Obesity & Macular Degeneration Risk

Being overweight or even obese is a known risk factor for conditions and diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. But, is there any association between eye disease such as macular degeneration and obesity?

Research on Obesity & Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

By reviewing the Beaver Dam Eye Study it was possible for investigators to evaluate the risk of age related eye disease such as age related macular degeneration (AMD) with obesity. The results of their review were published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science where they reported the results of the eye exams that were used to evaluate the presence and severity of cataract and macular degeneration as well as measurements of height and weight over a 15 year period of time. Their findings show that for females who were non smokers, there was indeed and increased risk of early and late stage age related macular degeneration (AMD) with an increasing Body Mass Index (BMI). 

If you or someone you know has questions about AMD risk or needs to schedule an eye exam appointment, please feel free to call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver. 

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

Know Macular Degeneration (AMD) Risk Factors

Dr. Robert Kelly, MD
Retina Specialist

As we get older and especially among seniors, it is important to know about age related maculardegeneration (AMD) risk factors as AMD is a leading cause of severe vision loss among Americans ages 65 and over. Knowing your risk factors, being aware of your family history, and scheduling regular eye examinations can help reduce your risks for vision loss from macular degeneration. The vital key to preventing vision loss from age related macular degeneration is early detection, diagnosis and treatment as recommended by your eye doctor.

Know the Top AMD Risks

Ø  Being over the Age of 60

Ø  Having a Family History of AMD

Ø  Cigarette Smoking

Ø  Obesity

Ø  Hypertension

If you have any two of these risk factors, you should schedule an appointment for a complete eye exam if you have not already done so. We may recommend certain preventive measures which can reduce your risk of vision loss from this disorder.

Can AMD Risk Factors be Controlled or Managed?
Some AMD risks can be managed by changing certain lifestyle habits such as stopping smoking, eating a low fat diet rich in green leafy vegetables and reducing alcohol consumption, While genetic factors cannot be changed, knowing your family medical history is one way to learn whether you may be genetically predisposed to a disease. One way to reduce AMD risk is to quit smoking or never start. For patients at high risk for developing late stage AMD, taking a dietary supplement of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene, along with zinc, has been shown to lower the risk of AMD progressing to advanced stages by 25 percent.

Be Aware of the Symptoms of Wet AMD!

Anyone at risk for AMD should become familiar with the symptoms of wet AMD as Wet AMD is the form most likely to cause rapid, serious and potentially catastrophic vision loss. With early detection, diagnosis and treatment it is often possible to avoid or minimize vision loss from Wet AMD.

Symptoms of AMD can include sudden, noticeable loss or distortion of vision, such as seeing “wavy” lines, “distortion”, “bending of straight lines and objects” or even a “distortion of people’s faces” or “a dark or black spot in the center of vision”. If you experience any of these symptoms, please call Center for Sight right away and explain your symptoms and request an immediate appointment. Current treatments for Wet AMD such as Lucentis® Injections and Eylea® Injections provide an excellent chance of stopping vision loss and may actually restore some vision when macular degeneration develops. The earlier we diagnose Wet AMD, the better our chance of offering you a successful treatment.

If you or someone you know has questions about age related macular degeneration (AMD) or needs to schedule an appointment, please feel free to call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

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

Risk of Glaucoma Blindness Reduced

There is very good news for patients with high eye pressure, those with glaucoma risk factors and those actually diagnosed with and being treated for glaucoma. Advances in testing, diagnosis and treatment have reduced the risk of blindness from glaucoma by 50% according to researchers from the Mayo Clinic.

About Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a condition where the eye does not drain fluid properly, resulting in high pressure in the eye that can damage the optic nerve. In the United States, 2.7 million people age 40 and older have the condition. If left untreated, glaucoma reduces peripheral vision and eventually may cause blindness. According to the Mayo Clinic study, the likelihood of losing sight in one eye was 28 percent for patients diagnosed with glaucoma between 1965 and1980. That number fell to 13.5 percent for patients diagnosed between 1981 and 2000.

Preventing Vision Loss from Glaucoma

Patients have a key role to play in preventing vision loss from glaucoma. Early detection is key to saving sight. Despite these advances, 13-15 % of those diagnosed with glaucoma still do go blind. We strongly encourage patients to have regular eye exams with glaucoma testing as this is the best way to detect glaucoma early and initiate treatment as quickly as possible. At Center for Sight we use diagnostic imaging equipment called Optical Coherence Technology (OCT) as well as high resolution digital photography for diagnosing and monitoring progression of the disease. Early detection along with in-office laser treatments has contributed to our ability to prevent vision loss and blindness from glaucoma.

If you or someone you know is concerned about glaucoma, has any risk factors for glaucoma or needs to schedule a glaucoma eye exam, please feel free to call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver.

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

Time for Glaucoma Eye Exams!

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and Center for Sight in Fall River wants to remind patients that it is time to schedule an eye exam with the proper level of glaucoma tests if you have not already done so. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment are the keys to preventing vision loss from glaucoma. This is why proper glaucoma eye exams and screenings are so important-especially if you have any glaucoma risk factors.

Glaucoma Risk Factors

Common glaucoma risk include any family history of glaucoma-especially among siblings, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, early menopause, alcohol consumption, being of African-American or Hispanic descent and increasing age.

Eye Exams for Glaucoma

Eye exams for glaucoma should begin by checking your visual acuity with and without your eyeglasses or contact lenses. Then, the tonometry test should be performed. This is a method of measuring your Intraocular Pressure (IOP) and gives us the first piece of important information in determining whether you might have glaucoma. Ophthalmoscopy and slit lamp biomicroscopy with a high magnification lens are also used to detect and diagnose glaucoma. These examination techniques are methods of carefully examining the inside of the eye-especially the optic nerve-in order to detect glaucoma. It is necessary to have some eye drops placed in your eyes in order to dilate your pupils so that we can make a clear and direct observation of the optic nerve.

If either the Intraocular Pressure (IOP) is elevated or the optic nerve appears unusual, additional tests will be necessary in order to complete the glaucoma examination. These may include Visual Field Perimetry, Gonioscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Pachymetry. Should you need any of these tests we will fully explain them to you and answer your questions so that you understand how they allow us to diagnose glaucoma.

If you or someone you know has questions about glaucoma or glaucoma risk factors or needs to schedule a glaucoma eye exam, please call us at 508-730-2020, visit Center for Sight or www.facebook.com/CenterForSightFallRiver. 

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

Vision Quality with LASIK vs. Ortho-K Contact Lenses

Recently researchers reporting in the journal Cornea compared the differences in visual performance between LASIK and Orthokeratology or Ortho-K Contact Lenses. The results in this study suggest that LASIK provides better visual quality outcomes-especially in low contrast or dim lighting conditions-than Ortho-K Contact Lenses for the treatment of low-to-moderate myopia or nearsightedness.

What is LASIK?

LASIK is a type of laser eye surgery that provides a method of vision correction to help people with common vision problems such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism see clearly at distance without being dependent on glasses or contact lenses.

What is Ortho-K?

Ortho-K or Orthokeratology is a method of contact lens fitting used to temporarily reshape the cornea to allow people to see at distance and be independent of eyeglasses and contacts for periods of time throughout the day.

If you or someone you know has questions about vision quality with LASIK or would like to schedule a free LASIK Consultation, please feel free to call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com or www.facebook.com/centerforsightfallriver to schedule an appointment.

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

Risk Factors Increase Fuchs Dystrophy Severity

Fuchs’ Endothelial  Corneal Dystrophy is a type of corneal disease that affects the inner most layer of the cornea-the endothelium. Fuchs’ Dystrophy progresses slowly. It can be found in both eyes and is slightly more common in women than men. While it is possible to observe Fuchs’ Dystrophy in people in their 30’s and 40’s, it usually does not compromise vision until people are in their 50’s or 60’s.

About the Cornea & Fuchs Dystrophy

The corneal endothelial cells are responsible for pumping water out of the deeper layers of the cornea and helping to maintain the corneal transparency or clarity. While the reason is poorly understood, in Fuchs’ Dystrophy, the endothelial cells die, making the endothelium less efficient in its pumping function. This results in the cornea swelling and distorting vision.

Risk Factors Increase Severity of Fuchs Dystrophy

Researchers reporting in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science studied the several risk factors, including smoking, on the development of advanced Fuchs' EndothelialCorneal Dystrophy (FECD) and on central corneal thickness (CCT)-an indication of corneal swelling and poor corneal health. As predicted, being female increased the odds of developing advanced Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy (FECD) by 34% and smoking increased the odds by 30%. Besides reporting that smoking was associated with an increased risk of developing advanced FECD, diabetes was also associated with increased in corneal thickness-reflecting greater risk of corneal swelling.

If you or someone you know has questions about risk factors that increase the severity of Fuchs Endothelia Corneal Dystrophy (FECD), please feel free to call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com 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. 

BOTOX® Action May Help with Type 2 Diabetes

What do BOTOX® and Type 2 Diabetes have to do with each other you ask?  A new study reports that it appears a better understanding of the proteins affected by injections of the wrinkle relaxer BOTOX® could help scientists develop new ways to treat Type 2 Diabetes.

About BOTOX® Cosmetic

 BOTOX® Cosmetic is best known as an injection for helping patient smooth fine lines and wrinkles in order to look their best. BOTOX® is also used as treatment for a number of medical conditions including migraine, urinary incontinence, profuse sweating and crossed eyes, among others. In each of these cases, BOTOX® works because it has a paralyzing effect- it relaxes specific muscles, which then provides the desired effect. BOTOX® accomplishes this effect by blocking certain proteins called SNARE (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein Receptor) proteins.   Xeomin®, an laternative to Botox, also works in a similar fashion.

About Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 Diabetes is characterized by an insulin deficiency by the pancreas as well as overall insulin resistance. It turns out that SNARE proteins also exist in the beta cells of the pancreas and are involved in insulin secretion in the pancreas. Understanding this mechanism will hopefully provide researchers with new ways to diagnose and treat Type 2 Diabetes in the future.

If you or someone you know has questions about how the mechanism of action of BOTOX® may help diagnose and treat Type 2 Diabetes,  please feel free to call Center for Sight at 508-730-2020, visit www.center-for-sight.com 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.