Triamcinolone may restore vision

HealthDay (9/15, Dotinga) reported that, according to a study published in the Sept. issue of the journal Ophthalmology, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said "they've found the first long-term treatment for people who suffer vision loss when the large veins in their eyes become blocked." The group discovered that "injections into the eye of a corticosteroid" called triamcinolone "improved vision in patients."
Reuters (9/15, Stern) reports that central retinal vein occlusion is a common complication of diabetes, occurring when blood clots hamper or impede circulation in retinal tissue. Following age-related macular degeneration, it is the second most common cause of vision loss.
CQ HealthBeat (9/16, Reichard) reports, "After one year, treated patients were five times more likely to be able to experience a vision gain of three or more lines on a vision chart," which is "the equivalent of reading letters half as small as before treatment."