Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

New Alzheimer's drugs may help prevent glaucoma

British eye specialists have shown for the first time that key proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease are also implicated in glaucoma.

8 Aug 2007

World's largest respiratory health study launches next phase

The Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS), the world's largest and longest running respiratory health research study, is launching a new research phase focussing on the 21,000 brothers and sisters of the original sample.

8 Aug 2007

Underinsured children in the U.S. increasingly at risk for not getting needed vaccines

Due to limited federal and state funding for vaccines, underinsured children in the United States are increasingly at risk for not getting needed vaccines, according to a new study published August 8 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

8 Aug 2007

Eyes are a reflection of consumer goals

How do consumers look at advertisements? Most marketing textbooks advance the theory that looking at ads is a predominantly dumb process, driven by visual stimuli such as the size of the ad or the color of the text.

8 Aug 2007

Nanotech sensors and tiny transmitters to predict and prevent epileptic seizures

Purdue University researchers have developed new miniature devices designed to be implanted in the brain to predict and prevent epileptic seizures and a nanotech sensor for implantation in the eye to treat glaucoma.

8 Aug 2007

Congress takes major step toward equitable payment for nurse-midwifery services

On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 (CHAMP)" (H.R.3162), which expands health care coverage to pregnant women and their children and addresses a long-standing inequity in reimbursement for services of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs).

7 Aug 2007

Staffordshire screening programme on track to screen over 35,000 diabetes patients

The Staffordshire Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service, a community based digital eye screening programme designed to detect and treat diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, is on track to exceed its target of screening over 35,000 diabetes patients this year.

7 Aug 2007

Mother and daughter tackle obesity and diabetes together

Two months ago, Phoenix residents Marlene Zytcer, 57, and her daughter Aimee, 31, traveled to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center for a minimally invasive surgery to lose weight.

7 Aug 2007

Link identified between Alzheimer's disease and glaucoma

UK scientists have shown for the first time that key proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease are also implicated in glaucoma, the major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.

7 Aug 2007

Electrical device partly restores sense of balance in animals

Hearing and balance experts at Johns Hopkins report successful testing in animals of an electrical device that partly restores a damaged or impaired sense of balance.

7 Aug 2007

Researcher examines the needs of laryngeal cancer patients

A nurse researcher at the Cancer Care Research Centre, based at the University of Stirling is using a research fellowship of more than £90,000 from Cancer Research UK to provide support for people with head and neck cancers.

6 Aug 2007

Unlocking proteins from their cellular shell

Applying physical stress to cells, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated that everyday forces can alter the structure of proteins tucked within cells, unfold them and expose new targets in the fight against disease.

3 Aug 2007

New treatment for glaucoma shows promise

Iowa State University researchers have developed a new technique that successfully treated rats for blindness caused by glaucoma.

3 Aug 2007

Region of brain for processing visual 3D shapes indentified

In studies with monkeys, researchers have identified in detail the brain regions responsible for the unique ability of primates, including humans, to process visual 3D shapes to guide their sophisticated manipulation of objects.

2 Aug 2007

Neuroprotectin D1 protects retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells

Two papers to be published in the Early Edition online of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the week of July 30-August 3, 2007 report findings that demonstrate that neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1) protects against damage to retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and identifies an important trigger for its production and novel molecular mechanisms that support vision.

1 Aug 2007

Maverick medics in the UK find a cheap way to save sight

The maverick medics who are ophthalmic surgeons in Manchester are prescribing the drug Avastin to victims of the most common cause of blindness in the elderly, age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

31 Jul 2007

Takeda responds to FDA recommendation on Actos

Following a joint meeting today of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee, Takeda Global Research & Development (TGRD) underscores its position that ACTOS(R) (pioglitazone HCl) offers a proven safety profile regarding the risk of cardiovascular disease.

30 Jul 2007

Diabetes epidemic in New York City

The diabetes epidemic is taking a large and growing toll on New York City, a new Health Department report shows, as death rates, debilitating complications, and hospitalization costs soar.

25 Jul 2007

New research on fixational eye movements

Susana Martinez-Conde, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory of Visual Neuroscience, and Stephen Macknik, Ph.D., director of the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, are featured on the cover of the August issue of Scientific American for their research on fixational eye movements.

25 Jul 2007

Nanotechnology to test food quality

Researchers have created two tiny instruments capable of detecting a range of contaminants, from molecules to whole bacteria, in food and water, according to an article in the August issue of Microbiology Today.

23 Jul 2007