Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Candidates on health care offense, defense in final week before election

Candidates are in full campaign mode ahead of midterm elections that will likely spell out how the health law is implemented. The New York Times reports that some Democrats are playing defense after voting for health reform. They include Virginia Rep. Tom Perriello who is running against Republican state Sen. Robert Hurt.

28 Oct 2010

deCODE genetics publishes high resolution recombination map of human genome in Nature journal

Scientists from deCODE genetics today publish in Nature the highest resolution recombination map of the human genome yet developed. Recombination is the reshuffling of the genome that occurs in the formation of eggs and sperm: we inherit one version of each chromosome from each of our parents, and create novel blends of the two that we pass on to our offspring.

28 Oct 2010

Diabetes threatens the eyesight of many unsuspecting Americans

Diabetes causes more new cases of legal blindness among working-age Americans than any other disease. If diabetics are monitored regularly by their ophthalmologist, this vision loss is almost always avoidable. Yet, tragically, more than half of all people living with diabetes do not get the recommended annual dilated eye exam. As the number of people with Type 2 diabetes rises in the U.S., the CDC projects that the number of adults with diabetic retinopathy will double by the year 2050. Yet 90 percent of diabetic eye disease can be prevented simply by proper regular examinations and treatment and by controlling blood sugar.

27 Oct 2010

USAID announces LAUNCH: Health innovators

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), NASA, NIKE, Inc. and the U.S. Department of State are pleased to announce those selected to participate in the LAUNCH: Health Forum. The innovators selected will participate in an event at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida October 30-31, followed immediately by the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on November 1.

27 Oct 2010

Telehealth Monitoring System improves health outcomes in patients with chronic diseases

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Diabetes, and wounds are often treated and stabilized in a hospital setting then discharged to continue care at home under the supervision of a Certified Home Health Care Agency. Many high risk patients can now be monitored at home through a Telehealth Monitoring System.

27 Oct 2010

Dobkin technique delays brain damage in heart attack victims

After a heart attack and the victim stops breathing, a process of irreversible brain damage starts to occur within 3 to 4 minutes. Or does it?

27 Oct 2010

Columbia University researchers to use IBM's streaming analytics to detect complications in brain injury

IBM today announced a new project in which researchers at Columbia University Medical Center will utilize IBM's streaming analytics technology to potentially detect severe complications in brain injured patients up to 48 hours earlier than traditional methods.

27 Oct 2010

LCA-Vision third quarter net loss decreases to $8.4 million

LCA-Vision Inc., a leading provider of laser vision correction services under the LasikPlus® brand, today announced financial and operational results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010.

26 Oct 2010

Synergetics announces record sales leads generated from ophthalmic products

Synergetics USA, Inc. a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets innovative devices for ophthalmic and neurosurgical applications, today announced record sales leads generated from the presentation of recently released ophthalmic products at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The AAO meeting was held in Chicago's McCormick Place on October 16-19, 2010.

26 Oct 2010

Independent drugstores expand and generate strong profits despite worst economy

Amidst the worst economy of the past seventy years, independent drugstores are expanding and generating strong profits, according to a new economic report by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The report shows that there are almost 400 more independent drugstores than last year and that profits (3.2%) are three times greater than the rate of U.S. inflation (1.1%).

26 Oct 2010

Eye-gaze technology opens world of communication for Rett Syndrome children

Special eye-gaze technology now being used in the Department of Neurology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is revealing the hidden, inner world of children who have Rett Syndrome, a rare and severe autism spectrum disorder that primarily affects little girls. It is a neurological disease in which mobility and autonomic functions are severely impaired, seizures and orthopedic problems are common, and the children lose functional hand use and the ability to speak.

26 Oct 2010

Celtic, Resolvyx enter option agreement for RX-10045 to treat dry eye syndrome

Celtic Therapeutics Holdings L.P. a successor firm to Celtic Pharma, and Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Resolvyx) announced today that they have entered into an option agreement relating to Resolvyx's RX-10045, a late-stage program for the treatment of dry eye syndrome and other ophthalmic conditions.

26 Oct 2010

Lead exposure may reverse blindness: Research

Some unexpected effects of lead exposure that may one day help prevent and reverse blindness have been uncovered by a University of Houston (UH) professor and his team.

26 Oct 2010

Popular Mechanics recognizes three NSF-funded projects with innovation Breakthrough Awards

Popular Mechanics has recognized three NSF-funded projects with innovation Breakthrough Awards: an artificial retina returning sight to those who have lost it; a system that uses "controlled rocking" and energy-dissipating fuses to help buildings withstand earthquakes; and an inexpensive medical microscope built for cell-phones that allows doctors in rural villages to identify malaria-infected blood cells.

25 Oct 2010

NovaBay delivers two poster presentations on Aganocide compounds at IDSA Annual Meeting

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class, anti-infective compounds for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections, delivered two poster presentations on its compounds at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Vancouver, Canada.

25 Oct 2010

UCI scientists receive CIRM grants to improve stem cell treatments

UC Irvine scientists will receive grants totaling $9.35 million to help create stem cell treatments for retinitis pigmentosa, Huntington's disease and traumatic brain injury.

25 Oct 2010

UCSF scientists receive grants to refine embryonic stem cell-based strategies for neurological diseases

UCSF scientists have received two grants from the California Institutefor Regenerative Medicine to refine their human embryonic stem cell-based strategies for treating neurological diseases and liver failure. The goal of the grants is for researchers to make significant strides toward the development of potential therapies within the next three years.

25 Oct 2010

CRN reinforces importance of DHA before, during and after pregnancy

In response to a study regarding fish oil use during pregnancy published in the October 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, reminds pregnant and lactating women of the undisputed importance of consuming the recommended amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) throughout pregnancy.

20 Oct 2010

Retina Implant's first clinical trial results presented at 2010 AAO annual meeting

Retina Implant AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, is proud to announce Co-Founder and Chairman Eberhart Zrenner, M.D. was invited to present the exciting results of clinical trials he has been leading since 2005 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology at this year's annual meeting that took place October 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

20 Oct 2010

Highlights of world's largest ophthalmic education conference

Results of clinical research on new presbyopia treatments now available in Europe-and possibly available soon in the United States-were reported in today's Scientific Program of the 2010 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO). The AAO-MEACO meeting is the world's largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference and is in session October 16 through 19 at McCormick Place, Chicago.

20 Oct 2010