Blogs

Omega 3's help prevent macular degeneration
EAT FISH, LOWER RISK OF AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE. A recent study published in the journal Ophthalmology sought to determine the relationship between fish and shellfish consumption and AMD status in the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) Study participants. A food frequency questionnaire was used to estimate weekly fish/shellfish consumption for each of the randomly selected 2,520 Maryland residents aged 65 to 84 years included in this cross-sectional study.

New therapies slow vision loss in diabetics
CNN.COM:
Researchers have found two new treatments that could slow the progression of vision loss in high-risk adults with type 2 diabetes. The vision loss, called diabetic retinopathy, is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the retina. In diabetics with retinopathy, the blood vessels can leak and causing the retina to swell. Abnormal new blood vessels can also develop which causes vision loss.

Eye-Tracking Glasses Bring Sci-Fi to the Supermarket
FALLS CHURCH, Va., July 2010 — If you begin to see people wearing large, oddly shaped eyeglasses at your favorite store, here's why: In the never-ending quest to find out why people buy what they do, Tobii Technology has debuted Tobii Glasses, an eye-tracking device that market research study participants can wear while they shop.

New OCT may diagnose Multiple Sclerosis
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/191106.php:
quick, painless eye measurement shows promise as a way to diagnose multiple sclerosis in its very early stages, and to track the effectiveness of treatments, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in a multicenter study.

Contact lens to monitor diabetes
Contact Lens That Monitors Glucose
Levels in Development
PITTSBURGH, June 2010 — PCCA Technologies is developing the technology for a glucose-sensing contact lens for people with diabetes. Unlike glucose strips that require blood samples, this medical device is a painless alternative for self-monitoring.
The contact lens contains a sensor placed discreetly below the iris and beneath the lower eyelid. The sensor continuously monitors the glucose levels in the tear fluid and turns color based on the level.

Implantable telescope approved for macular degeneration
FDA Approves Implantable Telescope To Help Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Protect the eyes from the sun!!!
Courtesy of PREVENT BLINDNESS.ORG:::
Protect Your Eyes from the Sun!
Sunglasses help you in two important ways. They filter light and they protect your eyes from damaging ultra-violet (UV) rays. Mounting evidence shows that exposure to UV rays can damage your eyes. Long-term exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts, macular degeneration, or skin cancer around the eyelids. Sunglasses should be worn when you are outdoors so you can protect your eyes.
You should choose sunglasses that:
reduce glare
filter out 99-100% of UV rays
protect your eyes
are comfortable to wear

Prevent eye disease with wine
Resveratrol May Help Prevent Age-Related Deterioration Of Eyesight.
The UK's Telegraph (6/25, Alleyne) reports, "resveratrol, found in particularly high levels in grape skin (and consequently red wine)," may help prevent age-related deterioration of eyesight, according to a study published in the American Journal of Pathology. "The substance...is believed to work because it protects against abnormal angiogenesis -- the formation of damaged or mutated blood vessels," a condition which "is linked to cancer, heart disease, and eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration."

Retinal treatments on the horizon
Scientists Create First-Ever Retina from Stem Cells
Staff
6/16/2010
Researchers at the University of California Irvine have created an eight-layer, early-stage retina from human embryonic stem cells. This is the first three-dimensional tissue structure to be made from stem cells, the researchers say.
“We made a complex structure consisting of many cell types,” says study leader Hans Keirstead, Ph.D., of the Reese-Irvine Research Center and the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UCI. “This is a major advance in our quest to treat retinal disease.”

