INTERESTING EYE NEWS & CLINICAL PEARLS

Xanthelasmata Identified as Independent CV Risk Factor - Forbes "The authors conclude that the presence of xanthelasmata could help clinicians when they diagnose heart disease and associated conditions. And they add that their findings “could be of particular value in societies where access to laboratory facilities and thus lipid profile measurement is difficult.” An accompanying editorial concludes that, overall, the evidence highlights the importance of a comprehensive physical examination and suggests that xanthelasmata could be used by general clinicians to help identify people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease."

Access : Reconsidering the connection between vitamin D levels and age-related macular degeneration : Eye According to this study there is no correlation between vitamin D levels and macular degeneration progression.

European Journal of Ophthalmology Oral antioxidant supplementation could be a useful adjunctive long-term therapy in the treatment of nonproliferative DR.

Most eye doctors believe amblyopia can't be improved past 11 years old.  This study suggests that 40 hours of video game play with the good eye patched will improve visual acuity 30% in patients with ambloypia who are older than 11 years old.

Eating fish may help your eyes - The Washington Post

Ophthalmology Article | Grab some walnuts and a plate of fish, new research shows Omega–3 fatty acids found in these foods may keep you seeing straight. That means omega 3’s could help prevent eye diseases like retinopathy, which are caused by an overgrowth of leaky blood vessels in the eyes. The fatty acids also activated proteins that improve insulin sensitivity. Those proteins are the same ones targeted by type 2 diabetes drugs. This means omega 3's could also be used to improve insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes or pre–diabetes.

Correction of Astigmatism During Cataract Surgery: Toric Intraocular Lens Compared to Peripheral Corneal Relaxing Incisions Toric IOL implantation and peripheral corneal relaxing incisions yielded similar results regarding surgical correction of astigmatism at the time of phacoemulsification cataract surgery. Both treatment modalities achieved comparable results with mild-to-moderate astigmatism. Higher degrees of astigmatism favor use of a toric IOL