Study: cataract patients who undergo surgery live longer

Study: cataract patients who undergo surgery live longer

A new study has found that people with cataract-related vision loss who undergo surgery for the condition have a 40% lower long-term mortality risk than those who opt not to have surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) said in a press release about a recently published study in its journal.
Researchers evaluated a total of 354 cataract patients aged 49 years and older enrolled in the Blue Mountains Eye Study between 1997 and 2007. Some had undergone cataract surgery while others had not. Subjects were evaluated five and 10 years after baseline exams.
The association between correction of cataract-related visual impairment and reduced mortality risk is not clearly understood, but plausible factors may include improvements in physical and emotional well-being, optimism, greater confidence associated with independent living after vision improvement, as well as greater ability to comply with prescription medications, AAO said. The study acknowledged that participants with cataract-related visual impairment who did not have cataract surgery could have had other health problems preventing them from undergoing surgery, and that these other health problems could partly explain the poorer survival among non-surgical participants.

My practice focuses on diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of cataracts.  If you or your family member need an evaluation, feel free to call our office and schedule a consultation at (949) 650-1863.

Kids! Get outdoors and get rid of glasses!

There has been additional evidence that the more time children spend outside the better chance they have to stay out of glasses.  Majority of school age children need to wear glasses to correct nearsightedness or myopia.  Myopia gets worse during the teenage growth spurt.  It is imperative for elementary school children to have at least an hour of outdoor playtime.  A review of scientific literature found a significant protective association between increasing time spent outdoors and prevalent myopia in nearly 10 000 children and adolescents aged ≤20 years.  Each increase in hours per week of time spent outdoors was associated with a 2% reduced odds of myopia (nearsightedness).  An increase in 7 hours of time spent outdoors per week (1 hr/d) equates to less nearsightedness.

 There are a myriad of possible mechanisms by which spending time outdoors may protect against the development and progression of myopia (nearsightedness). They include increased release of retinal dopamine in response to sunlight (dopamine inhibits axial elongation in experimental myopia,and the protective effect can be blocked by the dopamine antagonist spiperone), increased light intensity outdoors (leading to pupil constriction, increasing depth of focus, decreasing blur, and slowing of eye growth), and the low accommodative demand (focusing) for distance vision. 

Bright light has been shown to be protective of myopia in animal experiments using ultraviolet-free light.  Based on that evidence, one might support an old myth not to read in poorly lit rooms.  More focusing power is required to read in poorly lit rooms and it is the focusing muscle (ciliary body) if placed in overdrive will lead to development of nearsightedness.

Because there is no protective association between indoor sports and myopia, unlike outdoor sports, it suggests that physical activity may be a surrogate for outdoor activity. This is supported by a cohort study with 2 years of follow-up in 156 university students where physical activity time was higher in nonmyopes and associated with hyperopic refraction (0.175 D per hour of physical activity per day; P = 0.015) after adjustment for potential confounders, although there were no differences in objectively measured physical fitness levels between myopes and nonmyopes (P = 0.321).

Get your kids outside and take advantage of the great summer weather!  Just don't forget the sunglasses!

Incoming ...ball! Protect your eyes while staying active!

In my clinic I frequently see patients who were unfortunate to experience a direct hit to the eye from a stray baseball, raquetball, tennis ball, or a golf ball.  I had seen devastating injuries from players being elbowed during a regular amatuer basketball game.  The list of sports that can threaten your vision and eye health can go on and on.  Fortunately, over the years, the sport industry has learned to protect the players but it is the player himself who opts out of protection gear is the one who suffers.

For those of us who choose to wear glasses and do not wish to undergo LASIK or wear soft contact lenses, you should know about a website zennioptical.com.  I have no financial interest in this business.  I detest spending hundreds unnecesary dollars on glasses.  Therefore, I endorse this website because it provides affordable protective gear for an active person.  One can order prescription goggles in both distance and bifocal correction.  It is, in fact, one of my patients who recently was hit by a raquetball, who recommended this site to me.  He did not wear protective raquetball goggles because he usually wears his large executive style bifocal glasses.  Now he can protect his eyes with polycarbonate lenses that have a built in bi-focal prescription for a fraction of the cost of your neighborhood optical store.

One can also look at magnetic clip on sunglasses that can turn any prescription pair into a protective layer against damaging UV-A and UV-B rays.  I encourage you to get outside this summer, put on your glasses and titanium based sunblock such as Australian lizzard or MD 41 and enjoy yourself!

SCREENS, PHONES, TABLETS AND MORE: reducing digital eye strain.

Few tips from the recent report by the Vision Council:

ADJUST EXTERNAL FACTORS
• Reduce glare. Adjust the brightness of your screen by checking the control settings on your digital
device. Consider changing your background color from bright white to a cooler gray. Glare reduction
filters are also available and can easily attach to computer screens.

• Clean your screen. Frequently dust and wipe digital screens to help reduce glare.

• Dim your surrounding lighting. Lessen the amount of overhead and surrounding light that is competing with your device’s screen. Dim inside lights and try to avoid outside areas of intense brightness. This can help to reduce glare and strain.

• Keep your distance. Position your device so there is sufficient distance between your eyes and the screen.  For computers, try sitting in your chair and extending your arm. Your palm should be able to rest comfortably on the monitor (as if you’re high-fiving the screen).  For hand-held devices, try to keep the device a safe distance from your eyes and hold it just below eye level.

• Adjust your screen. Digital screens should always be directly in front of your face and slightly below eye level. Do not tilt a computer monitor.

• Increase text size. Bump up text size to help better define the content on your screen. Use the settings control to make adjustments that feel comfortable to your eyes.

REMEMBER THE INTERNAL FACTORS:
• Blink more often. Starring at a digital screen can affect the amount of times you blink, causing eyes to dry. Remind yourself to blink more often, which will also help to refocus your eyes.

• Take a 20-20-20 break. Even short breaks can make a huge difference. Every 20 minutes, take a
20-second break and look at something 20 feet away.

For a full report visit http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/consumers//media/VCDigitalEyeStrainReport2012FINAL.pdf

Scholarship to be awarded for 'most beautiful eyes'

A $10,000 educational scholarship is up for grabs in Prevent Blindness America’s (PBA’s) 2012 Most Beautiful Eyes Contest.  Through July 31, parents of children aged up to 17 years can enter their children in the contest by submitting a photo at www.facebook.com/preventblindness. The first 50 entrants will receive a free pair of children’s sunglasses (Real Kids Shades [RKS]).
“Keeping our children’s eyes healthy has been a top priority since our organization was founded in 1908,” said Hugh R. Parry, PBA president and chief executive officer. “Through the Most Beautiful Eyes Contest, we hope to remind parents of the important role that healthy vision has in a child’s development and potential performance in school.”
The public will be able to vote online Aug. 1 to 31. One contestant from each state will advance to the second round of voting. All state winners will receive a free pair of children’s sunglasses (Eagle Eyes Optics Rock-It, including a children’s Fisher Space Pen).
Broadcaster Larry King, “Fox NFL Sunday” host Curt Menefee, and actress Barbara Eden will serve on the celebrity panel of judges selecting the national winner. The national winner and two family members will be invited to PBA’s annual awards banquet Nov. 2 in Chicago, where the scholarship will be awarded.
Marchon Eyewear, Eagle Eyes Optics, RKS, and Walters Golf are sponsoring the contest. For more information, visit the PBA Web site, www.preventblindness.org, or call 800/331-2020.

AIR POLLUTION AND URBAN EYE ALLERGY SYNDROME

Pollution & Conjunctivitis

Air pollution irritates the eye. Although this makes intuitive sense, few studies have been published on the topic. Now a team of researchers reports that pollutants increased demand in Taiwan for outpatient care for nonspecific conjunctivitis.¹

The team, which includes an ophthalmologist, a biochemist, and an environmental engineer, measured the impact of air pollution on ocular health by coupling national health insurance data for outpatient visits between 2007 and 2009 with daily ambient air quality data tracked by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. 

Unlike other conditions affected by air pollution—asthma, for example—the effect on the eye from exposure to pollutants is immediate. 

The researchers found that ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) produced the strongest effects. Large-diameter particulate matter (PM) had an adverse effect, although fine PM did not. 

The authors report that conjunctivitis accountsfor more than 40 percent of ophthalmologic outpatient visits annually in Taiwan.

The study’s conclusion did not surprise Susan M. MacDonald, MD, who noted that the term “urban eye allergy syndrome” is already part of the medical lexicon. “Poor air quality can exacerbate allergic conjunctivitis and dry eye,” said the director of comprehensive ophthalmology, Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Burlington, Mass.

But Dr. MacDonald said that it is easy to overlook air quality when evaluating patients. She called the study “a good reminder that air quality does affect our patients’ eyes and should be considered when we are evaluating patients with ocular irritation.”

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1 Chang C et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012;53(1):429-433.
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April is Sports Eye Safety Month

During Sports Eye Safety Month in April, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), through its EyeSmart program, is reminding athletes to wear appropriate, sport-specific protective eyewear, properly fitted by an eye-care professional, to prevent a sports-related eye injury.
“As an ophthalmologist, I strongly encourage all athletes to use the appropriate protective eyewear for their sports, because eye injuries can be devastating,” said Aaron Weingeist, MD, a clinical correspondent for the AAO. “In fact, some athletes suffer permanent vision loss and blindness from sports-related injuries.”
The AAO recommends lenses made from polycarbonate materials because they can withstand the impact of a ball or other projectile traveling at 90 miles per hour. The organization also recommends purchasing only eye protection that has been tested to meet the American Society of Testing and Materials standards.
“Unfortunately, most youth sporting leagues don’t require children to wear eye protection,” said Dr. Weingeist. “That’s why we’re trying to raise awareness and arming parents and athletes with the information they need to take care of their eyes during sports.”