by:Reuters
People who lead an overall healthy life by exercising, eating right and not smoking, run a significantly lower risk of eye degeneration, a major cause of visual impairment in older adults, says a study.
Exercise and diet each reduced the risk, but both combined, along with a lack of smoking,caused the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to fall by more than 70%, says study author Julie Mares, at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “Relatively small things could make a difference,” said Mares.
Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces. For the study, published in Archives of Ophthalmology, researchers reviewed information about diet, exercise and smoking from 1,313 women between the ages of 55 and 74.
The results showed that even 10 hours per week of light exercise, including housework, gardening and walking — or 8 hours of moderate exercise a week, lowered the risk of AMD since diet and exercise lower blood pressure, which can protect the eyes from degeneration
Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Macular Degeneration is not the end of sight
Submitted by Ria Patel
Joanne Preece, 84, is suffering from macular degeneration. She exclaimed how amazing it was how we all take our vision for granted, and that how it could all be gone in a moment.
The disability not only took away her sight, it also stole her freedom. She said how she stopped driving because she could see the oncoming traffic which would scare me to death.
Dr. Kathryn A. Colby explained how during the end stage of macular degeneration, the patient looking at someone could see the shoulders and the hair, but not the face.
Due to her disability, Preece's entire view of the world is changing. Now she has a telescope the size of a pea implanted in her eye. A couple of high-powered lenses magnify all that she sees.
The implant is placed right at the junction between the clear part and the white part of the eye. And the implantation is to be made just into a single eye. A tiny incision is to be made in the cornea by the doctors, who then take out the cataract or damaged lens and put the telescopic lens in their place instead.
During the surgery, the patients are given sedation, but they are awake.
Joanne Preece, 84, is suffering from macular degeneration. She exclaimed how amazing it was how we all take our vision for granted, and that how it could all be gone in a moment.
The disability not only took away her sight, it also stole her freedom. She said how she stopped driving because she could see the oncoming traffic which would scare me to death.
Dr. Kathryn A. Colby explained how during the end stage of macular degeneration, the patient looking at someone could see the shoulders and the hair, but not the face.
Due to her disability, Preece's entire view of the world is changing. Now she has a telescope the size of a pea implanted in her eye. A couple of high-powered lenses magnify all that she sees.
The implant is placed right at the junction between the clear part and the white part of the eye. And the implantation is to be made just into a single eye. A tiny incision is to be made in the cornea by the doctors, who then take out the cataract or damaged lens and put the telescopic lens in their place instead.
During the surgery, the patients are given sedation, but they are awake.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Stem Cells Get FDA Nod For Stargardt's Disease
by Randall V. Wong, M.D.
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., received FDA approval for starting Phase I/II clinical trial to use stem cells for the treatment of Stargardt’s disease. Stargardt’s disease is an inherited type of macular degeneration affecting individuals at age 10-20. There is no cure.
Similar to other macular diseases, the photoreceptors, and the layer of cells just beneath, call the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), become destroyed due to a genetic defect. Due to the macular involvement, central vision is lost.
Stargardt’s disease is the a common form of “macular degeneration” that afflicts the young. It is estimated to affect about 30,000 people worldwide. It shares in common with ARMD (age related macular degeneration) the loss of photoreceptors secondary to RPE damage and degeneration.
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) claims the ability to generate healthy RPE cells from human embryonic stem cells. The idea is to replace the genetically diseased RPE cells with healthy replacements. In theory, the healthy RPE cells should prevent loss of the photoreceptors, thereby preserving vision.
The phase I/II study will involve 12 patients enrolled into several centers across the United States. The initial experiments will determine if the RPE cells are indeed safe and if they can be tolerated by the human recipients (i.e., does the body reject the new RPE cells?).
What Does This Mean? Stargardt’s disease has no cure, and therefore, are great subjects to consider for this possible treatment. In a way, there is nothing to lose. Stargardt’s patients also have or had vision, that is, they have experience with vision. We know that these patients have fully developed visual pathways.
While this group is very small in comparison to patients with macular degeneration, the significance this holds for a potential, effective treatment can only be left to our imagination. Even a small success in this trial is exciting.
The news of this trial is exciting, but remember further testing (clinical trials III and IV) need to be completed. Also, the techniques for introducing the cells safely underneath the retina need to be accomplished, too.
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., received FDA approval for starting Phase I/II clinical trial to use stem cells for the treatment of Stargardt’s disease. Stargardt’s disease is an inherited type of macular degeneration affecting individuals at age 10-20. There is no cure.
Similar to other macular diseases, the photoreceptors, and the layer of cells just beneath, call the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), become destroyed due to a genetic defect. Due to the macular involvement, central vision is lost.
Stargardt’s disease is the a common form of “macular degeneration” that afflicts the young. It is estimated to affect about 30,000 people worldwide. It shares in common with ARMD (age related macular degeneration) the loss of photoreceptors secondary to RPE damage and degeneration.
Advanced Cell Technology (ACT) claims the ability to generate healthy RPE cells from human embryonic stem cells. The idea is to replace the genetically diseased RPE cells with healthy replacements. In theory, the healthy RPE cells should prevent loss of the photoreceptors, thereby preserving vision.
The phase I/II study will involve 12 patients enrolled into several centers across the United States. The initial experiments will determine if the RPE cells are indeed safe and if they can be tolerated by the human recipients (i.e., does the body reject the new RPE cells?).
What Does This Mean? Stargardt’s disease has no cure, and therefore, are great subjects to consider for this possible treatment. In a way, there is nothing to lose. Stargardt’s patients also have or had vision, that is, they have experience with vision. We know that these patients have fully developed visual pathways.
While this group is very small in comparison to patients with macular degeneration, the significance this holds for a potential, effective treatment can only be left to our imagination. Even a small success in this trial is exciting.
The news of this trial is exciting, but remember further testing (clinical trials III and IV) need to be completed. Also, the techniques for introducing the cells safely underneath the retina need to be accomplished, too.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Maintaining a 20/20 Visual Acuity
by Ponti Carlo Aranda
On normal conditions, when nurses use the Snellen’s chart to test one’s vision, 20/20 signifies the perfect eyesight. This type of examination is usually performed not only in hospitals but also in educational institutions as students enroll themselves to study in that school.
As long we do not encounter any factors that can perturb our eyes, then our visual acuity will remain that way.
However, as we begin to age, our senses including our vision tend to deteriorate. The clear eye lenses become cloudy and lose its flexibility. The retina located at the back of the eyes also loses its sensitivity to light and leads to glaucoma which is a common condition among the elderly.
How do we maintain healthy eyesight? Here are some fundamental don’ts and do’s concerning about eye care:
DON’TS
* Never stare on any bright objects most especially the sun since they can surely damage your eyesight. With regards to TV screens and computer monitors, try to lower their brightness.
* Do not engage on paper and writing works when there isn’t a sufficient light. Writing and reading can cause so much stress to your eyes. To manage this problem, you can use a soft white light but make sure that it does not produce a glare that gives a reflection directly to your eyes.
* Never stare on TV screens or computer monitors for a long time. Studies have suggested that after 20 minutes of staring at the screen, look away about 20 feet ahead of you for 20 seconds. This is what they call the 20-20-20 rule. This rule can assist you in reducing strains to your eyes. You may also want to blink every 10 seconds to provide lubrication to your eyes. Sometimes, it is a fact that when we are too preoccupied with our work, we tend to forget blinking which makes the strain continuous.
* Of course, smoking should be ceased and avoid second-hand smoke as well. Studies have confirmed that smoking has a link to macular degeneration, cataract as well as damage to the optic nerve. All of these serious conditions can lead to blindness.
* Try to limit your eyes from being exposed to dusty places.
DO’S
* Eat foods rich in vitamin A and other sources that are good for maintaining good eyesight. Examples of these foods are dark leafy greens (broccoli, spinach). Watermelons contain lutein which is very healthy for the eyes. Lastly, eat fishes that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
* Engage in regular exercises and deep breathing sessions. A regular exercise can decrease eye strains by approximately twenty percent. Moreover, deep breathing exercises also have the same effect. These two methods are very helpful to those individuals with glaucoma since this disorder may cause headache and an increase in intraocular pressure.
* Wear sunglasses when on outdoor locations. It is true that wearing sunglasses can make you look dashing but the primary function of these products is to shield your eyes from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
* Make proper hand washing your daily habit. Though it is discouraged to rub our eyes using our hands, there are moments that we tend to forget this advice. That is why it is highly encouraged to maintain the habit of proper hand washing just in case we accidentally rub our eyes. However, let us always practice ourselves to minimize this bad habit.
* Rest your eyes most especially if you do not need to use them. An example of this advice is when talking over the phone. Since you do not need to open your eyes while talking, just close them and within that moment, your eyes are being rested.
* Regularly check your blood sugar. Diabetics are known to experience a high risk of eye disease. A study confirmed that proper management of blood sugar greatly declines the risk of diabetic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. If you are a diabetic, a yearly consultation with your eye specialist is highly suggested.
* If possible, get a yearly eye check-up. Usually, conditions like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration do not give warning signs; hence, visiting an eye specialist is the only way to make sure that you are not experiencing the first stage of these eye disorders.
On normal conditions, when nurses use the Snellen’s chart to test one’s vision, 20/20 signifies the perfect eyesight. This type of examination is usually performed not only in hospitals but also in educational institutions as students enroll themselves to study in that school.
As long we do not encounter any factors that can perturb our eyes, then our visual acuity will remain that way.
However, as we begin to age, our senses including our vision tend to deteriorate. The clear eye lenses become cloudy and lose its flexibility. The retina located at the back of the eyes also loses its sensitivity to light and leads to glaucoma which is a common condition among the elderly.
How do we maintain healthy eyesight? Here are some fundamental don’ts and do’s concerning about eye care:
DON’TS
* Never stare on any bright objects most especially the sun since they can surely damage your eyesight. With regards to TV screens and computer monitors, try to lower their brightness.
* Do not engage on paper and writing works when there isn’t a sufficient light. Writing and reading can cause so much stress to your eyes. To manage this problem, you can use a soft white light but make sure that it does not produce a glare that gives a reflection directly to your eyes.
* Never stare on TV screens or computer monitors for a long time. Studies have suggested that after 20 minutes of staring at the screen, look away about 20 feet ahead of you for 20 seconds. This is what they call the 20-20-20 rule. This rule can assist you in reducing strains to your eyes. You may also want to blink every 10 seconds to provide lubrication to your eyes. Sometimes, it is a fact that when we are too preoccupied with our work, we tend to forget blinking which makes the strain continuous.
* Of course, smoking should be ceased and avoid second-hand smoke as well. Studies have confirmed that smoking has a link to macular degeneration, cataract as well as damage to the optic nerve. All of these serious conditions can lead to blindness.
* Try to limit your eyes from being exposed to dusty places.
DO’S
* Eat foods rich in vitamin A and other sources that are good for maintaining good eyesight. Examples of these foods are dark leafy greens (broccoli, spinach). Watermelons contain lutein which is very healthy for the eyes. Lastly, eat fishes that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
* Engage in regular exercises and deep breathing sessions. A regular exercise can decrease eye strains by approximately twenty percent. Moreover, deep breathing exercises also have the same effect. These two methods are very helpful to those individuals with glaucoma since this disorder may cause headache and an increase in intraocular pressure.
* Wear sunglasses when on outdoor locations. It is true that wearing sunglasses can make you look dashing but the primary function of these products is to shield your eyes from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
* Make proper hand washing your daily habit. Though it is discouraged to rub our eyes using our hands, there are moments that we tend to forget this advice. That is why it is highly encouraged to maintain the habit of proper hand washing just in case we accidentally rub our eyes. However, let us always practice ourselves to minimize this bad habit.
* Rest your eyes most especially if you do not need to use them. An example of this advice is when talking over the phone. Since you do not need to open your eyes while talking, just close them and within that moment, your eyes are being rested.
* Regularly check your blood sugar. Diabetics are known to experience a high risk of eye disease. A study confirmed that proper management of blood sugar greatly declines the risk of diabetic eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. If you are a diabetic, a yearly consultation with your eye specialist is highly suggested.
* If possible, get a yearly eye check-up. Usually, conditions like glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration do not give warning signs; hence, visiting an eye specialist is the only way to make sure that you are not experiencing the first stage of these eye disorders.
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