INTERESTING EYE NEWS & CLINICAL PEARLS

A report in this month's Review of Optometry cites a 33 year study indicating that risk of a heart attack is increased 51%, the risk of ischemic heart disease is increased 40%, and the risk of death is increased 17% in patients with xanthelasmata.  So these patients ought to be referred to a cardiologist. 

An investigation by Dr Jennifer Beebe-Dimmer  et al , Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, Michigan, USA, has shown that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) used for prostate cancer treatment could contribute towards the development of cataracts. ADT has already been proven to increase the chances of developing diabetes and other heart problems. The study included 66000 prostate cancer patients aged 66 or older from a US cancer registry. Almost half of the patients were treated by ADT within six months of diagnosis. For every 1000 patients studied, 111 cataracts were diagnosed. The men treated with ADT had an average of 9% increased risk of developing cataracts. This rose by about 26% for the men who had their testicles removed. In conclusion, it was estimated that 5% of cataract cases in patients with prostate cancer could be attributed to ADT.

Arch Ophthalmol -- Abstract: Randomized Controlled Trial of Patching vs Acupuncture for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children Aged 7 to 12 Years, December 2010, Zhao et al. 128 (12): 1510 Usually we give a child the best spectacle correction and prescribe a patching regimen with therapy. This study shows acupuncture was as effective! Interesting.

Keraring implantation effective against keratoconus - Ophthalmology Times Europe the Keraring implantation is effective for the treatment of keratoconus, providing safety and good visual outcomes after both mechanical and femtosecond assisted tunnel creation.

Consequences of waiting for cataract surgery : Current Opinion in Ophthalmology Purpose or review: To conduct a concise review of primary research articles over the preceding year on the subject of the consequences of waiting for cataract surgery. Recent findings: Waiting for cataract surgery beyond 6 months may result in increasing vision loss, decrease in quality life, loss of driver's license, depression and adverse events including falls and fractures. The consequences of waiting for cataract surgery not only affect patients, families and surgeons, but also health ministries and public health policy makers. Consequences are both quantitative and qualitative in nature, ranging from progressive vision loss to patients' decrease in quality of life from factors other than vision loss. Cataract wait lists are not unique to North America, and numerous international articles have described a broad variety of consequences.

Anatomical and functional impairment of the retina and optic nerve in patients with anorexia nervosa without vision loss -- Moschos et al. -- British Journal of Ophthalmology

Highlights of dry eye Phase 2 clinical study revealed - Ophthalmology Times Europe