macular degeneration

Drug candidate slows age-related macular degeneration

harminka — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:55:18 -0500

Research results from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine show that the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is markedly slowed in new laboratory-engineered mice when they received treatments of retinylamine, a trial drug that has been tested in a medical school lab. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

Experimental therapy may lead to macular degeneration

harminka — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:05:44 -0500

Having discovered a genetic trigger for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in people over 50, researchers report that an experimental state-of-the-art therapy for treating eye disease could adversely affect the vision of some patients with the "wrong" genetic makeup.

Hyperactive immune resistance brings blindness in old age

harminka — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:19:26 -0500

Age-dependent macular degeneration (AMD) is the commonest cause of blindness in the western industrialised nations. Hereditary changes in the regulation of the immune system influence the risk of contracting AMD.

Hormone use related to lower risk of macular degeneration in postmenopausal women

harminka — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:56:59 -0500

Women who take postmenopausal hormones appear to have a lower risk of developing advanced stages of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, especially if they had also taken oral contraceptives in the past, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Blood vessel protein reverses macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy in mice

harminka — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:16:03 -0500

Two major eye diseases and leading causes of blindness—age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy—can be reversed or even prevented by drugs that activate a protein found in blood vessel cells, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and several other institutions have announced in a new study.

Study paves way for development of macular degeneration cures

harminka — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:25:56 -0600

A new study of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that affects more than nine million Americans, will pave the way for the biopharmaceutical industry to develop better treatments and cures, according to the Foundation Fighting Blindness, which partially funded the research.

Antioxidants do not prevent degenerative eye disease

harminka — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:25:49 -0500

A diet rich in antioxidant vitamins and minerals does not seem to prevent the degenerative eye disease known as age related macular degeneration, finds a study published on bmj.com today.

Inflammatory marker linked to increased risk of age-related eye disease

harminka — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 07:16:51 -0500

High blood levels of C-reactive protein, a substance linked to inflammation, appear to be associated with an increased risk for age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Zeaxanthin associated with reduced risk for age-related eye disease

harminka — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:33:10 -0500

Consuming higher levels of the yellow plant pigments lutein and zeaxanthin may be associated with a lower risk for age-related macular degeneration, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Link between zinc and macular degeneration found

harminka — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:36:57 -0500

A team of scientists, including three researchers at George Mason University, found that the mineral zinc could play a role in the development of macular degeneration. In studying eye tissue samples, the researches found that deposits, that are hallmarks of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), contain large amounts of zinc.

Smoking may increase long-term risk of eye disease

harminka — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 04:16:08 -0500

Current and past smokers appear to have a higher risk of developing late age-related macular degeneration than those who have never smoked, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Link between carbohydrate quality and vision loss

harminka — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:43:38 -0500

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and its associated vision loss may be connected to the quality of carbohydrates an individual consumes. In a study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Allen Taylor, PhD, director of the Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (USDA HNRCA) at Tufts University, and colleagues confirmed earlier findings linking dietary glycemic index with the risk of developing AMD.