Moderate aerobic exercise helps to preserve the structure and function of damaged retinal nerve cells, and could therefore slow the progression of retinal degenerative diseases.

 

Emory University researchers made this finding after conducting an experiment on mice. They first got mice to run for an hour a day, five days a week, for two weeks. They then exposed the mice to toxic bright light and ran them again for two weeks.

 

The study findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, showed that the exercised animals lost half as many photoreceptor cells as those that had not trained.

 

Also, the retinal cells of exercised mice were more responsive to light and had higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth- and health-promoting protein.

 

“This is the first report of simple exercise having a direct effect on retinal health and vision,” said Dr. Machelle Pardue, from Emory University. “This research may one day lead to tailored exercise regimens or combination therapies in treatments of blinding diseases.”

Sources:

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/7/2406

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140207114059.htm

 

 

 

Using postmenopausal hormones (PMH) containing estrogen may reduce the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), according to a study published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

 

Several researchers in the past have suggested that using PMH can be associated with modestly reduced intraocular pressure, and thus decrease the risk for glaucoma.

 

The study authors examined data for over 150,000 women taking PMH with estrogen, with estrogen plus progesterone or with estrogen plus androgen. They found that 1.9% of women had developed open-angle glaucoma. They subsequently noticed that each additional month a woman used a PMH containing estrogen was associated with a 0.4% reduced relative risk for glaucoma. A similar association was not found in the cases of the other two forms of hormones.

 

“More research is needed to better elucidate the complex relationship between PMH use and glaucoma,” the authors conclude. “Additional work should also further explore whether the risk for POAG is affected only by the use of estrogen alone, or by the use of any PMH class.”

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/271893.php

A recent report from the French Senate claims that it’s time to clarify the role of optometrists and orthoptists in order to improve access to eye care.

 

The report (http://www.senat.fr/rap/r13-318/r13-318_mono.html), written by senators Catherine Génisson and Alain Milon, states that eye care in France is characterized by “splintered competencies and an organization that needs to be clarified.” Criticizing a “particularly complex” distribution of eye care competencies among ophthalmologists, orthoptists, optometrists and opticians, the authors point out that an aging population will put additional pressure on the eye care system, at a time when many professionals are retiring.

 

The two senators were inspired in particular by Canada’s system, in which medical ophthalmology specialists are relatively few in number and highly concentrated on pathological cases and surgery. According to them, the lack of recognition of intermediate professions in France forces ophthalmologists to carry out numerous tasks for which they are overqualified.

 

The authors suggest a review of the competencies attributed to orthoptists and optometrists, which are presently confined to a “grey area,” and adapting their training to current needs. A profession such as optometry could become an intermediate profession, between opticians and ophthalmologists.

Sources:

http://www.acuite.fr/articles.asp?REF=9349

http://opticien-presse.fr/2014020401un-rapport-senatorial-envisage-de-clarifier-le-role-des-optometristes-pour-ameliorer-lacces-aux-soins-ophtalmiques/

 

 

 

In the United States, Google has partnered with VSP Global for the creation of a first prescription eyeglass collection for Google Glass.

 

For now, Google Glass eyewear is still being tested and is only available to Glass Explorers, a small, exclusive group of people who are presently testing the product. The partnership between VSP Global and Google will offer these wearers the opportunity to obtain a pair of prescription Google Glass from one of VSP’s 30,000 US suppliers, who will be trained and certified to fit Glass eyewear.

 

The ability to offer Google Glass prescription eyewear could expand the potential market for the device, which many are impatiently awaiting.

 

“Our partner, VSP, will be continuously training and bringing ECPs onboard to help fit Explorers in major cities,” said Google in a message to its group of Explorers. “While we don’t go into specific numbers, we’ve had trainings already in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles and we’ll continue to expand on that in the months ahead.”

Sources:

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303277704579348030488305004?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702303277704579348030488305004.html

 

http://www.visionmonday.com/latest-news/article/google-launches-first-rx-eyeglass-collection-for-glass-in-partnership-with-vsp-global-1/

 

 

Dopamine-restoring drugs already used to treat Parkinson’s disease may also be beneficial for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

 

“There was some evidence already that dopamine levels were reduced in diabetic retinopathy, but what’s new here is: we can restore dopamine levels and improve visual function in an animal model of diabetes,” explains Machelle Pardue, one of the authors of the paper, which appeared in Journal of Neuroscience.

 

The researchers treated diabetic mice by injecting them with L-dopa, which slowed down the appearance of visual problems by several weeks and lessened the severity of the visual defects. They also discovered that the visual benefits of L-dopa came from the retinas, as the treatment improved retinal responses.

 

Other dopamine-related treatments were also tested. For example, injecting mice with a D1R receptor agonist improved visual acuity, while a D4R receptor agonist improved contrast sensitivity.

 

“This shows that treatments targeting dopamine could be beneficial to patients with established diabetes,” concluded co-author Michael Iuvone.

Sources:

http://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/3/726

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140122134323.htm