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With Cataracts, Misinformation Seems to Abound
Posted 27 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Dec. 27 – When medical experts talk about prevalence, they're usually referring to how common a particular disease might be. But in the case of cataracts, they might just as well be talking about how common it is to uncover misinformation and misunderstanding about the condition. Cataracts are a leading cause of blindness among seniors in the United States, with more than half of all U.S. residents developing the cloudy vision of cataracts by the time they reach 80 years old, according to Prevent Blindness America, a nonprofit group that focuses on eye health. But eye experts say that people seem to believe things about cataracts that aren't quite right, including when and how they should be treated. Misinformation often seems to develop innocently enough, with well-meaning folks spreading things they've learned by word-of-mouth. "Sometimes friends give confusing and ... Read more
Related support groups: Cataract
Study Reports More Precise Way to Remove Cataracts
Posted 18 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 18 – Cataract surgery, already an extremely safe and successful procedure, can be made more precise by combining a laser and three-dimensional imaging, a new study suggests. Researchers found that a femtosecond laser, used for many years in LASIK surgery, can cut into delicate eye tissue more cleanly and accurately than manual cataract surgery, which is performed more than 1.5 million times each year in the United States. In the current procedure, which has a 98 percent success rate, surgeons use a micro-blade to cut a circle around the cornea before extracting the cataract with an ultrasound machine. The laser procedure uses optical coherence technology to customize each patient's eye measurements before slicing through the lens capsule and cataract, though ultrasound is still used to remove the cataract itself. "It takes some skill and energy to break the lens with the ... Read more
Related support groups: Cataract
Study Finds Vitamins E and C Don't Reduce Cataract Risk in Men
Posted 11 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 11 – Long-term use of vitamin E and C supplements doesn't reduce the risk of age-related cataracts in men, a new study finds. "An estimated 20.5 million persons 40 and older in the United States show some evidence of age-related cataract," wrote study author William G. Christen, of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues, in a news release. Because oxidative damage is a prominent feature of cataracts, he said, "one focus of nutrition research has been the link between dietary intake of nutrients with antioxidant potential, particularly vitamins E and C, and the risk of cataract." To study the effects of these vitamins, the researchers enrolled 11,545 healthy U.S. male physicians aged 50 and older. They were randomly assigned to take 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E daily or a placebo, or 500 milligrams of vitamin C on ... Read more
Related support groups: Dietary Supplementation, Cataract, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Ascorbic Acid, Protexin, Cecon, C/Rose Hips, Aquasol E, Alpha E, Sunkist Vitamin C, Vitamin E Deficiency, Ester-C, Cemill 500, Vitamin C TR
As People Live Longer, More Will Develop Cataracts
Posted 2 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com
SUNDAY, Aug. 1 – Americans are living longer than ever before and most people who live into their 70s and beyond will develop cataracts at some point. That's why it's important to know the risks and symptoms of cataract, what to do to delay onset, and how to decide when it's time for surgery, experts at the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) explained in a news release. People should get a baseline eye screening exam at age 40, when early signs of disease and vision change may begin to occur, according to the AAO. During the visit, the ophthalmologist will explain how often to schedule follow-up exams. People of any age who have symptoms or are at risk for eye disease should make an appointment with an ophthalmologist to establish a care and follow-up plan. Risk factors for cataract include family history, having diabetes, smoking, extensive exposure to sunlight, serious eye ... Read more
Related support groups: Cataract
Diet, Meds and Smoking Linked to Eye Disease Risks
Posted 14 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 14 – A healthy diet helps guard against cataracts, while certain medications raise the risks of this common cause of vision loss, two new studies suggest. And a third study finds that smoking increases the risk of age-related macular degeneration, another disease that robs people of their sight. The first study found that women who eat foods that contain high levels of a variety of vitamins and minerals may be less likely to develop nuclear cataract, which is the most common type of age-related cataract in the United States. The study is published in the June issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology. The researchers looked at 1,808 women in Iowa, Oregon and Wisconsin who took part in a study about age-related eye disease. Overall, 736 (41 percent) of the women had either nuclear cataracts evident from lens photographs or reported having undergone cataract extraction. ... Read more
Related support groups: Smoking, Amitriptyline, Naproxen, Elavil, Cipro, Levaquin, Hydrochlorothiazide, Nortriptyline, Ciprofloxacin, Aleve, Avelox, Cataract, Doxepin, Pamelor, Imipramine
Certain Popular Antidepressants Linked to Cataracts in Seniors
Posted 1 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, June 1 – A widely prescribed type of antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) appear to boost the risk for developing cataracts among seniors, according to the first study to explore the subject. The increase in risk, reported in the June issue of the journal Ophthalmology, was calculated to be approximately 15 percent, the researchers found. At that rate, 22,000 Americans would theoretically develop cataracts as a result of their antidepressant use, the study authors noted. The research team, led by Mahyar Etminan of the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute in Canada, analyzed data concerning almost 19,000 patients over the age 65, and compared the findings to data from 190,000 men and women in the same age group not taking antidepressants. Strong links to cataract risk were found for three specific SSRI drugs: fluvoxamine (Luvox), ... Read more
Related support groups: Lexapro, Zoloft, Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, Citalopram, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Cataract, Luvox, Escitalopram, Paxil CR, Fluvoxamine, Sarafem