Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Vision problems prompt seniors to hang up keys

With 30 million drivers in the U.S. aged 65 and over, we count on older Americans to recognize when they can no longer drive safely and decide that it's time to stay off the road.

6 Jan 2009

Cancer cells pull off 'Houdini' escape to evade chemotherapy

Scientists have revealed for the first time that cancer cells can reverse a process which irrevocably commits normal cells to die, in a study published in the British Journal of Cancer.

6 Jan 2009

FDA announces recall of ophthalmic viscosurgical device

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a Class I recall of lot no. UD30654 of Healon D, an ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) manufactured by Advanced Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) of Santa Ana, Calif.

5 Jan 2009

Do I need glasses?

Find yourself squinting to identify someone across the room or getting headaches from staring at your computer screen for too long?

5 Jan 2009

MRSA pre-screening effective in reducing otolaryngic surgical infection rates

Pre-operative screening of patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may be an effective way to reduce infection rates following otolaryngic surgeries, according to new research published in the January 2009 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Jan 2009

FDA issues complete response letter to Ipsen for Dysport BLA

Ipsen has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Complete Response Letter for its Biologics License Application (BLA) for its Botulinum toxin Type A, Dysport.

30 Dec 2008

How mirror neurons allow us to learn and socialize by going through the motions in the head

The old adage that we can only learn how to do something by trying it ourselves may have to be revised in the light of recent discoveries in neuroscience.

21 Dec 2008

Botulinum toxin used to treat patients with masseteric muscle hypertrophy

For patients with an uncommon condition causing a swollen appearance of the lower face, treatment with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) provides an effective alternative to plastic surgery, according to a study in the November Journal of Craniofacial Surgery.

21 Dec 2008

New understanding of ion channels in the body

A discovery by Canada-U.S. biophysicists will improve the understanding of ion channels, akin to little 'nano-machines' or 'nano-valves' in our body, which when they malfunction can cause genetic illnesses that attack muscles, the central nervous system and the heart.

18 Dec 2008

Scientists coax bright white light from zinc oxide

Duke University and United States Army scientists have found that a cheap and nontoxic sunburn and diaper rash preventative can be made to produce brilliant light best suited to the human eye.

18 Dec 2008

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging predicts effects of multiple sclerosis flare-ups on optic nerve

One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS) - its sheer unpredictability - may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques.

17 Dec 2008

People with blindness from cataract are poorer than those with normal sight

A new study conducted in three developing countries-Kenya, the Philippines, and Bangladesh-finds that people with cataract-induced visual impairment are more likely to live in poverty than those with normal sight.

16 Dec 2008

MRI scans can predict effects of multiple sclerosis 'flare-ups' on optic nerve

One of the most pernicious aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS) - its sheer unpredictability - may finally be starting to yield to advanced medical imaging techniques.

16 Dec 2008

Continuous positive airway pressure improves sleeping glucose levels in type 2 diabetics with obstructive sleep apnea

A study in the Dec. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests that screening type 2 diabetes patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and treating those who have OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy could improve the management of their hyperglycemia and might favorably influence their long-term prognosis.

15 Dec 2008

Warning on heavy toilet seats and toddler penis injuries

UK doctors have expressed considerable concerns about the growing trend for heavy wooden and ornamental toilet seats after a number of male toddlers were admitted with crush injuries to their penises.

11 Dec 2008

Cause of uveal melanoma discovered, most common eye cancer

A University of British Columbia geneticist has discovered a gene mutation that can cause the most common eye cancer - uveal melanoma.

10 Dec 2008

New spinal deformity classification system

A University of Cincinnati (UC) neurosurgeon who has spent his career helping people with severe spine problems stand up straight has spearheaded the creation of a new spinal deformity classification system.

10 Dec 2008

FDA grants compassionate case for use of novel wet age-related macular degeneration treatment

NeoVista, Inc., announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved the company's "compassionate case" waiver to utilize its novel wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treatment on a patient with an advanced form of the disease who did not meet criteria for inclusion into current NeoVista investigational treatment protocols.

10 Dec 2008

Amblyopia treatment times could be drastically reduced

Amblyopia is thought to affect up to 2.5 per cent of people and accounts for around 90 per cent of all children's eye appointments in the UK. Occlusion therapy - patching the normal eye for lengthy periods to 'train' the affected eye - is the main treatment for amblyopia.

10 Dec 2008

Cases of major eye disease projected to increase among diabetics

Based on projected increases in the prevalence of diabetes, the number of people with diabetes-related retinal disease, with glaucoma and with cataracts is estimated to increase significantly by 2050, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

8 Dec 2008