Oral contraceptives may be a risk factor for glaucoma, according to a study presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

 

The study was led by the University of California, Duke University, in North Carolina, and Nanchang University, in China. The scientists based their research on the medical records of 3,406 American women aged 40 years or older. They discovered that the women who had taken oral contraceptives for three or more years, regardless of the type, were 2.05 times more likely to develop glaucoma.

 

The study found no direct causal link between the contraceptives and glaucoma, but indicates that long-term use of the products could be a potential risk factor for glaucoma. “This study should be an impetus for future research to prove the cause and effect of oral contraceptives and glaucoma,” said Shan Lin, lead researcher, from the University of California San Francisco. “At this point, women who have taken oral contraceptives for three or more years should be screened for glaucoma and followed closely by an ophthalmologist, especially if they have any other existing risk factors.”

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131118091418.htm

 

In France, the Institut de la Vision inaugurated the Artificial Street on November 26, 2013. This is a research and development environment that supports the creation of technologies and treatments to assist people with impaired vision.

 

The new platform, called STREETlab, resembles a basic commercial street. But it is in fact a forum for research and development available to researchers and the sector’s manufacturers. It contains sophisticated equipment used to control the parameters of the environment – lighting, ambient sound, decorative features – and to quantitatively assess the improvement in living conditions of people who participate in the tests, for instance in mobility. Standardized tasks can be developed within an environment that reproduces various concrete situations.

 

The platform also monitors the behaviour of visually impaired people, using biometric sensors to analyze movement, eye trackers to analyze visual strategies, or infrared cameras to help follow and record experiences.

 

One of the first projects to use the Artificial Street focuses on motor ability and low vision. The objective is to identify optimal strategies for visual movement in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa in tasks such as locomotion or visual research.

Source:

http://www.institut-vision.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=361%3Ainaugurationstreetlab&catid=1%3Aactualites&Itemid=27&lang=fr

 

 

 

Researchers from the Center for Value-Based Medicine^® estimate that cataract surgeries performed in the United States in one year will save $123.4 billion over the next 13 years.

 

An operation performed on a single eye, which costs about $2,653, will save an average of $121,198 over 13 years. The Center says that these operations provide a 4.567% return on investment to society.

 

The majority of the $123.4 billion in savings from cataract surgery come from patient healthcare savings after the operation (39.4%), savings in Medicare, the public health care system for Americans over age 65 (29.5%), and profits tied to employment/productivity (20.6%).

 

“Most people regard healthcare costs, which are estimated at $2.81 trillion in 2012, as expenditures and not investment dollars that return patient value and financial value,” said lead researcher Melissa M. Brown. “Our data demonstrates that this approach is far too simplistic and that estimating the return on investment provides a more complete picture. Cataract surgery is a paradigm for the premise that healthcare interventions, in addition to greatly improving patients’ lives, can also create considerable economic wealth.”

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131115104553.htm

 

Residents of major cities, such as Chicago and New York, and their suburbs are four times more likely to develop dry eye syndrome than people who live in less urban areas, where the air is less polluted, according to a new study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

 

This is the first study involving a large population of patients from across the United States to link dry eye syndrome with atmospheric conditions. Residents of metropolitan areas, namely New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami, are subject to high pollution rates and show high prevalence (17 to 21%) of this syndrome.

 

In addition, dry eye syndrome is 13% higher in high-altitude areas. High humidity and strong winds, however, reduce the risk of developing this syndrome.

 

“Many people living in arid and polluted cities would readily attest to the irritating effect air pollution has on dry eye,” said lead researcher Anat Galor, assistant professor at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. “Our research suggests that simple actions, such as maintaining the appropriate humidity level indoors and using a high-quality air filter, should be considered as part of the overall management of patients suffering from dry eye syndrome.”

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131116171106.htm

 

 

Missed games associated with eye injuries sustained by hockey players cost franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL) more than $32 million from 2002 to 2013, according to a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

 

The researchers identified 149 eye injuries in that time frame. The majority of them were caused by being hit by the puck (37%) or struck by a high stick (28%). Only 18% were caused by fights.

 

Players who do not wear a visor are 4.23 times more likely to sustain eye injury. By measuring penalty minutes, hits and fights, the study was also able to show that the most aggressive players are most averse to wearing a visor.

 

“Although it may seem like common sense to wear visors, until now there was little evidence that they could decrease injuries or could save the league money,” said lead researcher Jonathan Micieli, of the University of Toronto. “Quantifying these factors can make a big difference in the NHL’s policy discussions.”

 

Since June 2013, players new to the game must wear a visor. Those who had played over 26 games in the NHL at the time the rule was introduced can, however, decide whether or not they will wear one. About 73% of players wore visors during the 2012-2013 season.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131116171108.htm