During the holiday season, we invite you to review the important events in our industry over the past year – click on the Retrospective tab. We brought it all into two parts, each covering six months, the first being December 23 and the second on December 30. ClipInfo.ca will be back on January 6, 2014. “Season’s greetings!”
Corneal cells created from hair cells
French scientist Daniel Aberdam has successfully restored corneal cells using hair cells.
Thanks to this feat, which took ten years to accomplish, the French Académie des sciences awarded him the 2013 Grand Prix Fondation Générale de Santé for cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Under the direction of Daniel Aberdam, the scientists from the stem cell research lab at Inserm, Paris, took a hair sample to be cultured. They deprogrammed the hair cells and reprogrammed them to grow corneal cells.
Now it’s just a question of seeing whether it’s possible to repair the cornea in certain patients by transplanting these cells, to restore their sight. “If we take hair from a patient and produce cornea cells from that patient, we will see almost no immune rejection,” says Daniel Aberdam. “However, if we take cells from another person, we may see a rejection, but it will be extremely limited, since the cornea is an immune protected site.”
Such a method would go a long way in helping resolve the problem of a lack of corneas. About 42 million people worldwide are on waiting lists for corneal transplants.
Sources:
French opticians under pressure
If it passes, the French government’s draft law on consumer issues may have strong repercussions in the optical industry.
The French government has been upfront: the stated objective of the draft law, which is currently in its second reading in the National Assembly, is to get French people to save by expanding the distribution of lenses and contact lenses, namely to e-commerce. According to Benoît Hamon, Minister for the Economy and Finance, Internet sales of optical products would represent “about a billion euros in purchasing power” for the French people. The minister expects prices to drop by 30 to 40 percent.
An amendment to the draft law asks that the initial dispensing of corrective lenses and contact lenses be subject to a medical prescription. Another amendment requires that the pupillary distance be indicated on the prescription in order to encourage the development of the online sale of eyewear. Furthermore, consumers would be able to purchase contact lens care products in supermarkets—not just in pharmacies.
The French government justifies this new draft law by saying that, in all of Europe, the French people spend the most on eyewear and contact lenses—$118 (81 euros) a year. Nearly three million French people do not purchase glasses because they are too expensive.
Sources:
http://www.acuite.fr/articles.asp?REF=9195
Raising awareness of gifts that are dangerous to eyes
Eyecare professionals should take the opportunity in December to remind their patients that certain toys can represent a danger to their children’s eyes.
In the US, Prevent Blindness America takes the issue very seriously and designates December “Safe Toys and Gifts Month.” The not-for-profit organization offers tips on the best ways to choose a safe toy according to the child’s age and on recognizing dangerous toys on one of its website pages: www.preventblindness.org/make-safe-toys-and-gifts-priority. In addition to tips, it includes data on eye injuries caused by toys.
It’s important to note that in the US in 2011 there were 262,300 recorded injuries caused by toys, with the head and face being the body parts most often affected. In Canada, the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) issues regular reminders that thousands of children visit emergency rooms each year over the holiday season due to eye injuries caused by toys.
To lessen risks, Health Canada suggests in particular avoiding toys that have sharp points and edges and those with arrows, bullets and missiles, and discarding or repairing old or broken toys. Finally, children who have handled sticky gel or soft plastic toys should wash their hands immediately afterward to prevent chemical residues from irritating their eyes.
Sources:
http://www.preventblindness.org/make-safe-toys-and-gifts-priority
http://www.cnib.ca/en/your-eyes/safety/at-play/Pages/child-eyeinjuries-1207.aspx
Eye strain: a sign of our times
The 2013 edition of the VisionWatch Survey, carried out for The Vision Council, confirms the role that electronic devices play in eye strain.
Among the 7,160 respondents, only 1% does not use any digital devices on a daily basis. Television has the highest daily usage (81.1%), but is most popular among people aged 55 and older. Smart phones (61.7%), laptops (60.9%) and desktops (58.1%) are the next most prominent devices. These devices are particularly popular among the 18 to 34 age group. However, the gap is smaller for the 55 and older age group, indicating that smart phones are becoming more widely adopted by older adults. Finally, 37% of respondents regularly used tablets, while 17.4% used video game consoles.
All these devices take a toll on our eyes. Taken together, we use them over many hours every day. A third of respondents use them from 3 to 5 hours a day and a similar proportion use them between 6 and 9 hours a day. Along with neck and shoulder pain, eye strain is the most common symptom reported by users. Over 73% of participants described the symptoms as annoying or irritating, but one out of twenty described the discomfort as painful or excruciating.
Almost 40% of the study participants having experienced discomfort have tried to reduce their symptoms; however, many did not know what to do, particularly younger respondents. It is clear that eyecare professionals have become an important source of information and advice on how to decrease irritation.
Source:
www.visionexpoeast.com/Press/Vision-Voice-Newsletter/Research-Article-November-2013/
