Good News In The Fight Against Leading Cause Of Age Related Vision Loss

Jordon — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:34:09 +0000

Good News In The Fight Against Leading Cause Of Age Related Vision Loss

After a lifetime of normal vision, not being able to see people’s faces, watch TV or read a book is devastating. That’s the tough reality, faced by thousands of Canadians as they age who suffer from a degenerative eye disease called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It’s the most common cause of vision loss for Canadians over the age of 50.

AMD is an eye disease that occurs more frequently with age. It damages the macula, a very small and specialized area in the centre of the retina, which is responsible for central vision necessary for ordinary vision-related activities such as seeing faces, reading and driving.

There are two types of AMD, dry and wet. Typically, dry AMD progresses slowly and is usually less severe. Until two years ago, the diagnosis of wet AMD meant severe central vision loss and possibly even blindness, in a matter of weeks to months. People’s lives were devastated because their independence and autonomy were at risk.

In 2007, a new treatment called Lucentis was approved by Health Canada. It is the first and only treatment for wet AMD that has been shown to actually improve vision. The majority of people with wet AMD can see their vision improve after the first treatments.

The good news for people with wet age-related macular degeneration in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador is that they now have access to Lucentis through their provincial drug plans.

“Lucentis stops macular degeneration in its tracks and having access to it is a real milestone for New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador residents,” said Duncan Williams, CNIB’s executive director for New Brunswick. “Until now a diagnosis of AMD almost certainly lead to significant vision loss or blindness. We congratulate the governments for recognizing the importance of this treatment and the differences that it will make on the lives of patients.”

If you’ve been diagnosed with wet AMD or you notice a sudden change in your vision such as blurring or a blank spot in your visual field, speak to your eye doctor about this new advance in the treatment of wet AMD. Early diagnosis gives you a better chance at preserving your vision. If you have age-related macular degeneration questions, you should discuss with your doctor.

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TREATMENT FOUND TO REDUCE VISION LOSS

GeorgeI — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:31:07 +0000

NEW TREATMENT FOUND TO REDUCE VISION LOSS FROM CENTRAL RETINAL VEIN OCCLUSION
Eye injections of corticosteroid medication may improve patients’ vision

Scientists have identified the first long-term, effective treatment to improve vision and reduce vision loss associated with blockage of large veins in the eye. This research was part of a multi-center, phase III clinical trial supported by the National Eye Institute (NEI) at the National Institutes of Health.

The Standard Care vs. Corticosteroid for Retinal Vein Occlusion (SCORE) Study, conducted at 84 clinical sites, found that eye injections of a corticosteroid medication could reduce vision loss related to the blockage of major blood vessels within the eye, a condition known as central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Treated patients were also five times more likely to gain vision after one year than patients who were under observation.

“These are extremely compelling results because a large, longer-term clinical trial has never before shown that patients with central retinal vein occlusion could experience a visual improvement with treatment,” said Michael S. Ip, M.D., associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and chair of the SCORE Study.

In the United States, vein occlusion is estimated to be the second most common condition affecting blood vessels in the retina. Currently, no treatment exists for CRVO, in which a blood clot slows or stops circulation in a large vein within the eye’s light-sensitive retinal tissue. Reduced retinal circulation may lead to new blood vessel growth and blood vessel leakage, resulting in retinal tissue swelling — a common cause of vision loss from CRVO.

Until now, there has been no proven, effective way to treat CRVO. However, some ophthalmologists have treated patients with eye injections of an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid called triamcinolone, though its effectiveness had not been tested in a clinical trial. The SCORE Study was the first to compare the safety and effectiveness of standard care observation with two different dosages of triamcinolone: 1 mg and 4 mg. The results appear in the September 2009 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, published alongside findings from a separate trial within the SCORE Study, which looked at blockages in smaller retinal veins (http://www.nei.nih.gov/news/pressreleases/091409b.asp).

Study participants included 271 people with CRVO who were an average of 68 years old. Patients in the treatment group could receive a maximum of three corticosteroid injections every year for up to three years, based on the state of their disease.

At one year, patients who received either dose of the corticosteroid medication were five times more likely than those who did not receive treatment to experience a substantial visual gain of three or more lines on a vision chart-equivalent to identifying letters that were half as small as they could read before treatment. However, patients in the 1 mg group had fewer side effects related to increased eye pressure and cataract formation than those in the 4 mg group.

“These are very welcome results because up to now there has been no effective way to treat patients who have a central retinal vein occlusion,” said Frederick L. Ferris III, M.D., clinical director of the NEI. “Now, clinicians could offer CRVO patients a low-dose corticosteroid injection that may increase their chance of visual improvement.”

The SCORE study was co-chaired by Michael S. Ip, M.D., associate professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Ingrid U. Scott, M.D., M.P.H., professor at Penn State College of Medicine. Find more information about this clinical trial (NCT00105027) at .

The National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the federal government’s research on the visual system and eye diseases. NEI supports basic and clinical science programs that result in the development of sight-saving treatments. For more information, visit .

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation’s Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit .

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH NIH News
National Eye Institute
Embargoed for Release: Monday, September 14, 2009,
4 p.m. EDT

CONTACT: National Eye Institute, 301- 496-5248, neinews@nei.nih.gov>

Lasik Plus » Vision Loss Treatment

Good News In The Fight Against Leading Cause Of Age Related Vision Loss

Good News In The Fight Against Leading Cause Of Age Related Vision Loss

TREATMENT FOUND TO REDUCE VISION LOSS