Smoking may strongly increase long-term risk of eye diseaseAugust 14, 2007Current and past smokers appear to have a higher risk of developing late age-related macular degeneration than those who have never smoked, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. "Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) [a progressive eye disease that affects the central portion of the retina] is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world," according to background information in the article. "In addition to smoking, AMD is postulated to share other risk factors with cardiovascular disease, such as elevated cholesterol level and hypertension. Smoking may also interact with AMD gene susceptibility and other environmental risk factors." Jennifer S. L. Tan, M.B.B.S., B.E., University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues examined 2,454 Australians age 49 and older to study the association between smoking and the 10-year incidence of AMD, as well as the possible links between smoking and other common risk factors. The participants answered a food frequency questionnaire and had retinal photos taken at five-year and 10-year follow-up exams. An interviewer-administered questionnaire assessed participants' smoking status. BMI and blood pressure were also measured. Current smokers were found to be four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration and past smokers were three times as likely to have geographic atrophy, an advanced form of the disease, than those who had never smoked. "Joint exposure to current smoking and (1) the lowest level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) [good] cholesterol, (2) the highest total to HDL cholesterol ratio, or (3) low fish consumption was associated with a higher risk of late AMD than the effect of any risk factor alone. However, interactions between smoking and HDL cholesterol level, ratio of total to HDL cholesterol and fish consumption were not statistically significant," the authors write. "In summary, the findings from this large population-based prospective study add evidence to a possible causal relationship between smoking and the long-term risk of late, but not early, AMD," the authors conclude. "This supports speculation that AMD is a condition with multiple etiologic factors, and such joint effects contributing to the pathogenesis (origin and development) of AMD could mirror the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease." JAMA and Archives Journals |
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| Related Eye Disease Current Events and Eye Disease News Articles Researchers find new way to attack inflammation in Graves' eye disease A small group of patients with severe Graves' eye disease experienced rapid improvement of their symptoms - and improved vision - following treatment with the drug rituximab. Cataract surgery helps AMD patients; steroid improves DME; online eye health forum This month's Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) reports on a national study that finds cataract surgery is likely to benefit patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at all stages of the disease, on a clinical trial showing that the steroid triamcinolone may be effective in advanced diabetic macular edema (DME) patients when standard treatment fails, and on the public's use of two Academy-sponsored online eye health forums. Experimental treatments restore partial vision to blind people Two experimental treatments, a retinal prosthesis and fetal tissue transplant, restored some vision to people with blinding eye diseases. The findings, presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health, may lead to new treatments for the blind. Cancer drug is no different in effectiveness as gold standard treatment for macular degeneration Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the VA Boston Healthcare System have shown, at 6 months in a small group of patients, that there is no difference in efficacy between Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Toronto researchers discover novel circulation in human eye, new glaucoma treatment target Researchers at the University of Toronto, St. Michael's Hospital and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre have discovered a previously unidentified form of circulation within the human eye which may provide important new insights into glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. International conference on endothelin One of the most intriguing developments in recent medical science is the discovery of the human chemical endothelin (ET). JDRF-funded studies show regular CGM use increases diabetes control for all age groups The latest data from groundbreaking human clinical trials of the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) show that the primary determinant of improvements in achieving better diabetes control is regular use of monitors - six days per week or more - rather than the age of patients, and that benefits continue well past the time when people with type 1 diabetes begin using the devices - including experiencing fewer low blood sugar emergencies. Elevated arginase levels contribute to vascular eye disease such as diabetic retinopathy Elevated levels of the enzyme arginase contribute to vascular eye damage and Medical College of Georgia researchers say therapies to normalize its levels could halt progression of potentially blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. Anti-growth factor drugs raise hope and concern for treatment of children's eye diseases A new class of antibody drugs may provide a powerful new tool for the treatment of eye diseases in children, but specialists need to be alert for the possibility of serious side effects, according to an editorial in the August Journal of AAPOS (American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus), published by Elsevier. Natural Compound Stops Diabetic Retinopathy Researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have found a way to use a natural compound to stop one of the leading causes of blindness in the United States. More Eye Disease Current Events and Eye Disease News Articles |
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