Visual Impairment News and Research

Latest Visual Impairment News and Research

Early detection critical in preventing vision loss among Baby Boomers

Probably the most worrisome health concern for Baby Boomers as they age is the increased possibility of visual impairment or vision loss. For this reason, early detection is critical in successfully preventing and treating eye conditions such as macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, before they lead to major visual changes.

27 Jul 2011

Avedro receives Gold MDEA award for Vedera System

Avedro, Inc. announced today that the Vedera System for performing Keraflex has received the prestigious Gold level 2011 Medical Design Excellence Award.

22 Jun 2011

Merge Healthcare, Ophthalmic Imaging Systems enter definitive merger agreement

Merge Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, and Ophthalmic Imaging Systems, a leading provider of digital imaging and informatics solutions for ophthalmology and other medical specialties, today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Merge Healthcare will acquire OIS.

6 Jun 2011

Research: Gene mutation causes eye disease glaucoma

It is a mutation in a gene that causes the eye disease glaucoma, according to collaborative research conducted by Swedish, Tunisian, and American researchers. The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Genetics.

31 May 2011

UCSD students study what happens when blood floods headward in microgravity

In space, the old movie slogan declares, "no one can hear you scream." On the other hand, you might look like it, with puffy face, swollen eyes and distended neck veins. This is what happens when, screaming or not, bodily fluids shift in the absence of gravity.

25 May 2011

Cross-disciplinary fall prevention programs for visually impaired older adults

For older adults, a fall can pose a serious health risk. Add in blindness or visual impairment, and the possibility of a fall increases. The approach of "it takes a village" can be applied to reducing the risk of a fall. Cross-disciplinary fall prevention programs that address multiple risk factors have been shown to be effective.

21 May 2011

The Incubation Factory, UMDNJ and NJIT partner to commercialize personal tonometer for glaucoma

NJIT and UMDNJ have executed a license agreement with The Incubation Factory, St. Louis, MO, covering their personal tonometer technology on which a patent is pending. The tonometer was developed by a research team led by NJIT Professor Gordon Thomas, PhD, and Robert Fechtner, MD, director of the glaucoma division at UMDNJ.

18 May 2011

Fifty patients to receive complimentary cataract surgery from Kremer Eye Center

A team from Kremer Eye Center is traveling to Belize City, Belize to provide essential eye care June 18-25, 2011. Fifty patients will receive complimentary cataract surgery.

17 May 2011

Paulig Eye Surgery Center provides non-invasive alternative to keratoconus patients

The Paulig Eye Surgery Centre announces today that it has acquired advanced technology for performing Keraflex KXL, a new, non-invasive, non-surgical treatment for keratoconus. Surgeons at the Paulig Eye Surgery Centre will immediately begin treating patients using Avedro, Inc's Keraflex and KXL Systems.

3 May 2011

Gene therapy approach using CD59 shows promise against AMD: Study

A gene therapy approach using a protein called CD59, or protectin, shows promise in slowing the signs of age-related macular degeneration, according to a new in vivo study by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine.

30 Apr 2011

Promedior to present PRM-151 study data in age-related macular degeneration at ARVO meeting

Promedior, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies to treat fibrotic, inflammatory and neovascular diseases, today announced that data from preclinical studies of PRM-151 will be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, being held May 1-5, 2011 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

22 Apr 2011

Genzyme reports positive data from 5-year alemtuzumab Phase 2 study in MS

Genzyme Corp., a subsidiary of sanofi-aventis Group, today reported additional five-year patient data from its completed Phase 2 multiple sclerosis (MS) trial showing that nearly two-thirds of alemtuzumab treated patients remained free of clinically-active disease as much as four years after most patients received their last course of the investigational drug.

15 Apr 2011

Middle-aged adults with diabetes more likely to develop age-related ailments

Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don't have diabetes, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System and VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

1 Apr 2011

Researchers create hiPS-RPE cells to treat age-related macular degeneration

The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published today in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight.

24 Mar 2011

Anthem Life sponsors USABA to host Winter Ski Festival for visually impaired athletes

Sponsored by Anthem Life Insurance Company, The United States Association of Blind Athletes is pleased to host the second annual Colorado Winter Ski Festival in Breckenridge, CO, from Friday, March 11 through Monday, March 14.

5 Mar 2011

Phase III RISE study of Lucentis for DME meets primary endpoint

Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group, announced today that one of two Phase III studies evaluating monthly Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), met its primary endpoint. DME is a serious complication of diabetes that affects up to 10 percent of people with the disease and can lead to blurred vision, severe vision loss and blindness.

14 Feb 2011

Study explores levels of burden and depression in caregivers with sensory impairment

When a person experiences impairment or declining health, caregiving typically falls to a family member, most often a spouse. This increased burden can cause burnout, stress, and illness in the caregiver. The health care system focuses first on the client and provides little support for the caregiver.

14 Feb 2011

Doctors of Optometry troubled by disregard for vision and eye health needs of children

The American Optometric Association, the voice of America's family eye doctors, today warned that if a set of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations are adopted as policy, significant harm will be caused to the ongoing efforts of eye doctors nationwide to reverse the high rates of preventable vision loss in children across America, from the first year of life through age 5.

5 Feb 2011

Patients and spouses experience distress related to diabetes

Older patients with diabetes who are not dealing well with the disease are likely to have symptoms of depression, and spouses of older patients also suffer distress related to diabetes and its management, according to research from Purdue University.

28 Jan 2011

What protects certain diabetics from complications?

Much research has been carried out on why diabetics develop complications. Now researchers are asking the question the other way around. They want to know why some diabetic patients do not develop complications. What is it that protects them? The PROLONG study could provide the answer.

21 Jan 2011