INTERESTING EYE NEWS & CLINICAL PEARLS

 According to this study :  After 6 weeks of adding the 360 breathing technique (deep breathing six cycles per minute for 5 minutes, three times per day) to pharmacological glaucoma treatment, patients on average had a reduction of their intraocular pressure by roughly 2.5mmHg.  The study concludes: "365 breathing technique can reduce IOP, serum cortisol and improve autonomic dysfunction in glaucoma patients."

 According to this study : acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, commonly used in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, decreases the risk of macular degeneration by 6%.  

 This review of a German study indicated that children born with lower birthweight, regardless of term, have a higher rate of increased vertical cup to disc ratio as adults, and possibly lower retinal nerve reserve.   

 This paper suggests a link between oral hygiene and macular degeneration. 

 This study suggests that  the use of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, used to improve the quality of life in Alzheimer's patients,  may reduce the incidence of age-related macular degeneration in patients with Alzheimer’s by 6%.    Randomized clinical trials would be necessary to truly evaluate any cause-and-effect relationship. 

  Alcohol has been shown to be a modifiable risk factor in a number of ocular diseases, and recent research suggests glaucoma may be one of them. Those with or at risk for glaucoma may benefit from reducing their alcohol consumption. They found that the group of regular drinkers had a higher IOP than never/infrequent drinkers (+0.15mm Hg). The team also noted non-significant trends in the regular drinker group toward a thinner retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), thinner ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer and higher odds of glaucoma. Even those who self-identified as former drinkers had higher odds of developing glaucoma (odds ratio: 1.44). If further studies can confirm that a causal relationship does exist, it may prove beneficial to advise glaucoma patients and those at increased risk to be cognizant of their alcohol intake and aware of its potential effects on disease development. Original abstract content ©  Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2022. https:/...

  Dry eye symptoms improved significantly following treatment with supplements and artificial tears, study finds. A new study suggests oral vitamins B1 and mecobalamin, a form of B12, can help relieve symptoms of  dryness, pain and light sensitivity. “These observations suggest that oral vitamin B1 and mecobalamin can help nourish and repair the corneal nerve layer to some extent, thereby alleviating burning and photophobia,” the study authors concluded in their paper. Of note, oral vitamin B1 and mecobalamin were more effective in men than women, particularly for dryness and photophobia, they wrote. Ren X, Chou Y, Jiang X, et al. Effects of oral vitamin B1 and mecobalamin on dry eye disease. J Ophthalmol. 2020;2020:9539674. reported in Review of Optometry