Does Anti-VEGF Injections Increase the likelihood of Tractional Retinal Detachment in Proliferative Diabetic Retinopatht?

(c) eyerounds.org

Is there an increased risk for tractional retinal detachment (TRD) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) associated with intravitreal injections alone compared with other treatment regimens? That's the question that researchers at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania sought an answer for. 

New potential mechanism for vision loss discovered

(c) ASRS Image Bank

Scientists from Germany have discovered that visual cells in the human retina may not simply die in some diseases, but are mechanically transported out of the retina beforehand. For their research, they used miniature human retinas produced in the laboratory, so-called organoids. 

The authors report on their research in the journal Nature Communications, which paves the way for completely new research approaches, especially in connection with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The HAWK Extension Study outcomes with Brolucizumab in nAMD similar to those seen in Pivotal Phase 3 Studies

Efficacy and safety with the intended commercial formulation of brolucizumab 6 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients was consistent with that observed in the Phase III studies. 

Best-corrected visual acuity gain and central subfield thickness reduction observed at the end of the core study were maintained to Week 24 of the extension study. There was no indication of difference in the safety profile of the brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization and the brolucizumab 3 mg or 6 mg drug product used in the Phase III clinical trials.

Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration before Decline in Visual Impairment

A retrospective analysis from data in a study from Japan indicates that initiating anti-vascular endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) treatment before best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) declines and advanced lesions develop would afford better visual outcomes for eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). They also found that eyes with a relatively good initial BCVA, such as < 0.3 in logMAR (Snellen 20/40), and without fibrovascular PED would achieve sustained or improved BCVA after anti-VEGF treatment within 3 years of follow-up. 

Cholesterol and diabetes drugs may lessen risk of degenerative eye disease of aging

Regular use of drugs to lower cholesterol and control type 2 diabetes may lessen the risk of age related macular degeneration, a degenerative eye disease that is associated with aging. This is a finding from a pooled data analysis of the available evidence, which has been published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

The results show that these common drugs are linked to lower prevalence of AMD in European populations.

Blinding eye disease is strongly associated with heart disease and stroke

(c) Ophthalmology Retina

Patients with a specific form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the United States, are at significant risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke, according to new research from New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. This study, published in the July issue of Retina, is the first to demonstrate a link between the disorders.

Smart LED Contact Lenses for Treating Diabetic Retinopathy

(c) POSTECH

A team of scientists from Pohang University of Science and Technology in #SouthKorea and their collaborators have recently developed a smart contact lens-type wearable device to prevent diabetic retinopathy and treat it in its early stages.