Diabetic Macular Edema

AMD negatively affected vision-specific function in Chinese but not others.

For eyes 20/50 or worse, aflibercept most effective at improving visual acuity.

Glaucoma surgery 2.5 times more likely after 7 or more shots in a year than after 3.

Acute intraocular inflammation was less common for ranibizumab than aflibercept.

Uveitis recurrence was associated with failure of trabeculectomy, not implant.

Perceived Stress Scale worked well in assessing stress levels of AMD patients.

Two-year retrospective study indicates need to tailor treatment strategy.

DME patients in non-interventional studies notably older than in RCTs.

Researchers compared aflibercept, bevacizumab, and ranibizumab injections.

Of the 3 regimens, monthly aflibercept produced the greatest gain in mean BCVA.

Uveitis patients age ≥55 years are less likely to have large drusen than others.

Using red-channel separation gives a better picture in diagnosis of DME.

Screen for morphological risk factors for an RPE tear before each injection.

In most eyes, the mask reduced or resolved cysts in the OCT subfield.

Annual rate of ocular inflammatory flares fell from 200 to 49 per 100 patients.

Researchers find gap in antioxidant enzymes between AMD patients and controls.

Whether injected monthly or according to a TREX regimen, ranibizumab did not have a statistically significant effect on the development of new macular atrophy in eyes with neovascular AMD.

The FDA’s decision follows the EU’s decision last month to similarly expand the scope of the drug’s approval to include more specific causes of vision loss and blindness.

At the one-month follow-up exam, only 7% were functional non-responders, half of whom were reclassified as responders at 6-month follow-up.

During follow-up periods ranging from six months to 10 years, no increase in IOP over time was found in AMD or DME patients who received intravitreal injection of an anti-VEGF agent, no matter how many injections they received.

In a new study, stroke occurred in 6.6% of the ranibizumab-treated group, compared with 7.0% of the controls matched by sociodemographic factors and comorbidities and 6.7% of the controls matched by sociodemographic factors only. These differences were not statistically significant.

A Spanish research team found an association between testing positive for antibodies to adalimumab (Humira) and a worse outcome of uveitis, but only in those who tested positive permanently. They also found that this association correlated with undetectable trough levels of Humira.

The billion-dollar combination of pegpleranib and ranibizumab failed to meet primary endpoints in studies for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

Despite the fact that two thirds of stroke survivors could suffer from a visual impairment, nearly half of stroke units do not even assess vision. A recent report suggests that more must be done to assess the outlook for vision in stroke survivors.

Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, has long been linked to diet and obesity. Recently, we came closer to understanding just exactly why that is.

A recent study joins an ever-deepening well of data about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, including its risk-reduction potential for age-related macular degeneration. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the developed world.

Monthly Avastin injections and quarterly Ozurdex injections produced equivalent improvements in best-corrected visual acuity after 7 months. However, Ozurdex reduced central subfield thickness nine times more than Avastin did, though it was associated with elevated intraocular pressure.

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.