Dr. Grossman’s Blog

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Time spent in bright artificial light before bedtime has been linked to heightened blood pressure and an increased diabetes risk.

Researchers set to publish their findings in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism describe how nighttime exposure to light can disrupt melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep cycles as well as blood pressure.  The study shows that being in bright light opposed to dim light caused the body to produce less melatonin.  Participants who were exposed to bright light during typical sleep hours produced an average of 50% less melatonin.

According to a news release from the Endocrine Society: “Given that chronic light suppression of melatonin has been hypothesized to increase relative risk for some types of cancer and that melatonin receptor genes have been linked to type 2 diabetes, our findings could have important health implications for shift workers who are exposed to indoor light at night over the course of many years,” says study author Joshua Gooley.

Source: http://www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.aspx?docID=648869

Of course, trying to read or work on the computer in low light situations can contribute to eye disease can can harm your vision. Since sleep is important to eye health and health in general and is so key to keeping those dark circles away, maybe it is time to consider becoming a morning person!

Learn more about how to prevent and treat diabetes naturally at our website.

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An article in the New York Times highlights how many Americans are not making it to their annual eye exams – even those who know they are at risk of developing or have already developed an eye disease.  A study by Lighthouse International shows that 86% of people with known eye conditions do not make it to the eye doctor each year.

The article goes on to say “Those at risk include people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease, as well as anyone who has been a smoker or has a family history of an eye disorder like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma.”  Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/health/21brody.html?_r=1&ref=health

Learn more about how to prevent eye disease naturally at www.naturaleyecare.com.

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A proper diet is essential to maintaining eye health.  We know that the diets of the majority of Americans do not meet FDA nutritional guidelines and that many people do not eat an adequate amount of vegetable.

A study published in Nutrition Journal shows that 8 to 16 ounces of vegetable juice per day can reduce blood pressure in people who have hypertension. Source: http://www.nutritionj.com/content/9/1/38

We consider daily juicing of primarily organic vegetables and fruits to be an essential part of any long term healing program. Juicing provides a highly effective and efficient way for the body to be able to absorb essential nutrients into the blood and cells, taking a little as a few minutes for the body to start utilizing these nutrients.  Learn more about how you can make daily juice intake part of your life and increase your overall health.  Also, have a look at some specific juicing recipes for eye conditions and diseases.

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In our practice, we are very aware of the ways that the eyes are the windows not only of the soul, but of the body as well.  The health of your eyes reflects the health of your whole being.

Others in the medical community agree with us.  At the 25th Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress Tien Yin Wong, MD gave a lecture titled: “An Eye Examination Can Save Your Life!”   He discussed the way that changes in the blood vessels of the retina can indicate potential problems in the  cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

An eye doctor who is considering your overall health can potentially see signs of stroke, heart disease, or diabetes, hypertension, or kidney disease during your exam.

Visit our website for more information on how eye health is about whole body health. Other hair health articles.

Almost 4% of men in the United States develop dry eye disease (DED) after age 50, while almost 7.7% of men over 80 develop the disease, making it one of the most common eye conditions in the country.  By the year 2030, DED is expected to affect more than 2.79 million US men.

Typical symptoms of dry eye include dryness, grittiness, irritation, difficulty reading for long periods of time, burning and even the seeming contradiction of excessive tearing or watering.

In the study, published in June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, researchers analyzed data on 25,444 men over the age of 50 who participated in the Physicians’ Health Study I and II.  DED was defined as the presence of clinically diagnosed dry eye or severe symptoms (both dryness and constant or frequent irritation).   About 3% reported a previous diagnosis of dry eye, while 6.8% said they had constantly or frequently experienced at least one symptom such as dryness or irritation. Roughly 2.2% reported both symptoms constantly or frequently.

Although research has shown DED is more common among women, about 1.68 million men over age 50 in the United States now have the disease.

Researchers also noted that DED risk increases with age, hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia (a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate), and antidepressant use.

Learn about vitamins and other nutritional products recommended for dry eye, and review a list of drugs that can cause dry eye symptoms at the Natural Eye Care website

SOURCE:  “Prevalence of Dry Eye Disease Among US Men,” Schaumberg, et al, Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(6):763-768.

Reducing cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure may reduce the risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

A study of Latino adults in Los Angeles looked at the association between cardiovascular risk factors and advanced AMD.Â

AMD was tested via intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and stereoscopic macular photography in 5,875 participants. Hypertension was defined as either a history of hypertension or systolic blood pressure (SBP) higher than 140 mmHg +/- diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 85 mmHg or higher. Ocular perfusion pressure (OPP) was defined as the difference between mean arterial blood pressure and IOP.

Once researchers adjusted for age, gender and cigarette smoking:
 • higher DBP and uncontrolled diastolic hypertension were associated with exudative AMD
 • higher OPP was associated with a decreased risk of geographic atrophy (GA)
 • low pulse pressure was associated with a lower risk of exudative AMD
 • obesity was associated with increased retinal pigment.Â

Researches suggest that in Latinos, cardiovascular risk factors may play a role in advanced AMD. Actions aimed at reducing these risk factors may also have a beneficial impact on the risk of having early and advanced AMD.Â

Read more about AMD

See other research about macular degenerationÂ

SOURCE: Fraser-Bell S, Wu J, Klein R, et al. Cardiovascular risk factors and age-related macular degeneration: The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study. Am J Ophthalmol 2008;145(2):308-16Â