Adam Hochron

As the field of medical ethics continues to expand, its use can be seen in everything from general medical conditions to end of life considerations.

As with most surgical advances, new potential procedures in ophthalmology pose their fair share of risks. However, if those risks can be overcome the rewards to patients can make a significant difference in their quality of life.

As a retinal implant, the ARGUS II technology has shown early benefits for patients with retinitis pigmentosa. A new study from the United Kingdom is examining its benefits in patients with the dry form of age related macular degeneration.

As with all new technologies for surgical procedures, there will be questions to be answered about the safety for hypersonic vitrectomy. While human trials have not started yet, there are good indications in cadaveric and animal studies.

Medical technology is constantly evolving across fields, and ophthalmology is no exception. A new hypersonic vitrectomy device is currently in development and could be on the market in 2017.

For many patients who are vitamin D deficient, there are oral supplements which can be found over the counter which can help bring their levels into the normal range. That and other steps can help play a role in lessening the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

A study looking at pregnant women in Finland showed a potential connection between low levels of vitamin D and the development of multiple sclerosis.

With diabetes affecting so many parts of a patient's life sometimes it is not enough for one provider to help them manage the condition.

It can be easy for providers to be lost in numbers as they go through a busy day in the clinic. However, there is evidence to suggest that finding different ways to help patients beyond symptom management can do as much if not more to help improve quality of life overall.

Patients with diabetes face a number of challenges in their daily life, especially monitoring their blood glucose levels. There is work being done in the medical community to monitor other potential issues that can affect quality of life overall and how to address them.

Whether patients need to move to stronger medications, or find a more effective treatment, doctors need as much information as possible before making a decision on what course to follow.

As patients cycle between treatments for multiple sclerosis, there can be questions about how they will react to the various medications after switching. Comparing alemtuzumab and natalizumab provided doctors with at least some insight into this question.

Over the course of a patients lifetime they will likely shift between various multiple sclerosis treatments. A recent study compared some of the more popular options on a variety of levels.

By the time patients need a left ventricular assist device their condition has already worsened considerably. With the help of a combination of technology and medication there is some research to show that improvement is possible in many patients.

Pending further research a new powerful pharmaceutical combination could make a significant difference in the treatment of patients with a left ventricular assist device.

For patients who receive left ventricular assist device implants there is no assurance that the device will work enough for them to have a high quality of life. New research has shown a potential treatment which could make a significant improvement in this area.

As more men and women who served their country come home their skills can be put to good use in the medical community. Finding those veterans and reservists and getting them the training they need can make all the difference in their life out of uniform.

While medics and corpsmen in the military do similar jobs to what nurses do in civilian practice, those skills do not translate into certification when they leave the service.

When veterans, including medics and corpsmen come back from serving overseas their medical skills do not automatically translate into certification. Colleges and Universities are developing programs to help them and also reservists earn their bachelor of science in nursing degrees.

Since they were first approved for patient care more than a year ago PCSK9 inhibitors have shown to be a powerful tool in the fight against dangerously high cholesterol levels. However, there are still challenges standing in the way of them being made more widely available.

The annual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions were filled with a wide range of presentations made in New Orleans. It was the late breaking news that made the most impact for those in attendance as they look to the future of cardiac care.

As the American Heart Association wrapped up another successful conference in New Orleans, each of the approximately 18,000 providers in attendance was bringing home something new to their practices or optimism for new treatments to come in the future.

Novel oral anticoagulants have made treatment of many patients considerably easier over the past few years. Finding ways to apply that to veterans can help a patient population deserving of high quality health care.

Much like civilians, military veterans have trouble maintaining safe levels with warfarin treatment.

With more than 10,000 providers from around the world converging on the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions, lessons from the event can be implemented as soon as the next day or show promise of work to come in the future.

The treatment of cardiovascular disease for men may be ahead of where it is for women, but there is a concerted effort to bring the two into a more balanced measure.

A lot is yet to be determined about the potential benefits of precision medicine in cardiology. As that field develops, there will also be questions about the varying benefits for men and women.

Praluent has been studied at a variety of levels and, now that it's been approved, there has been more insight on its benefits and risks.

With statins being a common treatment option to help patients reduce their cholesterol levels, the still relatively newly approved PCSK9 inhibitors have proven a valuable tool. However, they are not enough to help eliminate concerns about cardiac care and cholesterol.

Doctors prescribing Praluent for their patients have two dosing options to choose from. Studies on the treatment option have shown that the safety profile for both are good for patients.