The News Feed
Timely reports on clinical research, legislative updates and product launches, from the editors of Review of Optometry and RCCL. Stories post each weekday morning.
Visual System May Serve as Ideal Model for MS Drug Assessment
The neurodegenerative disease can be difficult to track in terms of remyelination, but certain agents can be monitored through ocular imaging to gauge efficacy.
April 26, 2024
Nutraceutical for Dry Eye Coming This Fall
Bausch + Lomb previewed a forthcoming product and pointed to company-funded research showing treatment effects possible after two, four and eight weeks of daily use.
April 26, 2024
Vision-related QoL Unchanged After Trabeculectomy
This research highlights the importance of using both objective and subjective measures to evaluate glaucoma patients and treatment outcomes.
April 26, 2024
Prenatal Carotenoid Supplementation Benefits Both Mother and Child
The regimen improved foveal maturity among infants as well as maternal levels of macular pigment, study shows.
April 26, 2024
Smoking Reduces ONH Vessel Density in Glaucoma
Study shows a dose-dependent association with faster deterioration over time.
April 25, 2024
AREDS Report Updates Simplified Severity Scale
This revision—accounting for reticular pseudodrusen and GA—shows that progression rates are substantially higher when using a more comprehensive approach.
April 25, 2024
Check MRW Measurements over RNFL for Damage from Anti-VEGF Injections
The former is a more sensitive marker for evaluating the effect of frequent injections on the optic nerve head.
April 25, 2024
Glaucoma Med Adherence in First Two Years Predicts Future Patterns
A Danish study of 30,000 patients found increasing age, female sex and low comorbidity score were correlated with better diligence with eye drop treatment for up to 10 years.
April 24, 2024
Meta-analysis Demonstrates Effective, Safe Treatment for Uveitic Macular Edema
The noninfectious form was helped by periocular and intraocular corticosteroids. Newer delivery methods have less evidence supporting their use due to the recency of their introduction.
April 24, 2024
Study Finds Prophylactic LPI Cost-Effective for PACS
To reduce risk of angle closure, researchers strongly suggest considering this intervention in patients without visually significant cataract.
April 23, 2024
Red Light Therapy Less Effective in Pre-myopia Phase
A year of treatment reduced SE refraction by about three-quarters of a diopter among myopes but only one-third of a diopter in pre-myopes.
April 23, 2024
Experts Propose Four New Parameters to Boost Accuracy of Glaucoma Dx on OCT
Fovea-to-disc distance, location of the superior and inferior peaks of the cpRNFL thickness curve, and estimated axial length all correlated with RNFL thickness more so than age and disc area in a new study.
April 23, 2024
MEWDS Characterized by Unique Photoreceptor Damage Patterns
The inflammatory retinal condition presented a central-to-peripheral gradient of improvement that may suggest specific peripapillary vulnerabilities, researchers suggest.
April 22, 2024
Twenty-year Study on Corneal Fungal Infections Shows Shifting Patterns
Candida, Aspergillus and Fusarium were the most common organisms. Patients with filamentous keratitis had different risk factors, better outcomes and decreased need for surgical intervention compared to yeast keratitis.
April 22, 2024
Lamina Cribrosa Pores May Help Identify Severe Glaucoma
These findings were associated with greater degrees of optic disc cupping and higher proportions of African ancestry.
April 22, 2024
Optic Nerve Head Structure Affected by Birth Status
Pre-term kids with worse refractive errors showed greater minimum rim width and prelaminar tissue thickness.
April 19, 2024
Patient Survey Describes Dry Eye Management Habits, Burdens
Most rely on artificial tears more so than eyelid-based interventions, 22% spend an hour or more daily on care and less than half reported that their primary source of information is their eyecare provider.
April 19, 2024
Study Compares PDR, DME Risk Between Two Popular Diabetes Drugs
Patients taking GLP-1 agonists had a higher rate of progression to proliferative retinopathy and new-onset macular edema than those on SGLT-2 inhibitors.
April 19, 2024
Meta-analysis Reaffirms Virtues of Multifocal Soft Lenses for Myopia
These lenses were shown to be safe and effective, but were noted to decrease low-contrast visual acuity at distance. Ortho-K also was deemed a bit more effective but also more prone to adverse effects.
April 18, 2024
Optic Disc Microvasculature Dropout Related to Disease Severity in Pre-Perimetric POAG
A considerable number of eyes with dropout had no detectable focal lamina cribrosa defect and/or parapapillary deep-layer microvasculature dropout.
April 18, 2024
Meta-analysis Credits Trifocal IOLs as Best for Near Vision Correction
EDOF lenses were cited for superior intermediate correction. Both options demonstrated good safety and efficacy.
April 18, 2024
Swept-Source OCT-A Imaging Assesses ONH, Macular Perfusion Well
An easy and reproducible novel method can help physicians better understand the patient’s stage of glaucoma.
April 17, 2024
Study: Epi-off Accelerated CXL Yields Good Results
Over a 10-year follow-up period, resumption of progression was only seen in 9.1% and haze in 7.4% of subjects.
April 17, 2024
Glucose Control, Renal Function Help Predict Anti-VEGF Treatment Response in DME
Patients with low glomerular filtration rates and high glycated hemoglobin levels fared worse in this study, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring of systemic health.
April 17, 2024
Academy of Ophthalmology Endorses Teleretinal Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy
While this modality was not as robust in detecting DME, studies show it is both accurate and cost-effective for DR.
April 16, 2024
Diabetes Patients Experience Choroidal Microvascular Alterations Before DR
This was observed in early cases of the disease without associated retinopathy.
April 16, 2024
Newly Identified Retinal Biomarker May Reveal Systemic Health Insights
Using AI to characterize the ‘fractal dimension’—or branching patterns—of the vasculature yielded associations with disease prevalence in adults of all ages.
April 16, 2024
Severity Levels of Carotid Artery Stenosis Impact Diabetic Retinopathy
Clinicians should be mindful of possible atherosclerotic changes in patients with PDR, study argues.
April 15, 2024
Heavy Smoking, High BMI Associated With Earlier Onset nAMD
Study also finds intraretinal fluid results in a fast-progressing disease, and these patients tend to be older at the time of diagnosis and remain on treatment for a shorter time.
April 15, 2024
Brimonidine Explored as Potential Myopia Treatment in Early Trials
While only being tested on animals right now, clinical application might emerge in time as more studies solidify its positive effects. The mechanism may involve changes to scleral and choroidal development during ocular growth.
April 15, 2024
Access to Pediatric Eye Care Severely Lacking Across the US
Study finds approximately 96% of counties lack specialists among both optometrists and ophthalmologists, with lower socioeconomic areas the most severely affected.
April 12, 2024
Similarities and Differences Between Pachychoroid GA and Conventional GA Identified
Understanding these features may help disease diagnosis in Asian populations. Patients with the former subtype were significantly younger, predominantly male and had a slower progression rate.
April 12, 2024
Save the Donut: Beware GC Loss in Central Macular Region in Glaucoma
Though patterns of damage varied widely in a new study, no eye was spared disease progression in this vital area, underscoring the need for close monitoring with OCT.
April 12, 2024
Spontaneous Closure of Macular Holes Related to Diameter, Study Finds
It occurred within two months in approximately 25% of small, idiopathic FTMH and 55% of idiopathic FTMH with a diameter <150µm.
April 11, 2024
Retinoblastoma Survivors’ Vision Influenced by Race, Insurance
Black and Hispanic kids with public Medicare/Medicaid coverage had worse outcomes.
April 11, 2024
RNFL Thickness More Useful than Minimum Rim Width Early in Glaucoma, Study Finds
The two metrics show concurrent changes over time, but the former is less prone to variability and the influence of IOP changes.
April 11, 2024
Blindness Incidence for Aggressive Adult-Onset Macular Atrophy Explored
Over half of patients were legally blind according to the US standards, whereas only a quarter met the WHO’s blindness criteria.
April 10, 2024
Statins Decrease Graves’ Ophthalmopathy Risk
Reduction by 80% was found in one Taiwanese study.
April 10, 2024
Reading Speed, Gaze Behavior Differs Between Types of Presbyopia Correction
Researchers observed variance in head movements between wearers of single-vision contact lenses, multifocal CLs and progressive addition lenses.
April 10, 2024
Glaucoma Rate 3x Higher in Poor and Minority Populations
These findings were consistent across three geographically distinct locations: rural Alabama, semi-urban Michigan towns and New York City.
April 9, 2024
Dry Eye Patients Have Worse Sleep Quality
Study shows they are at a higher risk of experiencing insufficient sleep, excessive sleepiness and longer sleep latency.
April 9, 2024
Cataract Surgery Could Lower IOP, But Precise Impact Uncertain
Meta analysis revealed that concurrent topical medication use masks the effects of phacoemulsification upon postoperative IOP.
April 9, 2024
New Punctal Plug Features Tapered End for Easier Insertion
The device is made with a degradable material designed to last about six months.
April 8, 2024
Phaco Beats LPI in Improving Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma Status
Both methods are effective but cataract surgery was associated with better corneal metrics in a recent meta-analysis.
April 8, 2024
Visual Impairment Makes Digital Healthcare Access Less Likely
This was observed among older adults, undermining some of the benefits of virtual care resources.
April 8, 2024
No VF Loss Rate Difference After Either Tube Shunt or Trabeculectomy
However, worse IOP control and older age were significantly associated with faster rates of progression during follow-up.
April 8, 2024
IOP Variability Linked to GCC Thinning Rate Regardless of Glaucoma Severity
Fluctuation and range had strong independent associations with the measure of macular structural damage even after adjustment for mean IOP.
April 5, 2024
Glaucoma-related Blindness Decreased Between 2000 and 2020
Still, nearly eight million people globally experience visual impairment of some sort from the condition, study says.
April 5, 2024
Black, Asian Glaucoma Patients Undergo Less Frequent VF Testing
This disparity could lead to delayed detection of progression and undertreatment in these individuals compared to white participants, study finds.
April 5, 2024
Structural Complications Not Specific to High Myopia
In a new study, compromised corneal biomechanics started as low as -3.00D and worsened exponentially as refractive error increased.
April 4, 2024
