Blindness News and Research

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First molecular-scale images of DNA binding to an adenovirus enzyme

The images, which appear on the cover of the October 2004 issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, show how binding to DNA may stimulate the enzyme and are already being used to design new antiviral drugs to block this interaction.

14 Sep 2004

New glaucoma risk assessment principles help physicians decide who needs treatment

A new approach for assessing glaucoma risk factors could be the first step in helping ophthalmologists determine the risk of progression from ocular hypertension to glaucoma and blindness, according to an article published today in the September issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

14 Sep 2004

New device aimed at detecting glaucoma

The physician who revolutionized screening methods for glaucoma nearly 20 years ago has patented a new device aimed at detecting glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.

10 Sep 2004

Findings about diabetic eye disease may lead to improved screenings and treatment for people with diabetes

Eli Lilly and Company have announced key findings from analyses of prior study data that enhances understanding of vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy, a diabetic microvascular complication that affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide.

10 Sep 2004

Exubera shows sustained blood glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes

New data showed that Exubera (inhaled insulin) was effective and well tolerated in controlling blood glucose levels over a two-year period in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

8 Sep 2004

First step in using gene therapy to treat glaucoma

Mayo Clinic researchers have demonstrated they can permanently transfer a functioning gene to targeted tissues within the eye.

2 Sep 2004

Women perceive color better than men

Stereotypes about the superior color sense of women may well be rooted in genetics. Brian Verrelli, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute at ASU, is co-collaborator on a study suggesting that natural genetic selection has provided women with a frequent ability to better discriminate between colors than men.

2 Sep 2004

Zinc plays a crucial role in blindness

Dartmouth Medical School researchers in their quest to find cures for inherited diseases have found that zinc plays a crucial role in blindness in over one million people worldwide.

18 Aug 2004

Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are better cared for than managed care patients

Researchers have found that Veterans Affairs patients with diabetes are more likely to receive recommended tests and have better outcomes than managed care patients.

17 Aug 2004

Medical alternative to surgery for cataracts

A common age related cause of blindness is being studied by researchers in the Cataract Group of the Agricultural and Life Sciences Division at Lincoln University, New Zealand. They are working on finding out a medical alternative to surgery.

16 Aug 2004

American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.3 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of similar age

About 40 percent of adults ages 40 to 74 - or 41 million people - have pre-diabetes, a condition that raises a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

11 Aug 2004

Different types of cataracts produced identifiable and repeatable results using wavefront diagnostic equipment

A study published today in the August edition of the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery reports that wavefront technology, a new way of measuring how vision is distorted by irregularities in the eye, offers a widely accepted means for corroborating cataract patients' vision complaints, which may lead to earlier treatment with attendant enhanced patient safety and less loss of quality of life.

2 Aug 2004

Drug to fight virus from the herpes family in transplant patients moves forward in trials

A drug once considered for cancer chemotherapy is advancing in clinical trials to test its effectiveness in fighting a virus from the herpes family that threatens transplant patients.

29 Jul 2004

Diseases are being neglected in wake of HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria

Millions of the world's poorest people are suffering needlessly from diseases that are being neglected because of the emphasis given to the "big 3" killers, HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, says Professor David Molyneux of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

29 Jul 2004

Traveling to and from work can reduce cardiovascular disease in people with type 2 diabetes

Research published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that moderate exercise can reduce cardiovascular disease deaths in people with type 2 diabetes, even if that activity comes from work or traveling to and from work.

26 Jul 2004

Big Blue previewing a new tool to create accessible and usable web pages for the visually impaired

Big Blue (IBM) has announced it is previewing a new tool called aDesigner, which helps developers ensure that Web pages are accessible and usable by the visually impaired.

26 Jul 2004

Largest diet and exercise trial in the world for people with type 2 diabetes

A massive grant of almost a million pounds has been awarded to the University of Bristol to carry out a major trial that will assess the effects of diet and exercise on people with type 2 diabetes. This trial will be the largest diet and exercise trial in the world for people with type 2 diabetes.

23 Jul 2004