Archive for the ‘Eye Health’ Category
News Warning – 5 million contact lenses recalled by FDA
12.02.2011
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued it’s highest recall notice, a Class 1, for CooperVision’s Avaira Toric and Avaira Sphere contact lenses. Forty reports of problems to the FDA have been made regarding the contacts. The problems have ranged from severe pain and hazy vision to torn corneas.
CooperVision reports that a silicone oil residue on the lenses is the culprit behind the problems that lens wearers are experiencing. Initially, the recall only involved the Avaira Toric lenses but the recall has now been expanded to include the Avaira Sphere since these lenses use silicone oil in the production process as well.
Costco, Wal-Mart and LensCrafters all sell the CooperVision Avaira Toric and Sphere contacts. You may find out if your contacts are a part of the recall by visiting the CooperVision website and entering the lot number that is on your contact lens package. You can also contact CooperVision by calling 1-855-526-6737.
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
Controversial Study Result: An aspirin a day linked to wet macular degeneration
11.20.2011
A recent European study reveals that seniors who are on a daily aspirin regimen are twice as likely to develop wet macular degeneration compared to people who never take aspirin. Researchers emphasize that the data doesn’t show that vision loss is caused by aspirin but that it does cause concern that aspirin might aggravate the eye disorder.
Researchers collected personal information about health and lifestyle from almost 4,700 people over the age of 65. What they found is that almost four of every 100 daily aspirin users had wet macular degeneration. Only two out of every 100 people who took aspirin less frequently had wet macular degeneration.
Larger studies that follow people over a period of time and document their aspirin use and vision will help to determine the role that aspirin plays in macular degeneration. Meanwhile, researchers stress that it’s a good idea to caution people that aspirin might exacerbate macular degeneration, but that the benefits of taking the aspirin outweigh any risks to their vision.
In addition, the association may not be causal. People with high cholesterol and heart disease, which is associated with macular degeneration, are the very same people who have been instructed by their doctors to take aspirin.*
Kids glued to TV develop blurred vision
11.16.2011
Is your child or grandchild glued to the TV, Internet or video game? Here’s yet another reason to break that habit.
A recent vision health study indicates that the rates of nearsightedness (myopia) in children are linked to time spent outdoors. The cases of myopia have become increasingly common in the United States and a correlation has been found between the amount of time that children are exposed to natural light and focusing on distant objects.
Since the 1970′s, the incidence of myopia in the United States and other countries has risen dramatically with more than 80 percent of the population in Asian countries being nearsighted. Researchers at the University of Cambridge conducted the study and determined that the chance of myopia dropped by two percent for each additional hour spent outside each week. Children in the study with normal or farsighted vision spent 3.7 more hours each week outdoors than the nearsighted children.*
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
November is National Diabetes Month – Annual dilated eye exams encouraged
11.10.2011
November is National Diabetes Month and the National Eye Institute recommends that people with diabetes get annual dilated eye exams. One of the most prevalent and incapacitating complications of diabetes is diabetic retinopathy and a dilated eye exam is crucial in diagnosing and treating the condition early.
In addition to diabetic retinopathy, people with diabetes are at a higher risk for cataracts and glaucoma. Diabetic retinopathy typically has no symptoms until vision loss occurs which is why it is so crucial for diabetics to have dilated eye exams. Early detection can help prevent 90% of diabetes-related blindness.
Throughout National Diabetes Month, free diabetic eye disease resources are being distributed by the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) to health professionals and community organizations that serve people with diabetes. You can visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/nehep to learn more about the NEHEP and get materials.*
Elise Ervin
Staff Writer
It’s True – Marigold Flowers May Prevent Senility
10.12.2011
The many hats that I wear include my position as a member of the Ocular Nutrition Society’s Industry Advisory Panel.
Yesterday, ONS held its Annual Educational Symposium in Boston. And for any disbelievers in the health value of the carotenoids, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, there was enough scientific evidence that added immensely to our understanding of these important molecules.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin, for those of you new to the discussion, are the plant pigments that concentrate in the macula like iron filings to a magnet. They are vitally important for macular pigmentation, visual function, and overall macular health. Dr. Johanna Seddon, Director of the Ophthalmic Epidemiology and Genetics Service at the University of Pittsburg presented an excellent overview of several epidemiologic studies showing relationships between nutritional health and reduction in macular disease. While we now know that genetic vulnerability plays a large role, nutritional and environmental factors are important as well.
Dr. Alex Iannaccone from the University of Tennessee’s Health Science Center demonstrated several studies which showed that Lutein and Zeaxanthin concentrations could be accurately measured in the retina using instruments that measure heterocrhomatic flicker photometry (HFP), and furthermore, that these levels improve with Lutein and Zeaxanthin supplementation.
One of the ground-breaking presentations was by Dr. Elizabeth Johnson of the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Dr. Johnson presented studies showing that early cognitive decline was lessened in the presence of increased brain Lutein. Furthermore, brain Lutein and Zeaxanthin levels correlated with retinal levels, which can be measured non-invasively with flicker photometry.
Of course, we’ve been believers in Lutein and Zeaxanthin since for many years, and were the first company worldwide to offer VisiVite macular degeneration supplements with these two molecules as early as 2003.
Fat ingestion improves the absorption of Lutein and Zeaxanthin, so if you take VisiVite supplements, take them with food.
P.S. VisiVite Formulas exclusively use FloraGLO brand Lutein, which is derived from Marigolds.*
–
Paul Krawitz, M.D., F.A.A.O.
President and Founder
Vitamin Science, Inc.
