Dr. Grossman’s Blog

Older black Americans are twice as likely to suffer from eye diseases, particularly glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, than their white contemporaries.

A new grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will allow researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to work on reducing the rates of visual impairment in African Americans.  It is believed that inadequate access to medical care is the cause of this high rate of eye disease in this particular population.

According to study leader Cynthia Owsley, Ph.D, “People with vision impairment are at increased risk for depression, transportation challenges, being unemployed, placement into long-term care, injury and death.”

Source: http://main.uab.edu/Sites/MediaRelations/articles/80565/

To learn more about how you can prevent glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, please visit our website.

Image by yellowj

Early diagnosis is key to dealing effectively with eye diseases, especially diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.

Researchers from around the country are working together to adapt the technologies that allow astronomers to observe distant galleries so that eye doctors can better examine the retina even through imperfections on the lens and cornea.  These adaptive optics–optical coherence tomography (AO-OCT) systems could be the wave of the future for eye disease diagnosis.

Read more about this technology at Scientific American.

Learn more about how to prevent eye disease at our website.

Pfc. Crystal M. O'Neal, 2HBCT Public Affairs, courtesy US Government

Scientists have found a new way to screen patients for common eye diseases using LED technology.  An article in Review of Scientific Instruments describes the new system which uses six different wavelengths of light to illuminate the eyeball.

Using light-absorbing compounds already present in the eye, researchers are finding a way to capture better diagnostic images by working with the way different pigments appear in multispectral images.  One advantage of this new diagnostic procedure is its speed – it can capture images quickly enough to avoid distortion caused by natural eye movements.

It is hoped that this technology can be developed further and be made widely available to optometrists and opthamologists seeking the best diagnostic tool for their patients when screening for such eye diseases as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Source: scienceblog.com

The Centers for Disease Control has recently turned its attention to the increasing rates of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes in which the blood vessels of the eyes are damaged resulting in potential vision loss. The study, published in Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that those with diabetes require more comprehensive eye care. 31.6% men and 25.7% of women over age 40 who have diabetes are estimated to have diabetic retinopathy.

Study authors intend their findings to guide policy makers as they oversee the country’s eye care services and rehabilitation for the estimated 8% of the U.S. population with diabetes.

Source: WebMD.com

Researchers have found a link between diabetic retinopathy and dry eye syndrome.  More than 50% of type 2 diabetes patients enrolled in a study at Yazd Diabetes Research Center exhibited dry eye symptoms in addition to their main complaint of diabetic retinopathy.  Study authors acknowledge a connection between the conditions, but state that further research is necessary to establish a causal relationship between the two.  They do state that “examination for dry eye should be an integral part of the assessment of diabetic eye disease.”

SOURCE: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/579813

For more information on preventing and treating both diabetic retinopathy and dry eyes, please visit our website.

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.

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

Further studies indicate that bilberry and pine bark extracts can reduce ocular hypertension, a condition related to visual impairment and glaucoma (source: Clinical Ophthalmology, 2010, Volume 4, Pages 471-476).

Bilberry is also associated with improving other eye conditions including cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration.  Both cataracts and macular degeneration in particular have been attributed to damage caused by free radicals that can be combated through increased intake of antioxidants. Bilberry’s flavonoids are known as potent antioxidants that can scavenging free radicals and help ward off multiple age-related eye diseases.

New research announced at Diabetes UK’s Annual Professional Conference links Diabetic retinopathy with poorer memory and diminished brain power in people with Type 2 diabetes. It has yet to be determined whether the advance of cerebral microvascular disease, as indexed by retinopathy, leads to cognitive decline or whether poorer mental acuity makes it more difficult to manage diabetes symptoms and leads to a worsening of the disease. According to Jie Ding from the University of Edinburgh, “It is also possible that a third unidentified factor is causing both diabetic retinopathy and the cognitive changes.” Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/181324.php

For more information on diabetic retinopathy and complementary treatment options, click here.

Researchers at Tennessee’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced that they have developed a machine that allows early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.  The Telemedical Retinal Image Analysis and Diagnosis technology, known as TRIAD is meant to make it possible to screen for the disease at doctor’s offices. (Source: http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2010/05/11/Triad-screens-for-diabetic-retinopathy/UPI-48161273589392/)

Diabetes related blindness is largely preventable if patient and the medical team work together diligently. With timely treatment, 90 percent of those with advanced diabetic retinopathy can be saved from going blind.  Learn more at:http://www.naturaleyecare.com/diseases.asp?d_num=4