Eye Health News and Research

Latest Eye Health News and Research

Synergetics announces record sales leads generated from ophthalmic products

Synergetics USA, Inc. a medical device company that designs, manufactures, and markets innovative devices for ophthalmic and neurosurgical applications, today announced record sales leads generated from the presentation of recently released ophthalmic products at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The AAO meeting was held in Chicago's McCormick Place on October 16-19, 2010.

26 Oct 2010

Independent drugstores expand and generate strong profits despite worst economy

Amidst the worst economy of the past seventy years, independent drugstores are expanding and generating strong profits, according to a new economic report by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). The report shows that there are almost 400 more independent drugstores than last year and that profits (3.2%) are three times greater than the rate of U.S. inflation (1.1%).

26 Oct 2010

Eye-gaze technology opens world of communication for Rett Syndrome children

Special eye-gaze technology now being used in the Department of Neurology at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM) is revealing the hidden, inner world of children who have Rett Syndrome, a rare and severe autism spectrum disorder that primarily affects little girls. It is a neurological disease in which mobility and autonomic functions are severely impaired, seizures and orthopedic problems are common, and the children lose functional hand use and the ability to speak.

26 Oct 2010

Celtic, Resolvyx enter option agreement for RX-10045 to treat dry eye syndrome

Celtic Therapeutics Holdings L.P. a successor firm to Celtic Pharma, and Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Resolvyx) announced today that they have entered into an option agreement relating to Resolvyx's RX-10045, a late-stage program for the treatment of dry eye syndrome and other ophthalmic conditions.

26 Oct 2010

Lead exposure may reverse blindness: Research

Some unexpected effects of lead exposure that may one day help prevent and reverse blindness have been uncovered by a University of Houston (UH) professor and his team.

26 Oct 2010

Popular Mechanics recognizes three NSF-funded projects with innovation Breakthrough Awards

Popular Mechanics has recognized three NSF-funded projects with innovation Breakthrough Awards: an artificial retina returning sight to those who have lost it; a system that uses "controlled rocking" and energy-dissipating fuses to help buildings withstand earthquakes; and an inexpensive medical microscope built for cell-phones that allows doctors in rural villages to identify malaria-infected blood cells.

25 Oct 2010

NovaBay delivers two poster presentations on Aganocide compounds at IDSA Annual Meeting

NovaBay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a clinical stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class, anti-infective compounds for the treatment and prevention of antibiotic-resistant infections, delivered two poster presentations on its compounds at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Vancouver, Canada.

25 Oct 2010

UCI scientists receive CIRM grants to improve stem cell treatments

UC Irvine scientists will receive grants totaling $9.35 million to help create stem cell treatments for retinitis pigmentosa, Huntington's disease and traumatic brain injury.

25 Oct 2010

UCSF scientists receive grants to refine embryonic stem cell-based strategies for neurological diseases

UCSF scientists have received two grants from the California Institutefor Regenerative Medicine to refine their human embryonic stem cell-based strategies for treating neurological diseases and liver failure. The goal of the grants is for researchers to make significant strides toward the development of potential therapies within the next three years.

25 Oct 2010

CRN reinforces importance of DHA before, during and after pregnancy

In response to a study regarding fish oil use during pregnancy published in the October 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, reminds pregnant and lactating women of the undisputed importance of consuming the recommended amounts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) throughout pregnancy.

20 Oct 2010

Retina Implant's first clinical trial results presented at 2010 AAO annual meeting

Retina Implant AG, a leading developer of subretinal implants for the visually impaired, is proud to announce Co-Founder and Chairman Eberhart Zrenner, M.D. was invited to present the exciting results of clinical trials he has been leading since 2005 by the American Academy of Ophthalmology at this year's annual meeting that took place October 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill.

20 Oct 2010

Highlights of world's largest ophthalmic education conference

Results of clinical research on new presbyopia treatments now available in Europe-and possibly available soon in the United States-were reported in today's Scientific Program of the 2010 Joint Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO). The AAO-MEACO meeting is the world's largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference and is in session October 16 through 19 at McCormick Place, Chicago.

20 Oct 2010

FDA provides update on three-part study of LASIK procedure

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today provided an update on a three-part study of LASIK (Laser-Assisted in situ Keratomileusis), a vision improvement procedure.

20 Oct 2010

Cataract surgery also reduces car crashes

Cataract surgery not only improves vision and quality of life for older people, but is also apparently a way to reduce the number of car crashes. The research will be presented today's at the Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting.

20 Oct 2010

Studies explore efforts to measure, improve hospitals' surgical outcomes

Hospital Compare, an HHS website that allows patients to compare hospitals online using various indicators of quality, is intended to help them choose better facilities for their medical care. But a new report in the Archives of Surgery says the website doesn't help Medicare beneficiaries in need of certain high-risk surgeries find better facilities.

20 Oct 2010

TearLab announces publication of CPT code for Osmolarity test

TearLab Corporation announced today that, further to its press release of October 8, 2010, a unique new Current Procedural Terminology code that will apply to the TearLab Osmolarity test has now been published by the American Medical Association. The new code will become effective January 1, 2011.

19 Oct 2010

STOP-BANG questionnaire on sleep apnea syndrome helps identify patients' risk for surgical complication

A research team from the Jefferson Sleep Disorders Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital has utilized a simple, eight-item pre-operative questionnaire about obstructive sleep apnea syndrome that could help identify patients at risk for complications following surgery, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Individuals prone to the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome as determined by the questionnaire appear to have an increased risk of heart, lung and other complications following elective surgery.

19 Oct 2010

Researchers discover how cocaine corrupts brains' reward center

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive. These findings-the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward-were published in Science on October 15. The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug.

19 Oct 2010

Study observes interaction between HLA-C and ERAP1 genes in psoriasis

Genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to psoriasis are reported in five papers published online this week in Nature Genetics. Psoriasis is a chronic and recurrent skin disease, and one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, with a global prevalence of 2-3%.

19 Oct 2010

Beta carotene improves vision in people with Incurable Retinal Disease Retinitis pigmentosa: Report

Today's Scientific Program of the 2010 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) - Middle East-Africa Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) Joint Meeting includes a report on beta carotene's ability to improve vision in people with certain incurable retinal diseases. The AAO-MEACO meeting-the world's largest, most comprehensive ophthalmic education conference-is in session October 16 through 19 at McCormick Place, Chicago.

18 Oct 2010