Month: December 2013

If you are one of the millions of people around the world who struggle with dry eye disease, good news is on the way. A new research discovery published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology offers hope for new drugs that treat the cellular cause of the disease rather than its symptoms. That’s because the research is the first to identify natural killer (NK) cells, a type of cell that provides innate immunity to the eyes, as promoting the inflammation that plays a critical role in the development of dry eye disease.

“Dry eye disease is suffered by millions of people in the U.S but still lacks effective management,” said Yihe Chen, M.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Schepens Eye Research Institute at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. “Our study has promoted the further understanding of the pathogenesis of dry eye disease, which is fundamental to develop new treatments and thus improve quality of life for those with this disease.”

To make their discovery, the scientists tested two groups of mice. The first group was normal and the second group was depleted of NK cells. When both sets of mice were induced with dry eye disease under the same conditions, the disease was less severe in the mice depleted of NK cells than the normal mice. This suggests that NK cells play a pivotal role in the development and severity of the disease, making them a target for the development of new drugs.

According to the National Eye Institute within the U.S. National Institutes of Health, dry eye disease occurs when the eyes do not produce tears properly or when tears evaporate too quickly. As many as five million Americans 50 years of age and older are estimated to have dry eye disease, with the majority affected being women. Tens of millions more are believed to have similar, but less severe symptoms.

“Dry eye disease can be a very serious problem for some people,” said John Wherry, Ph.D., Deputy Editor of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology, “and while drops may help some, they only treat the symptoms of the disease. This research gets us closer to being able to correct the problems before they even occur in the first place.”

Notes:

Details:
Yihe Chen, Sunil K. Chauhan, Daniel R. Saban, Zahra Sadrai, Andre Okanobo, and Reza Dana. Interferon-??-secreting NK cells promote induction of dry eye disease. J Leukoc Biol June 2011 89:965-972; doi:10.1189/jlb.1110611.

Source:
Cody Mooneyhan

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology

According to a new study in Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, polylactic acid (PLA), used as a cosmetic enhancement to decrease volume loss around the eyes, leads to disfigurement when not injected properly. The authors reviewed four cases where patients were injected superficially; all four exhibited nodule development and inflammation.

“PLA should not be injected superficially, especially around the eyes,” says study author and dermatologist Greg Goodman. “This material does not act as a dermal filler, which would be injected superficially to smooth wrinkles, but needs to be placed deeply below the muscles to be a safer and more effective agent.” The technique is still so comparatively new and unproven, however, that Goodman cautions against its use around the eyes unless completed by a doctor who is experienced in its use.

According to Goodman, many cosmetic techniques are implemented too quickly and too carelessly. “Practitioners should be wary of new procedures and instruction from representatives who themselves have been recently trained in the procedures,” says Goodman.

Goodman also cautions patients against trying the newest products on the market. “New procedures are not necessarily the best procedures; sometimes waiting for a procedure to improve and mature over many years is the best policy for those seeking safe, quality results.”

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology is the official journal of the European Society for Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dermatology (ESCAD). Both the Journal and ESCAD wish to foster the highest standards of patient care in cosmetic dermatology. Each aims to facilitate continuing professional development and provide a forum for the exchange of scientific research and innovative techniques. For more information, please visit blackwellpublishing/jcd.

Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the merger between Blackwell Publishing Ltd. and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.’s Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal. For more information on Wiley-Blackwell, please visit blackwellpublishing or interscience.wiley.

Color perception drifts away from neutrality during wakefulness and is restored during sleep, suggests a research abstract presented on Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in San Antonio, Texas, at SLEEP 2010, the 24th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

Results indicate that prior wakefulness caused the color gray to be classified as having a slightly but significantly greenish tint. Overnight sleep restored perception to achromatic equilibrium so that gray was perceived as gray.

According to the authors, scientists had not previously investigated how sleep might affect the way we view the world around us.

“This is among the first studies to investigate the effects of sleep on perception,” said principal investigator and lead author Bhavin Sheth, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Houston in Texas. “Our findings suggest that wakefulness causes color classification to drift away from neutrality, and sleep restores color classification to neutral.”

The study involved five people who viewed a full-field, homogenous stimulus of either slightly reddish or greenish hue. The observers had to judge whether the stimulus was greener or redder than their internal perception of neutral gray. Across trials the hue was varied. One pair of monocular tests was performed just before participants went to sleep, and testing was repeated after participants slept for an average of 7.7 hours.

Further testing found that overnight, full-field monocular stimulation with a flickering red “ganzfeld” failed to nullify the resetting, sleep-induced effect. An achromatic stimulus was still less likely to be classified as greenish following sleep, with no statistical difference in the magnitude of the resetting in each eye. According to the authors, this suggests that color resetting is an internal process that is largely unaffected by external monochromatic visual stimulation.

The SLEEP 2010 abstract supplement is available for download on the website of the journal Sleep here.

A joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, the annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of more than 5,000 leading clinicians and scientists in the fields of sleep medicine and sleep research. At SLEEP 2010 more than 1,100 research abstract presentations will showcase new findings that contribute to the understanding of sleep and the effective diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

Source:
Kathleen McCann
American Academy of Sleep Medicine

New research suggests that a novel silicone hydrogel material could help keep contact lens wearers from discarding their contacts due to discomfort caused by feelings of dryness, the most commonly reported reason people discontinue contact lens wear. Using a controlled clinical model for evaluating dryness, researchers report that patients experienced less discomfort while wearing contact lenses made with senofilcon A (ACUVUE® OASYS™ Brand Contact Lenses) than they did either while wearing no lenses or while wearing their usual contact lenses in a controlled adverse environment. The findings appear in the current issue of Current Medical Research and Opinion.

Contact lens wearers frequently complain of sensations of eye discomfort and dryness associated with wearing their lenses. Roughly 51 percent of lapsed lens wearers cite discomfort as the primary reason they discontinued wearing their lenses. Forty percent attribute their contact lens abandonment to dryness.

“Most soft contact lenses materials have demonstrated a susceptibility to environmental factors which can lead to clinical symptoms normally associated with ocular dryness,” says Sheila Hickson-Curran, Director, Medical Affairs, Vistakon. “In addition to humidity, variables such as air movement (wind), temperature, and blink-rate altering visual activities such as reading and computer use can exacerbate signs and symptoms of dryness in contact lens wearers.”

“Senofilcon A has previously shown promising results for reducing lens-wear related symptoms of dryness and discomfort,” she adds. “This study shows that contact lenses made with senofilcon A may be superior to other soft lens materials in terms of minimizing dryness symptoms associated with exposure to adverse environmental conditions. Senofilcon A was also found to reduce discomfort symptoms even beyond that experienced with no lens, indicating a protective effect.”

About the Study

The purpose of the study was to compare the ability of ACUVUE OASYS™ (senofilcon A) contact lenses to wearer’s habitual contact lenses to provide relief from ocular discomfort during contact lens wear in adverse environmental conditions.

Researchers used the Controlled Adverse Environment (CAE) model, a proprietary state-of-the-art model for conducting ocular dryness studies, to investigate dryness during contact lens wear. Typically incorporated into clinical trials studying ocular dryness, the CAE is used to exacerbate dryness symptoms in a reproducible, controlled manner by closely regulating humidity, temperature, airflow, lighting, and visual tasking. Acute ocular drying conditions are optimized in the CAE by using appropriate exposure times and requiring subjects to perform a visual task such as reading or working on a computer.

Eleven participants completed a single-center, double-masked, randomized, cross-over, CAE study. Participants were current, successful contact lens wearers with histories of ocular discomfort during lens wear in windy or dry environments.

Study participants underwent a total of three 75-minute CAE exposures during a two-week period once with no lenses, once wearing a new pair of their habitual contact lenses, and once wearing senofilcon A contact lenses. Subjects were not permitted to use rewetting drops or tear substitutes for at least 12 hours prior to visits and were not allowed to wear their contacts for at least 72 hours prior to visits.

When wearing senofilcon A contact lenses, study participants reported significantly lower subjective ocular discomfort scores during exposure to a controlled adverse environment than they did when wearing their habitual contact lenses. Participants reported better mean discomfort scores across all time points during CAE exposure while wearing senofilcon A lenses (1.62 ?� 0.71 points) than they did while wearing their habitual contact lenses (2.21 ?� 0.80 points, p

During the American Academy of
Ophthalmology (AAO) meeting, to be held in Las Vegas from Nov. 11-14,
ophthalmic device manufacturer Refractec, Inc., today announced promising
interim results for evaluating the effectiveness of NearVision CK
(conductive keratoplasty) for post-LASIK patients will be presented.

Three-month clinical data shows post-LASIK baby boomers achieved improved
vision after NearVision CK.

“Post-LASIK patients who had NearVision CK showed improvements in both
their near and intermediate uncorrected visual acuity, and patients’
subjective satisfaction ratings exceeded 85 percent,” Michael Gordon, M.D.,
of the Gordon, Binder & Weiss Vision Institute in San Diego. “The
NearVision CK procedure is exceptionally safe, and could be very promising
for the millions of post-LASIK patients who do not wish to rely upon
corrective lenses as they age.”

Clinical study data to be presented show positive three-month
post-operative results on a cohort of 60 patients ranging in age from 41 to
63 who had undergone NearVision CK, including:

— 95 percent of patients able to read phonebook-sized print (uncorrected
visual acuity [UCVA] of J3);

— 83 percent of patients achieving 20/32 or better intermediate vision;
and

— More than 90 percent of patients reporting satisfaction with quality of
vision and depth perception.

Additionally, the NearVision CK procedure was found to be safe and
effective, with no adverse events or flap complications and the technology
was shown to fulfill all FDA safety limits, and to meet or exceed FDA’s
targets for outcome predictability.

“The fact is that more than four million Americans have had LASIK with
the expectation of being glasses-free for a lifetime. But, what they’re
realizing is that they can’t escape their ‘aging eyes’ and the subsequent
loss of near vision, which has them once again reaching for glasses. We’re
very encouraged by the three-month data being presented at AAO,” said Tom
Frinzi, Refractec CEO.

Slated to speak at the AAO’s Refractive Subspecialty Day on Nov. 11,
Dr. Gordon will present his findings in a presentation entitled, “FDA
Expanded Indication Study on Conductive Keratoplasty for the Improvement of
NearVision in Post-LASIK Emmetropes.” Physician Erin Stahl, M.D. from
Overland Park, Kansas also will report interim study results during her
Nov. 13 presentation, entitled “Results of Conductive Keratoplasty to
Improve Near Vision in Presbyopic Emmetropes Who Underwent Previous LASIK.”

The multi-center clinical trial currently underway will involve 150
patients, who, other than suffering from presbyopia, had normal vision.
Data will be submitted to the FDA in the third quarter of 2007 and clinical
enrollment is expected to be completed later this month.

How NearVision CK Works:

With one of the highest safety profiles in the refractive market,
NearVision CK was the first procedure approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration for treating both presbyopia (a.k.a. “aging eyes”) and
hyperopia (farsightedness). Using gentle radio waves instead of a laser or
scalpel, NearVision CK brings near vision back into focus without cutting
or removing tissue during a painless, three-minute procedure.

Using a probe thinner than a strand of human hair, NearVision CK
applies radio waves in a circular pattern on the outer cornea to shrink
small areas of collagen. This shrinkage pattern creates a constrictive band
(like the tightening of a belt), increasing the overall curvature of the
cornea to bring near-vision back into focus for Baby Boomers.
Radiofrequency (RF) energy is one of today’s most advanced surgical
technologies. In addition to its use in NearVision CK, RF technology is
being used in prostate cancer therapy, back surgery, even cardiovascular
procedures.

About Refractec

Refractec, Inc. is a privately held ophthalmic technology company that
develops and markets minimally invasive procedures for ophthalmologists and
their baby boomer patients. Based in Irvine, Calif., Refractec provides
“Corrective Solutions for Near Vision” with its proprietary NearVision CK
(Conductive Keratoplasty) technology. Patients can visit
(refractec) or call 1-800-752-9544 for more information on
NearVision CK and to obtain a list of physicians.

Refractec, Inc.
refractec

ESBATech AG, a leading developer of antibody fragment therapeutics, today announced the initiation of a Phase IIa study in patients with acute anterior uveitis. This study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and clinical activity of topically applied ESBA105 in uveitis patients. ESBA105 is a single-chain antibody fragment directed against TNF-alpha, a major mediator of inflammation. The Phase IIa trial is being conducted at several uveitis centers in Germany.

The primary objectives of this study are to assess the local tolerability and safety of topical ESBA105, as well as to evaluate the clinical activity of patients suffering from an attack of acute, unilateral anterior uveitis. With this Phase IIa study in uveitis and recently announced Phase Ib/IIa study in patients undergoing cataract surgery, the company continues to advance a pipeline of novel, antibody fragment therapeutics for local delivery in ocular diseases to ensure safe and convenient patient therapy.

In conjunction with the Phase IIa uveitis study, ESBATech has established a world-class Clinical Advisory Board dedicated to the advancement of the company’s uveitis clinical development. Board members include:

– Manfred Zierhut, M.D., Principal Investigator of ESBATech’s Phase IIa uveitis study and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Tuebingen in Germany

– James Rosenbaum, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, Head of Uveitis Clinic and Director of Inflammatory Research at the Oregon Health & Science and University Casey Eye Institute

– Annabelle A. Okada, M.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

– Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology at Stanford University, Stanford California. Prof. Cunningham is currently at Clarus Ventures and held several senior industry positions at Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. where he led the medical strategy team, and at Pfizer, Inc., where he was responsible for clinical development of therapeutic candidates in ophthalmology

– Denis Wakefield, DSc, M.D., MBBS, FRACP, FRCPA, Professor and Associate Dean of Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW)

– Andrea Leonardi, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology at Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology Unit and Faculty of Medicine at the University of Padua, Italy

Dominik Escher, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ESBATech, commented, “The newly established uveitis Clinical Advisory Board, which consists of distinguished and well respected leaders in the ophthalmology field, will be of great strategic value as we advance ESBA105 through clinical development for uveitis. With our Advisory Board in place and the continued clinical progression in uveitis and other inflammatory ocular diseases, the company is well positioned to become the leader in delivering antibody fragments to both the anterior and posterior segment of the eye.”

Peter Lichtlen, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Clinical Development at ESBATech, commented, “The start of this Phase IIa trial represents a major developmental and regulatory milestone. It has been a pleasure to design this study with the continuous support of such an esteemed panel of international uveitis experts that shares our view on the potential of this compound. As our previous work has shown, topically applied ESBA105 effectively penetrates into both the anterior and posterior segment of the eye, in combination with very low systemic exposure. Due to this unique biodistribution profile and the fact that ESBA105 is a potent TNF-alpha inhibitor, the compound holds significant promise for treatment of uveitis, as well as other ocular inflammatory disorders.”

Principal Investigator and member of the Clinical Advisory Board, Prof. Manfred Zierhut commented, “ESBA105 represents a novel approach to treat uveitis. For the first time it seems possible to administer a biologic therapeutic to patients-without systemic or intravitreal injections-but topically with eye drops. I look forward to contributing to ESBATech’s clinical advancement in uveitis as both the Principal Investigator of the Phase IIa study and a member of ESBATech’s established Clinical Advisory Board.”

ESBA105 is also being studied in other therapeutic indications such as osteoarthritis (OA). Earlier this year, ESBATech initiated a Phase I/IIa clinical study to explore clinical activity of ESBA105 in osteoarthritis of the knee.

About Uveitis

Uveitis refers to an inflammation of the uvea which includes the iris, ciliary body and choroid of the eye. Topical corticosteroids are the main agents for treatment of an acute anterior uveitis. Treatment is started immediately on diagnosis to reduce damage to the eye as well as improve symptoms of pain and photophobia. Steroids carry two key side effects, including raised intraocular pressure and cataract formation during long term treatment, in addition to local effects seen with topical therapy-e.g. delayed wound healing and aggravation of infection. In more severe cases, intraocular injections of steroids or immunosuppressive therapy are also used.

About ESBATech’s Antibody Fragment Platform Technology

ESBATech is the first and only company to date that has successfully screened and characterized the entire human pool (1.5 million) of naturally occurring variable immunoglobulin (VH and VL) domains to select highly stable, soluble and monomeric singlechain antibody fragment frameworks applying its proprietary technology platform IMMUNA. ESBATech’s unique, scientific approach using its fully-human antibody fragment frameworks has elucidated the drug-like properties of these proprietary single-chain antibody fragments. The company is advancing a pipeline of novel antibody fragment therapeutics for topical and/or local delivery, to ensure safe and convenient patient therapy.

About ESBATech AG

ESBATech is a Zurich, Switzerland-based, privately held, clinical stage biotechnology company concentrating in research, development and commercializing of its antibody fragments for therapeutic applications via local and topical administration. ESBATech applies its proprietary screening platform IMMUNA and its fully human single-chain antibody frameworks to generate product candidates against targets of clinical relevance. The company focuses on three franchises: ophthalmology, rheumatology and respiratory. In ophthalmology, ESBATech represents the most advanced company with topical delivery of an antibody fragment via eye drops being in clinical development.

Current venture investors include SV Life Sciences, Clarus Ventures, HBM BioVentures, HBM BioCapital, Novartis Venture Fund, BioMedinvest and VI Partners. For more information about ESBATech, please visit, esbatech.

ESBATech AG

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for marketing the first LASIK device designed for treating one eye to see far away objects and the other eye for close-up vision.

“The approval of the CustomVue Monovision LASIK expands permanent vision correction options for nearsighted adults who also have trouble focusing on objects close-up,” said Daniel Schultz, M.D., director of FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Unlike traditional LASIK, Monovision LASIK may reduce the need for reading glasses in some people over 40.”

LASIK, or laser in-situ keratomileusis, is a procedure in which the surgeon cuts a flap in the outer layers of the cornea, removes a small amount of the tissue beneath it with the laser, and then replaces the flap. CustomVue Monovision LASIK produces monovision correction in nearsighted (myopic) adults, with or without astigmatism, ages 40 years or older with normal age-related loss of ability to focus on near objects (presbyopia).

The CustomVue device is designed to correct all nearsightedness in the patient’s dominant eye and only part of the nearsightedness in the non-dominant eye. This allows the patient to use the fully corrected eye for distance vision and the under-corrected eye for seeing close up. After a period of time, the brain adjusts to the difference in perception between the two eyes.

People considering CustomVue monovision LASIK should first wear monovision contact lenses for at least a week to determine if they can tolerate having one eye under-corrected. Following monovision surgery, the two eyes may not work together as well as they did before in some patients, especially in dim light or when performing tasks requiring very sharp vision or fine depth perception. Patients may need to wear glasses or contact lenses for some activities such as night driving or reading small type.

CustomVue Monovision LASIK is a permanent operation to the cornea. Side effects may include glare from bright lights, rings around lights (halos), light sensitivity, night driving glare, ghost images, double vision and visual fluctuation.

CustomVue Monovision LASIK is manufactured by AMO/VISX Inc., based in Santa Clara, Calif. The new approval is for the monovision correction, which uses the previously approved wavefront-guided treatments – an eye-mapping system that guides the laser – for myopia and astigmatism. FDA based its approval on the review of a clinical study of safety and effectiveness outcomes submitted by the company.

At FDA’s request, AMO/VISX will conduct a post-approval study following 500 patients for six months after surgery to characterize quality of vision and quality of life issues associated with permanent LASIK monovision correction. The objective of the study is to estimate the proportion of monovision LASIK patients who experience visual disturbances that are severe enough to limit activities or adversely affect a patient’s quality of life.

fda

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to improve contact lens safety by reminding consumers of the importance of following proper cleaning and storing procedures. Consumers who do not follow instructions for contact lens care and use increase their risk of serious eye infections that can lead to blindness.

To support proper cleaning and storage, the FDA has developed a new video on contact lens safety, which can be found on the FDA’s Web site (fda), along with an in-depth Consumer Update article. The video and the article stress the importance of emptying the solution out of the contact lens case after each use and using the rub-and-rinse method for added effectiveness. Other important lens care tips include:

– Do not top off or reuse lens cleaning solution;
– Use a contact lens solution to clean, rinse, and then air dry contact lens cases after each use;
– Do not expose contact lenses or lens storage cases to any type of water or other non-sterile solutions.

In early 2009, the FDA convened a workshop called “Microbiological Testing of Contact Lens Care Products,” in collaboration with several eye care professional groups, to develop consensus on test methods for evaluating contact lens solutions. Based on discussions from this workshop and from a 2008 meeting of the agency’s advisory panel for ophthalmic devices, the FDA is developing manufacturer guidance on potential labeling improvements for these products.

In its June 2008 meeting, the advisory panel for ophthalmic devices made specific recommendations for contact lens product labeling and directions for use, including adding a discard date on their products, in addition to the usual expiration date. The discard date is the date the solution should be thrown out after opening.

On May 19, 2009, the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health issued a letter to manufacturers of contact lens multipurpose solution products that include an option for cleaning without a step for rubbing the lenses. This letter informed these manufacturers of the panel’s conclusion that there is improvement in lens care when using a rub-and-rinse regimen as compared to a rinse-alone regimen, which omits the rubbing step. The direction to rub and rinse lenses, based on the advice of an eye care professional, has always been part of the labeling for multipurpose contact lens care products.

For more information:

The FDA’s Information on Contact Lens Safety
FDA Consumer Update on contact lens safety
The FDA’s Joint Workshop on Microbiological Testing for Contact Lens Care Products , January 2009
The FDA’s Letter to Firms with Marketing Clearance for No-rub Multipurpose Contact Lens Solutions
Commissioner’s Guest Viewpoint on Ensuring Safe Use of Contact Lens Solutions

Source
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Manhattan Law Firm Weitz &
Luxenberg, P.C. announces today that it has filed a lawsuit
against Bausch & Lomb, the makers of the contact lens
solution ReNu with MoistureLoc. Weitz & Luxenberg is
investigating numerous cases and preparing to file more
cases in the following days.

On April 13, 2006, Bausch & Lomb pulled ReNu with
MoistureLoc from suppliers’ shelves over mounting concerns
that the product is being linked to over 100 cases of a rare
fungal eye infection, Fusarium Keratitis, in ReNu with
MoistureLoc users across the country.

In a statement made on April 14, 2006, the FDA supported the
pull of the product from the shelves as the CDC continues to
investigate Bausch & Lomb’s plant in South Carolina where
ReNu with MoistureLoc is manufactured. A similar outbreak
occurred in Asia earlier this year prompting Bausch & Lomb
to pull ReNu with MoistureLoc from shelves there. Singapore,
Malaysia and Hong Kong are also supplied ReNu with
MoistureLoc from Bausch & Lomb’s South Carolina plant.

Furthermore, on May 3, 2006 it was revealed that the CDC has
informed Bausch & Lomb that they are concerned that the
problem may not be isolated to ReNu with MoistureLoc, but
might also affect other Bausch & Lomb products including
ReNu MultiPlus.

Weitz & Luxenberg, which recently obtained a successful
Vioxx verdict against Merck, has filed a lawsuit on behalf
of one of their clients who was diagnosed with Fusarium
Keratitis after using ReNu with MoistureLoc. The Plaintiff,
a resident of suburban Philadelphia, used ReNu with
MoistureLoc and was infected with the suspect fungal
infection. The infection was so grave she required a corneal
transplant. Since then, she has endured months of medical
treatment. This fungus, not only being linked to serious eye
injuries, including corneal damage, can also lead to
blindness.

Because of the serious nature of these injuries, Weitz &
Luxenberg is investigating cases on behalf of people who
have used ReNu with MoistureLoc and have suffered eye
injuries as a consequence.

People injured by ReNu with MoistureLoc should contact Weitz
& Luxenberg by calling Weitz & Luxenberg’s Client Relations
Department at 800-476-6070 or emailing
clientrelationsweitzlux. Please also visit Weitz &
Luxenberg’s website at weitzlux and click on
“Breaking News – ReNu” for more up-to-the-minute
information.

View drug information on Vioxx.

For centuries eyes have been seen as windows to the soul. But medical researchers now believe the eyes may also offer vital clues to your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Importantly, this research could lead to optometrists and ophthalmologists playing a key diagnostic role in identifying signs of life threatening health problems.

Researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) are seeking to confirm that blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye reflect changes in blood vessels in other parts of the body, especially the brain, kidneys and heart.

A project funded by the MBF Foundation is showing that blood vessels in the retina can be photographed and the images analysed by a computer to accurately determine a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke – cardiovascular diseases that change the appearance of blood vessels in the eye.

Lead CERA researcher, Professor Tien Wong, said they aim to show that combining this non-invasive retinal scan with the results from current risk assessment methods will improve precision and reliability in predicting cardiovascular disease.

Professor Wong’s team has taken thousands of eye images and created a program that recognises common features of conditions that cause damage to be seen on the retina.

Once a person has symptoms of cardiovascular disease, damage has already been done to the body. So finding and treating high risk people early, even before they have symptoms, could minimise blood vessel damage and potentially avoid heart attack or stroke.

Currently, doctors estimate a person’s statistical chance of developing cardiovascular disease by looking at individual factors such as whether they smoke, their family history, weight, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Once you get symptoms, more extensive and sometimes invasive tests, such as angiogram are needed to confirm the result and assess severity of damage to the arteries of the heart or elsewhere.

Professor Wong said, “Results from the retinal scan would be delivered to GPs for a better picture of their patient’s health.

“The test is simple, has no side effects or risks, which are present for invasive tests like angiograms, and will result in more targeted preventive measures.”

Dr Christine Bennett, chair of the MBF Foundation Steering Committee and Bupa Chief Medical Officer*, went on to say, “This early assessment of the likelihood that a person will develop diseases like heart disease, stroke or even type 2 diabetes has the potential to significantly improve quality of life, reduce hospitalisations and the 50,000 deaths each year caused by cardiovascular disease.”

Once a person knows their risk they may be able to delay the onset of developing cardiovascular disease by modifying their lifestyle accordingly.

“We know that smoking, too much alcohol, inactivity and poor nutrition are bad for our health but seeing the evidence not with, but in, your own eyes could be the wake-up call that triggers change,” Dr Bennett said.

“A range of locations, such as optometrists, ophthalmologists, pathologists and GPs will be assessed to find the best way to make this test accessible to as many at-risk Australians as possible.”

* Bupa Australia operates the trusted and respected brands MBF, HBA and Mutual Community.

Source:
Matt Allison

Research Australia