Dr. Grossman's Blog

Macular Degeneration Patients: Blood Thinners Increase Risk of Retinal Hemorrhage

People with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) who are taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, warfarin, and clopidogrel run a significant risk of retinal hemorrhage. A study presented at the Retina Congress 2009 reviewed the records of 195 eyes in 195 patients, average age 83, of whom 96 were taking antiplatelets and anticoagulants on a [...]

Scientists Learn How Humans See in Bright and Low Light

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified an intricate process that allows the human eye to adapt to darkness very quickly, as well as the process by which the eye can function in bright light. This research will help scientists better understand human diseases that affect the retina, including age-related [...]

A Step Towards a Cure for Color-Blindness

Researchers from the University of Washington and the University of Florida have used gene therapy to cure two monkeys of color blindness. An article published online in the journal Nature discusses the potential for this type of gene therapy to treat adult vision disorders involving cone cells, including color blindness and other retinal diseases. Color [...]

Researchers Identify High-Risk Glaucoma Patients

Scientists have determined that glaucoma patients who have damage to both hemifields (half of the visual field) of their eye will experience more rapid progression of the disease than patients who have damage to a single hemifield. The study, published in the September 2009 journal Archives of Ophthalmology, reviews data from 205 patients. 79 were [...]

New Macular Degeneration Research: Scientists Grow New Retinal Cells

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have successfully grown light-sensing retinal cells from human skin cells. The ability to grow retinal cells may someday be used to treat degenerative eye diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa by enabling doctors to repair damage to the retina with new cells generated from the patient’s skin. Scientists [...]

Thyroid Problems Linked to Glaucoma

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham believe that thyroid disorders may increase the risk of glaucoma. Their study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, reviewed data from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to quantify the association between a self-reported diagnosis of glaucoma and a self-reported history of thyroid problems. Of the [...]

GLA Improves Comfort in Contact Lens-Related Dry Eye

In this dry eye study, it shows that the GLA group showed a significant improvement in the specific symptom of ‘dryness’ at 3 and 6 months (p <0.01) as well as significant improvement in overall lens comfort at 6 months (p<0.01). Tear meniscus height was increased in the GLA group at 6 months relative to [...]

Lutein and Zeaxanthin May Help Fight Early AMD

Oral supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin with coantioxidants may improve vision at 36 months for those at high risk for progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In the Carotenoids and Co-Antioxidants in Age-Related Maculopathy (CARMA) study, presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2009 Annual Meeting, researchers examined the effects [...]

Macular Degeneration Research Targets CCR3 Protein

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the University of Kentucky have identified a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration. In a study published by the journal Nature, researchers demonstrate that blocking the activity of a specific protein, called CCR3, can reduce the [...]

Survey Shows Americans Need to Focus on Eye Health

The American Optometric Association (AOA) has released the results of its third annual American Eye-Q® survey, which assesses public knowledge and understanding of eye and visual health. Survey results reveal Americans aren’t paying enough attention to their eyesight. Of the 1,001 survey participants, 81% wear contact lenses, eyeglasses or both. However, 26% of the responders hadn’t [...]