials of ACU–4429 ones eagerly watched. Anti-oxidants are the only therapy available to slow or halt the progression of dry AMD
Researchers are pleased with the preclinical and early clinical data for ACU-4429. Thus far, it has demonstrated the ability to decrease toxic by-products which have had a part in the progression of dry AMD.
ACU-4429 is administered as an oral, daily pill unlike other therapies for the eyes which can involve the use of injections into the eyes.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
