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About 4% of men over 50 develop dry eye

Following a MedPage Today story, HealthDay (6/12, Thomas) reported that, according to a study published in the June issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, after age 50, approximately four "percent of males develop dry-eye disease." For the study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital "analyzed data on 25,444 men," who "were asked if they had ever been diagnosed with dry-eye disease and also whether they had symptoms, including dry or irritated eyes." The team found that "about three percent reported a previous diagnosis of dry eye, while 6.8 percent said they had constantly or often experienced at least one symptom, such as dryness or irritation." Nearly "2.2 percent reported both symptoms constantly or often." The authors explained that "increasing age, high blood pressure, benign prostatic hyperplasia," and "the use of antidepressants increase the chances of developing dry-eye disease."

Diabetes can cause retinopathy

MedPage Today (6/11, Phend) reported that, according to a study presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting, "retinopathy now affects more than a third of all diabetes patients." Jinan Saaddine, MD, MPH, of the CDC, and colleagues found that the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in "349 participants age 40 and older who had self-reported diabetes" was 34.3 percent and appeared "to increase across racial and ethnic groups between the 1988-1994 and 2005-2006 iterations of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey," with "non-Hispanic blacks" having "the highest prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, and the greatest increase." The investigators said that "duration of diabetes" was "one of the major risk factors," with "every five additional years of diabetes duration" increasing "the odds for diabetic retinopathy by 60 percent." Other risk factors included "male sex; higher severity of diabetes, indicated by use of insulin and oral diabetes treatments versus pills alone...or use of pills alone versus no treatment; higher average systolic blood pressure," and "higher hemoglobin A1c." (courtesy AOA)

Replace your contacts on time

The Daily Pennsylvanian (6/11, Ortelere) reports that, "according to the results of a new study, an alarming majority of people wear their contacts beyond the recommended usage time, making them susceptible to several health risks." A study commissioned by CIBA Vision "surveyed 1,654 contact wearers" and found that 59 percent of respondents who "wore two-week replacement silicone hydrogel contacts wore them for longer than the Manufacturer Recommended Replacement Frequency (MRRF)." In addition, "29 percent wearing one-month replacements and 15 percent wearing daily disposable contacts wore them longer than the MRRF." In a statement, Paul Klein, OD, of the American Optometric Association, said such practices are "positively not OK," adding that "they can lead to disastrous health complications." For example, "eye infections and diseases," such as conjunctivitis, "occur when organisms enter the eye via the fingers and become trapped under the contact lens." Therefore, "washing contacts daily and replacing them as suggested is essential to avoiding such risks." (courtesy AOA)

It is important to dispose of your contact lenses on a regular schedule. The actual risks do not outweigh the benefits. Further, the cost of replacing your lenses is far less than the cost of treating an eye infection.

Fish oils may reduce risk of AMD

BBC News (6/9) reports that, according to a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, "people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) should eat oily fish at least twice a week," because "omega-3 fatty acids found in abundance in" oily fish "appear to slow or even halt the progress of both early and late stage disease." For the study, researchers at Tufts University examined data on "almost 3,000 people taking part in a trial of vitamins and supplements." The team found that "progression to both dry and wet forms of advanced AMD disease was 25 percent less likely among those eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids." In addition, "people with advanced AMD who also consumed a" low glycemic-index diet and "who took supplemental antioxidant vitamins and minerals like vitamin C and zinc appeared to reduce their risk of disease progression by...up to 50 percent." The authors suggested that "eating two to three servings of fatty fish...every week would achieve the recommended daily intake (650mg) of omega-3."