INTERESTING EYE NEWS & CLINICAL PEARLS

BMC Ophthalmology 2008, 8 :25 This is a disturbing article suggesting that better cardiovascular health may be associated with higher rate of AMD progression, and conversely, worse cardiovascular health may be correllated with less risk of AMD progression. I would need a lot more evidence to be convinced of this.

4115 OLE-OPTH-OA-2008-2(4)-Anglade.pdf Uveitis is an inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects various parts of the eye and is a leading cause of visual loss. Currently available therapies are burdened with toxicities and/or lack definitive evidence of efficacy. Voclosporin, a rationally designed novel calcineurin inhibitor, exhibits a favorable safety profile and a wide therapeutic window. If successful, voclosporin will become the first Food and Drug Administration-approved corticosteroid-sparing agent for this condition.

American Journal of Ophthalmology Volume 146, Issue 6 , December 2008, Pages 876-882 This paper concludes: "(Lumigan) is an effective IOP-lowering agent in patients with uveitic glaucoma in whom the uveitis is controlled on immunomodulatory therapy, and it does not increase the rate of flares of uveitis in these patients."

Review of Optometry Melatonin therapy may be used to prevent ocular inflammation caused by uveitis, according to a study in the December issue of The American Journal of Pathology. In this study, the authors subcutaneously implanted a pellet of melatonin in hamsters with chemically-induced uveitis. At both 24-hour and eight-day follow-up, melatonin treatment reduced clinical signs of uveitis The authors conclude that melatonin prevents the clinical and functional symptoms of induced uveitis and suggest that it is a viable therapeutic treatment strategy for the condition. “In the future, melatonin would most likely be administered as a drop and could be combined with a topical steroid.” Sande PH, Fernandez DC, Aldana Marcos HJ, et al. Therapeutic effect of melatonin in experimental uveitis. Am J Pathol 2008 Dec;173(6):1702-13.

Review of Optometry Mohney BG, McKenzie JA, Capo JA, et al. Mental illness in young adults who had strabismus as children. Pediatrics 2008 Nov;122(5):1033-8 Researchers found that children with exotropia were three times more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder, according to a study in the November issue of Pediatrics. Also, patients with intermittent exotropia were significantly more likely to have mental health disorders, mental health-related emergency department visits, mental health-related hospitalizations and thoughts of suicide or homicide.

E arly Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Non-Ischaemic Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion : "intravitreal injection of Avastin may decrease macular edema and improve visual acuity in eyes with non-ischemic BRVO."

EyeWorld Magazine: 2008 This interesting new study found that glaucoma risk decreased in women who ate green collards and kale at least once a month, who ate more than two servings a week of carrots, and who consumed at least one weekly serving of canned or dried peaches. Investigators also found that the odds of having glaucoma increased in patients who drank at least one serving of orange juice a day and ate more than one weekly serving of spinach. This is disturbing, since spinach is considered one of the best vegetables for macular degeneration and orange juice is a wonderful source of vitamin C, which significantly boosts the immune system. Women who consumed at least 2 mg of vitamin B2 from natural food sources or at least 1,400 daily retinol equivalents of vitamin A were less likely to be diagnosed with glaucoma than participants who consumed lower amounts of these nutrients.