By Sally Rummel
In the corner of Joyce McAllister’s dining room, there is a great armoire filled top to bottom with cookbooks. Post-It notes stick out of many of them, marking the time-tested, well-used recipes. The 77-year-old can’t use many of the recipes that fill the cabinet anymore, but it’s not that she doesn’t want to. She simply can’t make out the print anymore.
“There are so many things that are affected when you’re sight impaired, you don’t even realize it until you can’t see,” McAllister said. “I used to peruse (cookbooks) all the time. Now it’s very hard.”
Since being diagnosed with macular degeneration in 1985, McAllister’s eyesight has gotten steadily worse. She later developed Fuchs dystrophy, leading to a cornea replacement and a macular hole, which also required surgery. Now, though not legally blind, her sight is severely impaired.
“The most difficult for me is the reading,” she said. “I’m a poet and a prolific reader, and it is so frustrating not to be able to see.”
Help came to McAllister when she was referred to the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment, a Binghamton not-for-profit that serves a number of area counties. The group connected the Tompkins county senior with the Community Senior Vision Rehabilitation Program, designed specifically to help seniors with low vision maintain a safe and independent life.
“It helps a great deal,” she said.
The program helps individuals over 55 cope with the frustrations and struggles that accompany low vision. By using light, magnification and color contrast techniques, the program allows seniors to best utilize what residual sight they have left.
“We sit down and find out in what areas of their life their vision limits their function; then we teach strategies to reduce or eliminate those barriers,” said Rick McCarthy, director of program services for the Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment. “We’re not actually improving their vision, but their function,” he said.
The program is unique in that it provides services to those not yet considered legally blind, which is defined as having vision of 20/200 or worse.
“Before this program existed, if you weren’t legally blind, you weren’t able to get services,” McCarthy said. “There’s a large population out there who have degenerative eye disease, but they haven’t reached that threshold of legal blindness, and it’s really unfortunate that their quality of life and potential safety should have to suffer until they become legally blind.”
By enrolling in the program, users like McAllister receive a free low-vision examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist with special training in low vision who consider lighting and magnification as possible options to improve function. Clients then visit with a vision rehabilitation therapist who helps them outfit aspects of their life to better cope with their impairment.
“(My rehabilitation therapist) told me about the services they offer and the kinds of things they could do for me. He arranged to have my (large print) pill labels printed, and he arranged for my magnifying glasses,” McAllister said. “It’s helped a great deal.”
McAllister’s therapist, Ralph Gedeon, said that it is not only items like magnifying glasses that help seniors manage daily with low vision. Providing them with strategies to adjust to a more limited lifestyle can be invaluable.
“Individuals have great difficulty getting used to the fact that they’re losing their vision,” he said. “Depending on the level of difficulty the person has (adjusting), sometimes we refer them to therapists to help them cope and provide solutions by just talking to them.”
The Community Senior Vision Rehabilitation Program began two years ago with a grant from the Reader’s Digest Partners for Sight Foundation. An additional grant through the Helen Thomas Howland along with another year of funding pledged by Reader’s Digest has helped the program serve Tompkins County seniors.
Soon, McCarthy said, the program will have to start searching for another means for support.
“We’re coming to a close on the grant funding we’ve been able to secure,” he said.
The state may soon start aiding services for people who do not qualify as legally blind. While the certainty of service funding is not concrete, it is something agencies like the Association for Vision Rehabilitation are watching very closely.
“The legislation was passed, but we haven’t been able to get enough information out of this year’s state budget to see if any funding has been put forward to move that out of the gate,” McCarthy said. Securing such funds would allow the Community Senior Vision Rehabilitation Program to help the estimated 1,500 seniors with low vision in Tompkins county who may not even know they can benefit from such services.
“One of the biggest challenges many of our consumers express to us it that they didn’t know that this type of service existed,” McCarthy said. “It’s still not front and center in people’s minds to reach out to us when they realize that they have a vision loss.”
McAllister appreciates the quality of life the program brings to her.
“People should know of them before (they become) legally blind,” she said. “I really think it would be wonderful if more people would know about this organization because they are just so willing to help.”
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Saturday, June 6, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Macular Degeneration Seminar on Treatment, Research, Life After Diagnosis
FULLERTON, CA- The Eye Care Center at Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) partnered with Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) and Enhanced Vision to host a free seminar to discuss “Macular Degeneration:Treatment, Research and Life After Diagnosis.” The seminar was held at the Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton on May 9.
The Low Vision Seminar was very well attended and the audience well informed. Guest speakers included Dr. Timothy You, MD of the Orange County Medical Group and Dr. Rebecca Kammer, OD, Chief of the Walls Low Vision Rehabilitation Center at SCCO. Both addressed topics such as medical advances in treating Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), rehabilitation and independent living including adaptive devices.
This open forum of information was the perfect platform for individuals who have either just been diagnosed as well as those who simply want to be kept up-to-date on the latest advancements and options available in helping them continue to live independently.
Enhanced Vision, the leading manufacturers of low vision products designed for people who are legally blind, have macular degeneration and other low vision conditions were available to provide information about electronic magnification devices.
Valuable resource information was also available from Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), a non-profit national organization that funds research to provide preventions, treatments and cures for various low vision conditions.
Seminars such as this have become an imperative way of generating a much needed awareness in local communities that yes, treatments may be available, research is being done, adaptive technology is ever expanding and very accessible and no, you are not alone!”
The Low Vision Seminar was very well attended and the audience well informed. Guest speakers included Dr. Timothy You, MD of the Orange County Medical Group and Dr. Rebecca Kammer, OD, Chief of the Walls Low Vision Rehabilitation Center at SCCO. Both addressed topics such as medical advances in treating Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), rehabilitation and independent living including adaptive devices.
This open forum of information was the perfect platform for individuals who have either just been diagnosed as well as those who simply want to be kept up-to-date on the latest advancements and options available in helping them continue to live independently.
Enhanced Vision, the leading manufacturers of low vision products designed for people who are legally blind, have macular degeneration and other low vision conditions were available to provide information about electronic magnification devices.
Valuable resource information was also available from Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB), a non-profit national organization that funds research to provide preventions, treatments and cures for various low vision conditions.
Seminars such as this have become an imperative way of generating a much needed awareness in local communities that yes, treatments may be available, research is being done, adaptive technology is ever expanding and very accessible and no, you are not alone!”
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pfizer announces partnership to develop stem cell-based therapies for ophthalmic conditions
Pfizer announces partnership to develop stem cell-based therapies for ophthalmic conditions
Posted on 27 April 2009
Pfizer’s Regenerative Medicine unit announced that it signed an agreement with University College London aimed at developing stem cell-based therapies primarily for wet and dry macular degeneration, as well as other retinal diseases. As part of the collaboration, Pfizer gains exclusive worldwide rights to develop and market a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) stem cell-based treatment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will provide funding to the university to enable research into the development of such therapies, as well as offer its expertise in clinical trials, interaction with global regulators and product manufacturing techniques. In addition, following the completion of pre-clinical testing, the drugmaker will have the option to conduct further trials and market any potential product resulting from the collaboration.
Ruth McKernan, chief scientific officer of Pfizer Regenerative Medicine, did not disclose financial details of the partnership but said the drugmaker plans to invest $100 million in stem-cell research in the coming three to five years.
Posted on 27 April 2009
Pfizer’s Regenerative Medicine unit announced that it signed an agreement with University College London aimed at developing stem cell-based therapies primarily for wet and dry macular degeneration, as well as other retinal diseases. As part of the collaboration, Pfizer gains exclusive worldwide rights to develop and market a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) stem cell-based treatment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will provide funding to the university to enable research into the development of such therapies, as well as offer its expertise in clinical trials, interaction with global regulators and product manufacturing techniques. In addition, following the completion of pre-clinical testing, the drugmaker will have the option to conduct further trials and market any potential product resulting from the collaboration.
Ruth McKernan, chief scientific officer of Pfizer Regenerative Medicine, did not disclose financial details of the partnership but said the drugmaker plans to invest $100 million in stem-cell research in the coming three to five years.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Taking blindness out of the dark
Perry County
Taking blindness out of the dark
Perry County women take to annual VisionWalk in hopes of finding cure for their children.
Sisters Barbara Bronson and Mariann Campbell will be involved with the VisionWalk in Baltimore this Saturday to help raise money for The Foundation Fighting Blindness.
For more information on the walk or to donate money to their team of walkers, go to www.visionwalk.org, and search for the sisters’ Perry County team, “Out of the Darkness into the Light.”
By Naomi Creason, Sentinel Reporter, April 27, 2009
Mariann Campbell (sitting, holding child) and her sister Barbara Bronson (sitting by the post) have a hereditary degenerative blindness gene they have passed on to their children. Pictured left to right: Nathaniel Bronson, 9, Mcenzy Campbell, 12, Aidan Campbell, 3, Mariann Campbell, Bronson, Colton Campbell, 8, and Ariana Campbell, 12. (Jason Malmont/The Sentinel)
Click to enlarge
Photo Reprints
When Barbara Bronson took her 3-year-old son, Nathaniel, to the optometrist for his first checkup six years ago, she was not expecting the words that left her doctor’s mouth: retinitis pigmentosa.
All Bronson knew for sure about it was that a retinal degenerative disease did not sound good. And that was pretty much the only information she was left with. The disease would claim her son’s vision, but the doctor knew of no cure, no treatment and no way to slow its progress.
She left the doctor’s office with more questions than answers.
“They just walk you out of the office with no answers,” said Bronson of Duncannon. “Most family doctors just don’t pick up on it. My doctor was really hands on, but most are just not trained to look for it.”
For a few months, Bronson didn’t want to think about how her seemingly healthy boy would lose his sight in a time frame that no one could pin down. But eventually she started her research and starting seeing things she hadn’t noticed before.
Two other male family members were struggling with their eyesight, both in their late 30s but never diagnosed with the disease.
That realization, however, was a little late for her sister, Mariann Campbell. By the time the Millerstown woman realized what was happening with her sister’s now 9-year-old son, Campbell already had two sons, Aidan, 3, and Colton, who is 8 and had not been diagnosed with the disease at his first check-up.
She brought both her sons into the doctor’s office and found out both had RP.
No genetics testing has been done on the boys, but given that five, almost six, men in their family on their mother’s side had been diagnosed with RP, Bronson and Campbell heavily suspect that the disease in their family is a rare form called X-linked, where women are carriers of the disease and can pass it on to their sons.
“You never want to pass anything like that on, especially when you don’t know how fast the disease is going to move,” Campbell said. “But (now that it’s happened), I couldn’t just sit back and twiddle my thumbs.”
The two scoured Web sites trying to find information about RP and eventually came upon the Foundation Fighting Blindness and its annual VisionWalk.
Looking for solutions
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is the leading non-governmental organization funding retinal disease research. The organization was initially started because of its founder’s battle with RP, but it has since grown to fund research for other forms of retinal degenerative diseases, including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), which some people may recognize as the cause of former “American Idol” contestant Scott MacIntyre’s condition, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which affects more than 10 million Americans 55 years and older.
Though AMD affects millions of Americans, RP and LCA do not, which proves to be a sticking point when it comes to research funding.
“A lot of the issue in funding is because blindness is inherited,” said Angela Vasquez, director of communications and marketing at the foundation. “Government wants to spend money on research that will affect millions of people, so they don’t put a lot of emphasis on something that affects a smaller population.
“Macular degeneration affects millions, and because we have an aging population, the prevalence of that disease is going to continue to grow and a great amount of emphasis will be placed on that,” she added. “That’s why we feel that what we do is important, because we’re giving more attention to something that otherwise wouldn’t have received it.”
The funding, including more than $7 million from three years of VisionWalks, has helped researchers develop clinical trials in which stem cells are transplanted into mice to restore vision in those with RP and severe vision loss is treated with gene therapy.
“Some of the research also deals with cross cutting, which means that the work on one disease may have potential to apply treatment to another disease,” Vasquez said.
Both results from preliminary trials allow Bronson and Campbell to keep hoping for the best. But neither woman is willing to settle for just waiting for the trials to come to them, especially as Nathaniel and Colton are already showing signs of vision loss, particularly in dimly lit areas. They are planning to keep raising awareness of retinal degenerative diseases and keep trying to pull more money into further research.
“We want to create a Harrisburg walk,” Campbell said. “There’s one in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh but not one here. I’m sure there are other families affected by this in the area.”
Taking blindness out of the dark
Perry County women take to annual VisionWalk in hopes of finding cure for their children.
Sisters Barbara Bronson and Mariann Campbell will be involved with the VisionWalk in Baltimore this Saturday to help raise money for The Foundation Fighting Blindness.
For more information on the walk or to donate money to their team of walkers, go to www.visionwalk.org, and search for the sisters’ Perry County team, “Out of the Darkness into the Light.”
By Naomi Creason, Sentinel Reporter, April 27, 2009
Mariann Campbell (sitting, holding child) and her sister Barbara Bronson (sitting by the post) have a hereditary degenerative blindness gene they have passed on to their children. Pictured left to right: Nathaniel Bronson, 9, Mcenzy Campbell, 12, Aidan Campbell, 3, Mariann Campbell, Bronson, Colton Campbell, 8, and Ariana Campbell, 12. (Jason Malmont/The Sentinel)
Click to enlarge
Photo Reprints
When Barbara Bronson took her 3-year-old son, Nathaniel, to the optometrist for his first checkup six years ago, she was not expecting the words that left her doctor’s mouth: retinitis pigmentosa.
All Bronson knew for sure about it was that a retinal degenerative disease did not sound good. And that was pretty much the only information she was left with. The disease would claim her son’s vision, but the doctor knew of no cure, no treatment and no way to slow its progress.
She left the doctor’s office with more questions than answers.
“They just walk you out of the office with no answers,” said Bronson of Duncannon. “Most family doctors just don’t pick up on it. My doctor was really hands on, but most are just not trained to look for it.”
For a few months, Bronson didn’t want to think about how her seemingly healthy boy would lose his sight in a time frame that no one could pin down. But eventually she started her research and starting seeing things she hadn’t noticed before.
Two other male family members were struggling with their eyesight, both in their late 30s but never diagnosed with the disease.
That realization, however, was a little late for her sister, Mariann Campbell. By the time the Millerstown woman realized what was happening with her sister’s now 9-year-old son, Campbell already had two sons, Aidan, 3, and Colton, who is 8 and had not been diagnosed with the disease at his first check-up.
She brought both her sons into the doctor’s office and found out both had RP.
No genetics testing has been done on the boys, but given that five, almost six, men in their family on their mother’s side had been diagnosed with RP, Bronson and Campbell heavily suspect that the disease in their family is a rare form called X-linked, where women are carriers of the disease and can pass it on to their sons.
“You never want to pass anything like that on, especially when you don’t know how fast the disease is going to move,” Campbell said. “But (now that it’s happened), I couldn’t just sit back and twiddle my thumbs.”
The two scoured Web sites trying to find information about RP and eventually came upon the Foundation Fighting Blindness and its annual VisionWalk.
Looking for solutions
The Foundation Fighting Blindness is the leading non-governmental organization funding retinal disease research. The organization was initially started because of its founder’s battle with RP, but it has since grown to fund research for other forms of retinal degenerative diseases, including Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), which some people may recognize as the cause of former “American Idol” contestant Scott MacIntyre’s condition, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which affects more than 10 million Americans 55 years and older.
Though AMD affects millions of Americans, RP and LCA do not, which proves to be a sticking point when it comes to research funding.
“A lot of the issue in funding is because blindness is inherited,” said Angela Vasquez, director of communications and marketing at the foundation. “Government wants to spend money on research that will affect millions of people, so they don’t put a lot of emphasis on something that affects a smaller population.
“Macular degeneration affects millions, and because we have an aging population, the prevalence of that disease is going to continue to grow and a great amount of emphasis will be placed on that,” she added. “That’s why we feel that what we do is important, because we’re giving more attention to something that otherwise wouldn’t have received it.”
The funding, including more than $7 million from three years of VisionWalks, has helped researchers develop clinical trials in which stem cells are transplanted into mice to restore vision in those with RP and severe vision loss is treated with gene therapy.
“Some of the research also deals with cross cutting, which means that the work on one disease may have potential to apply treatment to another disease,” Vasquez said.
Both results from preliminary trials allow Bronson and Campbell to keep hoping for the best. But neither woman is willing to settle for just waiting for the trials to come to them, especially as Nathaniel and Colton are already showing signs of vision loss, particularly in dimly lit areas. They are planning to keep raising awareness of retinal degenerative diseases and keep trying to pull more money into further research.
“We want to create a Harrisburg walk,” Campbell said. “There’s one in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh but not one here. I’m sure there are other families affected by this in the area.”
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Blind to be cured with stem cells
From The Sunday Times
April 19, 2009
Blind to be cured with stem cells
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor
BRITISH scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. It was pioneered by scientists and surgeons from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.
This week Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients.
The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. It affects more than 500,000 Britons and the number is forecast to increase significantly as people live longer. The disease involves the loss of eye cells.
Under the new treatment, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane which is inserted in the back of the retina.
Tom Bremridge, chief executive of the Macular Disease Society, said: “This is a huge step forward for patients. We are extremely pleased that the big guns have become involved, because, once this treatment is validated, it will be made available to a huge volume of patients.”
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all types of body tissue. Their use is controversial, however, because it involves the destruction of human embryos.
Laboratory trials completed by the British team have demonstrated that stem cells can prevent blindness in rats with a similar disease to AMD. They have also successfully tested elements of the technology in pigs.
The team is led by Professor Pete Coffey, director of the London Project to Cure Blindness, working alongside Lyndon da Cruz, a surgeon at Moorfields.
Coffey said the treatment would take “less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure. We are trying to get it out as a common therapy”.
He welcomed Pfizer’s agreement to manufacture the membranes, saying: “This is a major development because of the size of the partner. We need a big pharmaceutical company to scale it up.
“We have nearly 14m people within Europe with AMD. This will ensure that the therapy gets through to clinical trials in a safe and effective manner.”
Professor Peng Khaw, director of the Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “This shows that stem cell therapy is coming of age. It offers great hope for many sufferers around the world who cannot be treated with conventional treatment.” He added: “All my patients say to me is, ‘When will this stem cell treatment be ready? I want it now’.”
Pfizer’s role would be crucial in bringing production of the membranes to an industrial level.
The team is applying for regulatory approval for trials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Human Tissue Authority and the gene therapy advisory committee.
The clinical trial, due within two years, is expected to be the second in the world to use embryonic stem cells on humans. The first, on patients with spinal cord injuries, will start this year in America.
April 19, 2009
Blind to be cured with stem cells
Sarah-Kate Templeton, Health Editor
BRITISH scientists have developed the world’s first stem cell therapy to cure the most common cause of blindness. Surgeons predict it will become a routine, one-hour procedure that will be generally available in six or seven years’ time.
The treatment involves replacing a layer of degenerated cells with new ones created from embryonic stem cells. It was pioneered by scientists and surgeons from the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and Moorfields eye hospital.
This week Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical research company, will announce its financial backing to bring the therapy to patients.
The treatment will tackle age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness. It affects more than 500,000 Britons and the number is forecast to increase significantly as people live longer. The disease involves the loss of eye cells.
Under the new treatment, embryonic stem cells are transformed into replicas of the missing cells. They are then placed on an artificial membrane which is inserted in the back of the retina.
Tom Bremridge, chief executive of the Macular Disease Society, said: “This is a huge step forward for patients. We are extremely pleased that the big guns have become involved, because, once this treatment is validated, it will be made available to a huge volume of patients.”
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all types of body tissue. Their use is controversial, however, because it involves the destruction of human embryos.
Laboratory trials completed by the British team have demonstrated that stem cells can prevent blindness in rats with a similar disease to AMD. They have also successfully tested elements of the technology in pigs.
The team is led by Professor Pete Coffey, director of the London Project to Cure Blindness, working alongside Lyndon da Cruz, a surgeon at Moorfields.
Coffey said the treatment would take “less than an hour, so it really could be considered as an outpatient procedure. We are trying to get it out as a common therapy”.
He welcomed Pfizer’s agreement to manufacture the membranes, saying: “This is a major development because of the size of the partner. We need a big pharmaceutical company to scale it up.
“We have nearly 14m people within Europe with AMD. This will ensure that the therapy gets through to clinical trials in a safe and effective manner.”
Professor Peng Khaw, director of the Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, added: “This shows that stem cell therapy is coming of age. It offers great hope for many sufferers around the world who cannot be treated with conventional treatment.” He added: “All my patients say to me is, ‘When will this stem cell treatment be ready? I want it now’.”
Pfizer’s role would be crucial in bringing production of the membranes to an industrial level.
The team is applying for regulatory approval for trials from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Human Tissue Authority and the gene therapy advisory committee.
The clinical trial, due within two years, is expected to be the second in the world to use embryonic stem cells on humans. The first, on patients with spinal cord injuries, will start this year in America.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Nearly 18 Million Will Have Macular Degeneration by 2050
Nearly 18 Million Will Have Macular Degeneration by 2050
04.13.09, 08:00 PM EDT
But newer treatments could reduce related blindness by almost 35%, study suggests
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Although the rate of age-related macular degeneration is on the increase, newer treatments could help reduce the most serious effects of the disease by about 35 percent, new estimates suggest.
In a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers report that as many as 9.1 million people will have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2010, but that 17.8 million people will have the potentially blinding eye disease by 2050.
"What we found is that due to aging, the number of cases of early and advanced AMD will increase dramatically no matter what," said study author David Rein, a senior research economist from RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C. "In 2050, we project there will be 1.57 million cases of blindness [caused by AMD] with no treatment. But, with vigorous treatment, that number's just about 1 million."
Results of the study are published in the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Age-related macular degeneration is a serious eye disease that causes the breakdown of the macula, which is located in the retina. The macula gives you clear central vision, which is essential for reading and driving, even for just seeing people's faces. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 65, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO).
Risk factors for AMD include advancing age, a family history of the disease, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity, according to the AAO. Though there are treatments that help some people, there is no cure for AMD.
Most of the treatments for AMD are relatively new, only widely available since about 2001, according to Rein. The easiest and cheapest intervention is a special vitamin/mineral combination (vitamins C, E, beta carotene, zinc and copper) that may slow the progression of AMD. This treatment only costs about $100 per year, and when used early in the disease can "reduce vision-threatening disease by 25 percent," Rein noted.
Other possible treatments include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), which slows the growth of leaking blood vessels in the eyes, laser therapy or photodynamic therapy (PDT), which combines the use of medication and laser therapy to reduce blood vessel leakage in the eyes.
Using a statistical model, the researchers estimated that the rate of visual impairment would drop by 2.4 percent if everyone with AMD were treated with PDT alone, but by 22 percent if PDT was combined with vitamin treatments. If, in the future, everyone were treated with laser therapy and anti-VEGF, visual impairment and blindness from AMD would decrease by 16.9 percent, and the final scenario -- early vitamin treatment and laser therapy -- would reduce serious visual problems in AMD by 34.5 percent.
"Age-related macular degeneration is a major public health problem, and as people are living longer, more people are going to develop some form of macular degeneration," said Dr. Alexander Aizman, a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "The scenarios in this study are very plausible."
Aizman said that although there's currently no specific preventive treatment to avoid AMD altogether, the same things that keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy -- maintaining the proper weight, exercising, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke -- can also help keep your eyes healthy.
"If you have a relative who has been diagnosed with AMD, it's important to know that you're probably at a higher risk of AMD than the general population," said Aizman. "If you're 60 or older, have regular eye checkups with an ophthalmologist or a retinal specialist to find out if you have any early changes that suggest AMD."
04.13.09, 08:00 PM EDT
But newer treatments could reduce related blindness by almost 35%, study suggests
TUESDAY, April 14 (HealthDay News) -- Although the rate of age-related macular degeneration is on the increase, newer treatments could help reduce the most serious effects of the disease by about 35 percent, new estimates suggest.
In a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers report that as many as 9.1 million people will have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in 2010, but that 17.8 million people will have the potentially blinding eye disease by 2050.
"What we found is that due to aging, the number of cases of early and advanced AMD will increase dramatically no matter what," said study author David Rein, a senior research economist from RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C. "In 2050, we project there will be 1.57 million cases of blindness [caused by AMD] with no treatment. But, with vigorous treatment, that number's just about 1 million."
Results of the study are published in the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.
Age-related macular degeneration is a serious eye disease that causes the breakdown of the macula, which is located in the retina. The macula gives you clear central vision, which is essential for reading and driving, even for just seeing people's faces. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people over 65, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmologists (AAO).
Risk factors for AMD include advancing age, a family history of the disease, high blood pressure, smoking and obesity, according to the AAO. Though there are treatments that help some people, there is no cure for AMD.
Most of the treatments for AMD are relatively new, only widely available since about 2001, according to Rein. The easiest and cheapest intervention is a special vitamin/mineral combination (vitamins C, E, beta carotene, zinc and copper) that may slow the progression of AMD. This treatment only costs about $100 per year, and when used early in the disease can "reduce vision-threatening disease by 25 percent," Rein noted.
Other possible treatments include anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF), which slows the growth of leaking blood vessels in the eyes, laser therapy or photodynamic therapy (PDT), which combines the use of medication and laser therapy to reduce blood vessel leakage in the eyes.
Using a statistical model, the researchers estimated that the rate of visual impairment would drop by 2.4 percent if everyone with AMD were treated with PDT alone, but by 22 percent if PDT was combined with vitamin treatments. If, in the future, everyone were treated with laser therapy and anti-VEGF, visual impairment and blindness from AMD would decrease by 16.9 percent, and the final scenario -- early vitamin treatment and laser therapy -- would reduce serious visual problems in AMD by 34.5 percent.
"Age-related macular degeneration is a major public health problem, and as people are living longer, more people are going to develop some form of macular degeneration," said Dr. Alexander Aizman, a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology at New York University School of Medicine in New York City. "The scenarios in this study are very plausible."
Aizman said that although there's currently no specific preventive treatment to avoid AMD altogether, the same things that keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy -- maintaining the proper weight, exercising, not smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke -- can also help keep your eyes healthy.
"If you have a relative who has been diagnosed with AMD, it's important to know that you're probably at a higher risk of AMD than the general population," said Aizman. "If you're 60 or older, have regular eye checkups with an ophthalmologist or a retinal specialist to find out if you have any early changes that suggest AMD."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New Low-Cost Handheld Device offers Independence for Millions of Visually Impaired Americans
New Low-Cost Handheld Device offers Independence for Millions of Visually Impaired Americans
Enhanced Vision Launches "Pebble" - a Feature-Rich Magnifying Solution for Extreme Portability at Affordable Price
Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time.
Huntington Beach, Calif. (PRWEB) April 10, 2009 -- Enhanced Vision, America's leading manufacturer of magnifying solutions for the visually impaired, launched a powerful new hand-held device today that can bring affordable independence to the 15 Million+ Americans suffering from low vision conditions such as macular degeneration. At just $595 and no larger than a men's wallet, "Pebble" is an exciting new vision device that gives users the freedom to read menus, check price tags, write checks, and much more while on the go.
The Pebble features:
* Bright, 3.5" high resolution LCD display that magnifies words and objects from 2-10X the normal size
* Choice of six video viewing modes for optimal contrast
* "Freeze image" feature with additional magnification capabilities
* Hands-free mode for reading and writing
* Built-in LED light source for dim lighting conditions(e.g. restaurants)
* 2 AA rechargeable batteries, wall adapter and carrying case
Currently, more than 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with low vision conditions, such as Macular Degeneration which makes everyday activities like reading, writing, and ordering at restaurants a real challenge. And with America's aging population, this number is expected to double by 2020. Leading eye care specialists have discovered that video magnification is a solution for these individuals to regain and maintain their independence.
"With the Pebble, we're giving people the confidence to do everyday activities again with a single, simple device," said Michelle Williams, Director of Marketing at Enhanced Vision. "Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time."
For more information about Enhanced Vision and its products, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
About Enhanced Vision:
Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company offers the most comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions and has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy a play and live again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
Enhanced Vision Launches "Pebble" - a Feature-Rich Magnifying Solution for Extreme Portability at Affordable Price
Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time.
Huntington Beach, Calif. (PRWEB) April 10, 2009 -- Enhanced Vision, America's leading manufacturer of magnifying solutions for the visually impaired, launched a powerful new hand-held device today that can bring affordable independence to the 15 Million+ Americans suffering from low vision conditions such as macular degeneration. At just $595 and no larger than a men's wallet, "Pebble" is an exciting new vision device that gives users the freedom to read menus, check price tags, write checks, and much more while on the go.
The Pebble features:
* Bright, 3.5" high resolution LCD display that magnifies words and objects from 2-10X the normal size
* Choice of six video viewing modes for optimal contrast
* "Freeze image" feature with additional magnification capabilities
* Hands-free mode for reading and writing
* Built-in LED light source for dim lighting conditions(e.g. restaurants)
* 2 AA rechargeable batteries, wall adapter and carrying case
Currently, more than 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with low vision conditions, such as Macular Degeneration which makes everyday activities like reading, writing, and ordering at restaurants a real challenge. And with America's aging population, this number is expected to double by 2020. Leading eye care specialists have discovered that video magnification is a solution for these individuals to regain and maintain their independence.
"With the Pebble, we're giving people the confidence to do everyday activities again with a single, simple device," said Michelle Williams, Director of Marketing at Enhanced Vision. "Instead of carrying around multiple magnifiers, Pebble adapts to a wide range of situations, so it grows as a user's condition changes. And at a price that's hundreds of dollars less than competing products, it's the ideal solution at this challenging time."
For more information about Enhanced Vision and its products, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
About Enhanced Vision:
Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company offers the most comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions and has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy a play and live again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.
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