Cataract News and Research

Latest Cataract News and Research

WRN exonuclease structure and molecular mechanism imply an editing role in DNA end processing

A team of scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Scripps Research Institute has determined the crystal structure and molecular mechanisms of a key part of WRN, a protein that protects humans from premature aging and cancer.

23 Apr 2006

Osteoporosis drug Raloxifene shown to be as effective as Tamoxifen in preventing invasive breast cancer

Initial results of the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene, or STAR, show that the drug raloxifene, currently used to prevent and treat osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, works as well as tamoxifen in reducing breast cancer risk for postmenopausal women at increased risk of the disease.

18 Apr 2006

Aston Academy investigates macular oedema

Aston Academy of Life Sciences, the clinical research hospital of Aston University, has recently been commissioned to assess the efficacy and safety of a specialist drug, Posurdex (Allergan Ltd, UK), which is used in the treatment of patients who suffer from a sight threatening condition, called macular oedema.

26 Jan 2006

Fee-for-service associated with a significantly higher rate of cataract surgery

A system in which physicians are reimbursed for each procedure they perform (fee-for-service) is associated with a significantly higher rate of cataract surgery and related surgical costs, compared to a system in which physicians receive a lump sum for each patient they manage (contact capitation), according to a study in the December issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

13 Dec 2005

Alagebrium may prevent arterial aging in patients with systolic hypertension

A compound called alagebrium, which is very similar to another used in anti-wrinkle creams, may be useful in reducing the deleterious effects of arterial aging in the majority of elderly Americans with systolic hypertension, a new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins shows.

5 Dec 2005

Tamoxifen reduces the risk of invasive and noninvasive breast cancer

Data from additional years of follow-up of a large randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of tamoxifen for the prevention of breast cancer confirm that the drug reduces the risk of invasive and noninvasive breast cancer, according to a report that appears in the current issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

21 Nov 2005

Naturally occurring compounds and diabetes

Following a doctor's advice on how to keep diabetes in check is always the best course of action and researchers are constantly on the lookout for compounds that someday could help physicians better treat the disease.

20 Nov 2005

Tamoxifen reduces long-term risk of cancer

According to a new study released this week, women at high risk for breast cancer who take the well-known drug Tamoxifen, can reduce their long-term risk of developing the disease.

16 Nov 2005

New website in Ontario gives info on hospital waiting lists for surgery

In a new initiative patients in Ontario, Canada can now gain information on waiting times for key surgical procedures from a government website designed to track access to various health services.

24 Oct 2005

Good news for treating children with amblyopia

New research findings led by Thomas Krahe and Ary S. Ramoa of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine offer two pieces of good news for treating children with amblyopia.

19 Oct 2005

Day surgery rates continue to rise - still room for improvement

New figures published by Dr Foster in the British Medical Journal show that day surgery rates continue to rise, yet there is still considerable scope for improvement. These findings support a recent Healthcare Commission report showing that day surgery units are not being used to their maximum capacity.

9 Oct 2005

Cataracts a risk for pilots and astronauts

According to the results of a new study, airline pilots have a greater risk of developing cataracts because of exposure to cosmic rays while flying.

11 Aug 2005

Airline pilots have an increased risk of nuclear cataracts

Airline pilots have an increased risk of nuclear cataracts [common type of cataract, associated with aging] compared with non-pilots, and that risk is associated with cumulative exposure to cosmic radiation, according to a study in the August issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

10 Aug 2005

Researchers characterize the proteome of the human cornea

In doing so, they have identified 141 distinct proteins, 99 of which had not been previously recognized in mammalian corneas. The details of their findings appear in the August/September issue of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics, an American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology journal.

1 Aug 2005

New generation of lenses makes evolutionary leap in eliminating need for glasses

The need for reading glasses or bifocals as we age may begin fading from sight with the latest generation of intraocular lenses.

3 Jun 2005

Study tackles aging issues of adults with developmental disabilities

Some 4.5 million Americans have a developmental disability. As people live longer, adults with developmental disabilities are no exception, yet their conditions also bring aging-related challenges. A new study by UCLA and Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation reports that a geriatric evaluation and follow-up visits by a nurse practitioner can detect and reduce health problems in this population that often go unaddressed by the healthcare system.

23 May 2005

Cataract treatment in the blink of an eye

Researchers at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand are pioneering the development of an eye drop to halt the development of cataracts.

10 May 2005

Older adults with diabetes in managed care networks have higher rates of untreated eye disease

Medicare beneficiaries at high risk for eye disease due to diabetes are more likely to have unrecognized and untreated eye disease if they are enrolled in managed care than if they have fee-for-service (FFS) health insurance, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

9 May 2005

New laser-surgery technique to perform cornea-transplant surgery

A UC Irvine ophthalmologist and his team have invented a new laser-surgery technique to perform cornea-transplant surgery that can replace the use of traditional handheld surgical blades and potentially improve recovery time for patients.

3 May 2005

Vitamins E and C confirmed safe at high doses

Fourteen leading safety and antioxidant experts reviewed the available scientific literature on vitamins E and C and concluded vitamin E is safe for the general population at intakes up to 1600 IU daily and vitamin C is safe at up to 2000 mg daily, according to a new article published in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN).

2 May 2005