Archive for the ‘Diabetic Retinopathy’ Category
Do you know what the #1 cause of vision loss is in the United States? Hint: cookies and pasta
08.16.2010A new study published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that one in three people with diabetes has diabetic retinopathy. In addition, 4% of those diagnosed with the disease have such advanced diabetic retinopathy that they are in danger of losing their vision.
The study was population-based and involved Americans with diabetes who were age 40 and older. 28.5 percent of those in the study had been diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is the #1 cause of vision loss in people aged 20 to 74 in the United States. Study findings also showed that more men than women have the disease and that blacks and Hispanics have a higher rate of the disease than whites.
The good news is that diabetics can prevent or slow diabetic retinopathy by controlling their blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol. It is crucial that once diagnosed with diabetes, the patient have a dilated eye exam soon after diagnosis and then have periodic dilated eye exams as recommended by the ophthalmologist or optometrist.*
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Red wine molecule may help prevent leading causes of blindness
07.08.2010An antioxidant found in red wine, grapes and berries called resveratrol may prevent the leading causes of blindness. A recent study demonstrated that Resveratrol effectively prevented new blood vessels from forming and eliminating them once they had formed.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the United States, while age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 60 and older. Currently, treatments for many retinal diseases involve risky eye injections. Resveratrol can be taken orally and is easily absorbed in the body.
Researchers conducted studies on mice to determine how resveratrol affects the formation of new blood vessels in the retinas. The researchers were able to create abnormal blood vessels in the mice using lasers. Abnormal blood vessels occur in human eyes in both proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and wet macular degeneration (wet AMD). The mice were then treated with resveratrol. The abnormal blood vessels began to disappear. Researchers were excited about the role resveratrol can play in preventing the formation of abnormal blood vessels.*
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Sleep Apnea Poses Threat to Eye Health
05.25.2010Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is more than just a poor night’s sleep. OSAS can affect a person’s overall health which even includes ocular health.
Patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are at risk for many eye abnormalities. Ophthalmologists are taking note of the apparent link between sleep apnea and various eye abnormalities. A few of these eye abnormalities are retinal microaneurysms, impaired retinal blood flow, hypertensive retinopathy and macular edema. A simple dilation of the retina can alert the ophthalmologist to whether a patient should be screened for OSAS.
In addition to the retinal dilation, comprehensive ophthalmologists are encouraged to screen their patients with an Epworth Sleepiness Scale to validate concerns of OSAS. This diagnostic tool allows patients to rate the possibility of dozing off during various activities on a scale of 0 to 3 with 3 being the highest possibility of dozing. A patient scoring 10 or above should be referred for a sleep study.
Ophthalmologists should always be on the lookout for OSAS as a possible contributor in chronic eye disease. Sleep apnea can have an extremely detrimental effect on diabetics. OSAS is linked with a more aggressive retinopathy. It can can aggravate diabetes and magnify the coinciding vascular effects.
It is common for ophthalmologists to see diabetics who have great hemoglobin A1C readings but progressively worsening diabetic retinopathy. This can be caused by the repeated apneic episodes in which the oxygen concentration can fall 30 points or more within a few seconds. This is comparative to being suddenly propelled upon Mt. Everest over 100 times per night.
Patients diagnosed with OSAS are often amazed at the difference in their overall health once they begin treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This effective treatment can bring diabetes and blood pressure under control and reverse some eye conditions.*
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Laser Treatment No Longer the Best Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
05.14.2010
Researchers randomized 691 participants (854 eyes) with diabetic macular edema (DME) involving the central macula to one of four groups: sham injections plus prompt focal/grid laser treatment within one week, ranibizumab (Lucentis) injections plus prompt laser treatment, ranibizumab plus deferred laser treatment after six months or more or traimcinolone and prompt laser.
After one year, nearly 50 percent of eyes treated with ranibizumab and prompt or deferred laser treatment showed a substantial visual improvement compared with 28 percent of eyes receiving laser treatment alone or triamcinolone plus laser. In pseudophakic eyes (eyes that had previously undergone cataract surgery), triamcinolone (a steroid) and prompt laser appeared more effective than laser alone, but frequently increased the risk of elevated IOP. Ophthalmology, Article in Press, May 2010.
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
Why do Latinos Go Blind?
05.11.2010In four separate reports, researchers from the Los Angeles Latino study provide the four-year incidence of blindness and visual impairment, cataract and diabetic retinopathy among Hispanics living in Los Angeles, a population consisting of people of predominantly Mexican origin.
The four-year incidence of diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and clinically significant macular edema, was 34 percent, 5.4 percent, and 7.2 percent respectively. Overall, nearly 3 percent of Latinos developed visual impairment and 0.3 percent developed blindness in both eyes, with older adults impacted more frequently.
Latinos were more likely to develop cataracts in the center of the lens (10.2 percent) than the edge of the lens (7.5 percent). However, they had low rates of early and late AMD. American Journal of Ophthalmology, May 2010.*
Andrea Schumann
Staff Writer
