Eye Drops May Treat Macular Degeneration in Future

Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) can cause people to lose central vision and is a leading cause of vision loss in seniors. The prompt treatment of “Wet” Macular Degeneration is very helpful in preventing catastrophic vision loss for most patients. The “Wet” form of AMD is currently treated by repeated injections into the eye of drugs called Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) inhibitors-that stop, reverse and prevent new blood vessel growth. The most common VEGF inhibitors include Lucentis®, Eylea® and Avastin® and often require monthly injections to be effective. Researchers from the University of Birmingham (UK) Institute Inflammation and Aging reporting in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science have developed a method of delivering the AMD treatment drugs via an eye drop rather than by injection. The eye drop uses a molecule called a cell–penetrating peptide (CPP) to deliver the drug to the relevant part of the eye and hold future promise for treating Age Relater Macular Degeneration (AMD) with eye drops rather than injections.

If you or someone you know has a family history of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and is over 50 years of age or is a senior who has not had regular eye exams, please schedule and eye exam to help us help you avoid vision loss. Please call Center for Sight 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

AMD & Physical Activity

Does Physical Activity Help Protect Against Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?

The benefits of staying active throughout life are constantly being reviewed and communicated to people of all ages-but especially seniors. The benefits include joint and muscle health as well as cognitive processes, mood and cardiovascular health to name a few. Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of irreversible severe vision loss in seniors.  A recent review article presented in the American Journal of Ophthalmology  suggested that physical activity is associated with lower odds of early and late AMD in Caucasians. These findings have important implications for staying active throughout life. However, the authors also felt that additional studies were needed to confirm and further characterize an actual protective effect of physical activity on the onset and/or progression of AMD.

If you or someone you know has a family history of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and is over 50 years of age or is a senior who has not had regular eye exams, please schedule and eye exam to help us help you avoid vision loss. Please call Center for Sight 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver  to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Undiagnosed Age Related Macular Degeneration

With the benefit of early diagnosis and treatment, seniors can manage their risk of vision loss from Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and protect their sight and lifestyle. The key is early detection and diagnosis by having regular eye exams as recommended by your eye doctor. Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision impairment in older adults in the United States, yet little is known about whether AMD is appropriately diagnosed in primary eye care. Many seniors visit their primary care physicians for various health issues and then assume that everything is fine when the primary care physician looks into their eyes with the bright light and doesn’t remark or comment about any problems. Unfortunately, results of a recent study published in JAMA Ophthalmology suggest that a large number of cases of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) are going undetected and undiagnosed even with the observation of primary care physicians. According to the study, by examining patients and comparing the eye exams to their primary care health records, 320 of 1288 eyes had AMD despite no diagnosis of AMD in the primary eye care medical record!  This study strongly indicates that under diagnosis of AMD can easily occur. If early AMD treatment is to be useful, seniors need to be sure to have regular dilated eye exams to help us help you avoid central vision loss.

If you or someone you know has a family history of Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and is over 50 years of age or is a senior who has not had regular eye exams, please schedule and eye exam to help us help you avoid vision loss. Please call Center for Sight 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight, Google+ or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver  to schedule an appointment.

Center for Sight is conveniently located at 1565 North Main Street, Suite 406, Fall River, Massachusetts 02720 for patients from Massachusetts or Rhode Island.