A recent meta-analysis contradicts previous ideas about the risks of statins.

 

Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the world. In Canada, in 2006, 23.6 million statin prescriptions were filled. For years, the side effects, namely the development of cataracts, have raised concerns.

 

In 2010, a British study involving more than two million patients found that 16% of them were currently treated or had been treated with statins. They claimed that for each 10,000 users, statins taken for five years caused 307 cases of cataracts. In 2012, at the University of Waterloo, a study of 6,400 patients found that the use of statins increased the risk of cataracts by 57%.

 

And now, a new meta-analysis, this time American, involving 2,399,200 people and 25,618 cataracts, claims that statins actually reduce the risk. Patients taking statins were about 20% less likely to have developed a cataract than the others. The risk decreased by half among patients in their forties and by only 10% among those who were over seventy. Also, the effectiveness increased with long-term statin use.

 

According to lead researcher John B. Kostis, the findings dispel worries about the connection between statins and cataracts. Unless, of course, a new study comes along to contradict these findings… 

Sources:

http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Actualites/Nouvelles/Fiche.aspx?doc=statines-cholesterol-effets-indesirables-surveiller-de-pres_20100604  http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248785.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130831110911.htm

 

A new study confirms that different ethnic groups see differently.

 

Investigators in California studied 1,501 non-Hispanic white children and 1,507 Asian children aged 6 to 72 months, in addition to interviewing their parents about their lifestyle.

 

They found the prevalence of myopia to be 1.20% among white children and 3.98% for Asian children. The prevalence of hyperopia was 25.7% in white children and 13.5% in Asian children. Asian girls were more likely to have hyperopia than boys (16.2% vs. 10.8%). Finally, the prevalence of astigmatism (≥ 1.5 diopters) was 6.33% in white children and 8.29% in Asian children. The prevalence of astigmatism of 3.00 diopters or more was 0.73% in white children and 1.19% in Asian children.

 

After comparing these findings with data from previous research (MEPEDS), the investigators found that myopia and astigmatism are less common among white children than among Asian, Hispanic and black children.

 

Genetics, as well as lifestyle, partly explain the differences. According to the researchers, Asian parents early on encourage activities that involve near vision, such as reading, whereas white children participate in more outdoor activities, such as playing sports, which involves far vision.

Source:

 

http://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(13)00576-9/abstract

 

 

 

 

FYidoctors, a private group based in Alberta with more than 100 locations throughout Canada, has acquired the Canadian assets and operations of and has entered into a licensing agreement with Vision Source, a network of private practice optometrists all over North America.

Vision Source will transfer its Canadian assets and operations, consisting of 95 franchisees, to FYidoctors, including rights to the Vision Source name in Canada through a trademark licensing agreement.

According to a statement from FYidoctors, the agreement is designed to create a long-term relationship between FYidoctors and Vision Source Canada to continually fuel the preservation of independent optometry in North America. 

 

 

 

 

 

Diagnos, a corporation based in Brossard, Quebec, has signed a letter of intent with an Indian partner for the deployment of its tele-ophthalmology platform, CARA, in India.

 

The Computer Assisted Retinal Analysis (CARA) platform integrates with ophthalmic imaging hardware and software. CARA enhances retinal images in real time over the Internet.

 

Its partner in India, which for now remains anonymous, wishes to use Diagnos’ technology to slow down or halt the visual deterioration process that occurs in people with diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation estimates the number of diabetics in India to be more than 73 million, and this number could grow to 100 million by 2030. One patient out of nine will suffer from retinopathy and possibly lose their sight.

 

The initial mission would involve deploying mobile screening units, comprising the CARA platform and a qualified vision screening technician, to Mumbai and New Delhi. These units would also cover a radius of 500 km around the respective cities.

 

“The nature of the relationship offers the potential of scaling-up across the vast population and size of India,” said Peter Nowacki, Diagnos’ Vice-President – Healthcare. “We believe the lower cost dynamics in India coupled with a large volume potential across the country to be strong drivers of value for Diagnos shareholders.”

Source:

http://www.directioninformatique.com/une-plateforme-de-teleophtalmologie-quebecoise-en-inde/21316

 

 

 

Techniques developed by astronomers are coming closer to optometry and ophthalmology.

 

Historically, optometrists and ophthalmologists have focussed largely on two vision problems: spherical errors and astigmatism. However, a variety of other subtle errors can affect both the clarity of a patient’s vision and the ECP’s view when examining the back of the eye.

 

Techniques developed by astronomers to better distinguish objects in space can help identify these errors. This is particularly the case with wavefront optics, says Dr. Larry N. Thibos, from Indiana University, in a recent paper published in Optometry and Vision Science. In a wavefront, all the points of the surface take the same amount of time to travel the distance from the source. It can therefore be observed to analyze light propagation.

 

For Dr. Thibos, this concept transforms the way fundamental optical problems are approached. He gives examples of how it could be used, such as monitoring changes in optical quality in eyes with deterioration of the tear film, assessing the outcomes of vision-correcting therapies, and tracking the progression of visual abnormalities in growing eyes.

Sources:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/265320.php

http://journals.lww.com/optvissci/Fulltext/2013/09000/The_2012_Charles_Prentice_Medal_Lecture__.4.aspx