Blindness News and Research

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Pigment epithelium-derived factor ablations may lead to eye aging

Researchers identified that loss of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) may cause aging in the eye.

21 Jul 2022

A stepped regimen of anti-VEFG drugs leads to good vision outcomes in diabetic macular edema

Clinical trial results from the DRCR Retina Network suggest that a specific step strategy, in which patients with diabetic macular edema start with a less expensive medicine and switch to a more expensive medicine if vision does not improve sufficiently, gives results similar to starting off with the higher-priced drug.

14 Jul 2022

More patients suffer vision-threatening emergencies after assaults with paintball guns, research finds

University of Chicago Medicine researchers reviewing two years of data on assaults with paintball guns found more patients than expected suffered vision-threatening emergencies after being struck in the eye, with several experiencing a rupture of the eyeball or even permanent blindness.

13 Jul 2022

Specific form of age-related macular degeneration linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke risk

Patients with a specific form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the United States, are at significant risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to new research from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.

12 Jul 2022

Singapore researchers develop a bio-functional thermogel to prevent retinal scarring

Singapore scientists have developed a bio-functional thermogel, a type of synthetic polymer, to prevent retinal scarring caused by failed retinal detachment repair surgery.

4 Jul 2022

Proteins in the eye may predict which macular degeneration patients need life-long treatment

In a study of eye fluid from 38 patients, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have found that levels of a specific protein appears to help accurately predict whether people with the wet form of age-related macular degeneration may need lifelong, frequent eye injections to preserve vision or if they can be safely weaned off the treatments.

29 Jun 2022

Study: Glaucoma diagnosis not associated with steeper rates of cognitive decline

Previous studies have looked for links between glaucoma-;a neurodegenerative disorder that's the leading cause of irreversible blindness-;and cognitive function, but they've generated mixed results.

22 Jun 2022

Study offers new insight into the growth of blood vessels

Blood vessels must adapt their growth to the nutrients available in their surroundings so that they can keep organs adequately supplied. A team led by Michael Potente has identified two proteins that are important for this process and published their findings in Nature Metabolism.

20 Jun 2022

New discovery could lead to the development of therapeutic approaches for retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative genetic disease of the eye, is characterized by progressive vision loss, usually leading to blindness.

17 Jun 2022

Study reveals sex differences in COVID-19 diagnosis at the start of the pandemic

University of Alicante Professor of Preventive Medicine and Public Health María Teresa Ruiz Cantero has prepared a study based on COVID-19 and gender biases in healthcare and the inequalities revealing sex differences, recently presented as part of the 2022 Gender and Health Report of the Spanish Ministry of Health, through the Women's Health Observatory.

16 Jun 2022

Annual Wellness Visits associated with reduced risk of amputations in patients with diabetes

Patients with diabetes who participate in a free Annual Wellness Visit covered by Medicare are 36% less likely to need an amputation, a new study from University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers and their collaborators found.

15 Jun 2022

Affordable Advanced Rapid Diagnostics from Global Access Diagnostics (GADx)

Global Access Health (GAH), a social enterprise dedicated to providing affordable medical products for global health, today formally introduced its first portfolio company, Global Access Diagnostics (GADx).

From Global Access Diagnostics 15 Jun 2022

Study finds unequal access to life-changing device among youth with type 1 diabetes

Over the past 20 years, despite the overall increase in the use of insulin pumps, there have been few improvements in the ethnic, racial and socioeconomic inequities in insulin pump use among youth with type 1 diabetes, according to a new study presented Tuesday, June 14 at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

14 Jun 2022

Children’s vision problems often go undetected, despite calls for regular screening

Jessica Oberoi, 13, can't exactly remember when her eyesight started getting blurry. All she knows is that she had to squint to see the whiteboard at school.

9 Jun 2022

Stem cell models help determine previously unknown genetic markers of glaucoma

Stem cell models of the retina and optical nerve have been used to identify previously unknown genetic markers of glaucoma, in research jointly led by scientists from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, the University of Melbourne, and the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

9 Jun 2022

Detailed genetic roadmap of glaucoma will help develop new drugs to combat the disease

A new, detailed genetic roadmap of glaucoma – the world's leading cause of irreversible blindness – will help researchers develop new drugs to combat the disease, by identifying potential target areas to stall or reverse vision loss.

8 Jun 2022

Dietary supplements can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration, NIH study confirms

The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) established that dietary supplements can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in older Americans. In a new report, scientists analyzed 10 years of AREDS2 data.

2 Jun 2022

Study expands understanding of the eye's immune response to viral infections

The cornea - the transparent protective outer layer of the eye critical to helping us see – produces a delicate and limited immune response to fight infections without damaging our vision, according to a ground-breaking new study from the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute).

24 May 2022

Novel ultrasound-assisted laser technique removes arterial plaque safely and efficiently

Atherosclerosis, a buildup of plaque, can lead to heart disease, artery disease, and chronic kidney disease and is traditionally treated by inserting and inflating a balloon to expand the artery.