Electrical Activity of Retina May Detect Early Stage Glaucoma.

A test that measures the function of nerve cells in the retina may detect glaucoma at an early stage and help doctors evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, according to a study conducted by Dr Sehi and colleagues at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

The study was based on the knowledge that retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) become dysfunctional as glaucoma progresses and that such changes can be measured using the pattern electroretinogram optimized for glaucoma screening (PERGLA). PERGLA measures the electrical activity of a patient's retina as he or she views an alternating pattern of black and white lines.

In a study of 47 people with glaucoma who had surgery because their intraocular pressure could not be controlled by medications the test was able to show reversal of RGC dysfunction and reduced intraocular pressure after the operations. Dr. Sehi says these results should be interpreted cautiously until confirmed by larger studies. She calls for longitudinal studies to clarify the relationship between reduced IOP and increased RGC response and to further investigate PERGLA assessment of RGC dysfunction as a biomarker for glaucoma.

Read more »

Incredible Associations!

Image via Wikipedia
When i saw the headline Corneal arcus `associated with eye pressure' I did a double take!

There was a recent publication in the November issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, showing that corneal arcus was present in the right eyes of 57.9 per cent of people with elevated eye pressure. Renyi Wu, M.D., Ph.D., of the Singapore Eye Research Institute, and colleagues examined the prevalence and consequences of corneal arcus among 3,015 individuals age 40 to 80. Participants underwent an interview and eye examinations, including corneal measurements, assessment of intraocular pressure and identification of corneal arcus using a slitlamp.

Here is the best part: "There is no known explanation for the association of corneal arcus with higher intraocular pressure," the authors write.

If there was some link between lipid deposition localized to the cornea and IOP, I can see the point, but do you?

Read more »

BMI and Glaucoma

MedPage Today reported, Women with higher body mass index and weight were at reduced risk of developing certain forms of glaucoma, according to a study published in the August issue of Ophthalmology.

In fact, for each unit of body mass index, participants in the giant Nurses' Health Study showed a 6% reduction (95% CI 2% to 9%) in the rate of developing primary open-angle glaucoma with an intraocular pressure of 21 mm Hg or less at diagnosis (so-called normal tension). The study authors theorized that some measure linked to adiposity or lean mass that is under sex hormonal influences may protect against the development of primary open-angle glaucoma.

According to the researchers' report online in Ophthalmology, no relationship between body composition measures and glaucoma risk was found for men in another large cohort, the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. Nor did BMI or other anthropometric parameters in Nurses' Health Study participants affect the risk of primary open-angle glaucoma with higher intraocular pressure.

Read more »

Merck amp; Co., Inc. has launched SAFLUTAN® (tafluprost) in the United Kingdom and Spain, and additional launches in other countries are expected over the next several months, pending regulatory approvals, the Company said today.

SAFLUTAN is a preservative free, synthetic analogue of the prostaglandin F2α for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in appropriate patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. SAFLUTAN is in Phase III in the U.S.

Merck amp; Co., Inc. which operates in many countries as Merck Sharp amp; Dohme or MSD, and Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. announced a worldwide licensing agreement for tafluprost. Under the terms of the agreement, Merck agreed to pay an undisclosed fee as well as milestones and royalty payments based on future sales of tafluprost (both preserved and preservative-free formulations) in exchange for exclusive commercial rights to tafluprost in western Europe (excluding Germany), North America, South America and Africa. Santen will retain commercial rights to tafluprost in most countries in eastern Europe, northern Europe and in countries in the Asia Pacific area, including Japan. Merck will provide promotion support to Santen in Germany and Poland. If tafluprost is approved in the U.S., Santen will have the option to co-promote it there. SAFLUTAN marketed by MSD, and TAFLOTAN®, marketed by Santen in respective territories, is the only preservative-free prostaglandin currently available for patients with glaucoma.

Read more »