Dr. Grossman’s Blog

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine asserts that retinopathy progresses at a slower rate when people with type 2 diabetes adhere to intensive blood sugar control rather than standard blood sugar control. There can be risks associated with intensive blood sugar control regimes that bring glucose levels to near-normal levels including increased the risk of death and severe low blood sugar, so patients should work closely with their doctors when considering a new treatment plan.  Source: LA Times

For more information about diabetic retinopathy and natural treatment options, please visit our website.

In a study of the impact of mothers’ smoking on their children while in utero, researchers found that maternal smoking increases the chances of the development severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in children..  A low birth weight, a long duration of artificial ventilation and oxygen supplementation, and the presence of chronic lung disease also contribute to ROP in infants.

Source: http://www.nature.com/eye/journal/v24/n6/abs/eye2009263a.html

For more studies on eye condition, please visit our website.

In a pilot study, patients suffering from dry eye symptoms who exhibited a chronic need/use of lubricant drops were given X500 mg capsules of evening Primrose oil (Efamol-73% linoleic acid and 10% gamma-linolenic acid), 50 mg vitamin B6 (pyroxidine) and 1 g vitamin C three times a day. Over 50% of those in the study showed substantial improvement within 2-6 weeks. For more information on research on dry eye conditions, please visit our website.

The most common causes of pediatric cataracts include: intrauterine infections, metabolic disorders, and genetically transmitted syndromes. Infectious diseases such as rubella, measles, chicken pox, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, poliomyelitis, influenza, Epstein-Barr virus, syphilis, and toxoplasmosis can also be culprits.  Pediatric cataracts affects children worldwide, but it is 10 times more common in developing countries than in developed nations.

The American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus indicates that small cataracts that do not affect vision do not need to be removed, though those that cause vision loss should be removed as early in life as possible.  Early treatment is vital because the part of the brain that processes visual stimuli will not develop properly if a cataract causes the images to blur.  

For more information on ways to naturally treat and prevent cataracts, please visit our website.

Sources: http://www.pediatriccataract.org/about.html and http://www.aapos.org/faq_list/cataract

Resveratrol, a compound found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts and other plants, can help preserve vision in those suffering from diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.

Researchers have found that resveratrol impedes the growth of new blood vessels in the eye, a condition called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is linked to eye diseases as well as cancer and atherosclerosis.  Resveratrol can inhibit this process; abnormal blood vessels disappears in the eyes of mice to which it was given.  Previous studies have reported how resveratrol can work on other blood vessels in the body, but this is first to document the effect in the eyes specifically.

Reported in The American Journal of Pathology. Source: http://www.elements4health.com/resveratrol-could-prevent-eye-diseases-such-as-diabetic-retinopathy.html

Excessive iron in the body or hemochromatosis may lead to the wet form of macular degeneration.  Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia suspect that too much iron, known to have cumulative negative effects throughout body, can also speed the aging in the eyes.  If there is a link between iron levels and macular degeneration, people may be able to ward off the eye disease by donating blood a couple times annually to reduce iron levels the amount if iron in the body.

For more ways to prevent macular degeneration, please visit our website.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/mcog-lbi062410.php

We all grew up hearing that carrots were good for our eyes.  It’s the beta-carotene in carrots that helps your vision and it can also be found in spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, and mangoes.  The body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A which in turn protects the retina and lens from free radicals, unstable molecules that can cause cell damage.  Carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin also contribute to eye health and those can be found in green leafy vegetables, corn, and eggs.

Learn more about foods that prevent eye diseases at NaturalEyeCare.com‘s nutrition pages.

According to an article published in The Journal of Pineal Research, evidence from a number of sources supports the assertion that increased free radical generation and altered nitric oxide (NO) metabolism contribute to glaucoma and uveitis. Data indicates that melatonin is an efficient antioxidant that has the ability to fight free radicals and break down nitric oxide and plays ” a promising role in the treatment of these ocular dysfunctions.”  Melatonin has few side effects even at high doses and can potentially do a great deal to protect ocular tissue.

For more on vision wellness, visit us at NaturalEyeCare.com.

Source information: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123439574/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

In the July 28, 2009 issue of the journal Biochemistry, Italian researchers reported that the dipeptide carnosine can potentially treat and prevent cataracts.  Enrico Rizzarelli of the University of Catania and his colleagues tested the effects of D- and L-carnosine on bovine cultured alpha-crystallin, the major structural protein in the lens of the eye. This discovery further supports those of other researchers over the past decade, including that of Chinese researchers who, in 1999, discovered that carnosine has pronounced effect on primary senile cataracts (an effective rate of 100%) as well as mature senile cataracts (the effect rate was 80%).

For more on cataracts research and potential treatment and cures, please click here.

New study found that medications that increase sensitivity to the sun,  including antidepressants, diuretics, antibiotics and the pain reliever naproxen sodium (commonly sold over-the-counter as Aleve) increase the risk of age-related cataract.

The results of this study will be in the publication in the August print issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

Editor’s Notes: The lens cells are similar to skin cells which may be why additional light sensitivity can contribute to or cause cataracts.

For more information on nutrition, diet and cataracts, Click Here