A recent study involving 5500 men and women over the age of 60 noted a strong association between Vitamin C deficiency and cataract formation.  Cataracts are the number one cause of blindness throughout the world.  The study controlled for lifestyle influences, alcohol, tobacco, nutritional status, blood pressure, and body mass index. Low Vitamin C showed higher prevalence of cataracts for both men and women. (Ophthalmology. 2011;118(10):1958-1965).

Researchers from the Netherlands have found that individuals with myopia have an approximately doubled risk of developing glaucoma as compared to those without myopia. The study reported in Ophthalmology (2011;118 (10)1989-1994), was attempted to clarify the relationship between myopia and glaucoma. High mopes had a 2.5x higher chance of developing glaucoma vs 1.75x for lower myopes. Glaucoma is one of the most common causes of blindness in the United States and is especially troublesome since it is a silent disease in which there are no symptoms such as blurry vision or pain for patients to watch out for. Dr Ashraf advises his patients at risk to have a yearly eye exam and especially warns his post LASIK patients with high myopia not to forget this since their eyes still behave as if they have high myopia despite patients being able to see perfectly.

Researchers in London have reported that vitamin D reduces the effects of ageing in mouse eyes and improves vision of older mice. In the current issue of Neurobiology and Ageing, professor Glen Jeffery reports that when old mice were given vitamin D for just 6 weeks, retinal inflammation was reduced and subsequent tests revealed vision was improved.  They noted that macrophages, of which can cause damage and inflammation, were reduced in the mice with vitamin D supplementation and there was also a reduction in the protein amyloid beta. Amyloid increases with age and has been shown to accumulate in patients with age related macular degeneration and in Alzeheimer’s disease.

“These are promising results in an animal model, however human clinical trials will need to be performed to see if any of these benefits may benefit humans”, states Dr. Ashraf of the Atlanta Vision Institute.  He adds that this is a good starting point in trying to understand the mechanisms and pathophysiology of the ageing process.  Once we understand this, we can then try to address potential treatments to help prevent or reverse changes in the ageing process.

There has been a powerful increase in the prevalence of dry eye disease in the last several decades. This has been paralleled by substantial alterations in environmental and social settings. These include the use of air conditioning and forced air heat in homes, cars, and office buildings, as well as significantly increased time spent working on computers. More individuals than ever before are wearing contact lenses. Population demographics, disease patterns and prevalence, and the rise in the number of the elderly have also changed.
All of these factors have significant effects on the ocular surface resulting in dry, irritated eyes. Several decades ago, only saline eye drops were accessible, now there are many dry eye products accessible in the pharmacy.

The suffering linked with this condition is substantial and gets worse if left untreated. However, early and proper intervention can slow, halt, or even reverse disease progression. Tons of patients have dry eyes and
can no longer endure contact lens wear. “These patients then usually seek LASIK surgery”, explains Dr Ashraf of the Atlanta Vision Institute. He adds that, “here at Atlanta Vision, we pay particular attention to the
ocular surface and try to identify these patients. Approximately 50% of our patients have some form of ocular surface disease. These patients are then started on treatment prior to and after surgery.” He adds that, “this has
significantly improved patient comfort and visual results of the surgery.”

Yet, despite these statistics, lots of eye care providers continue to underestimate the impact of dry eye disease on patients’ eye-related health, vision, and quality of life.

In 1983, an ophthalmologist and a team of scientists at the IBM research laboratory applied the newly developed excimer laser onto corneal tissue. Unlike other lasers, this laser produced incredibly precise cuts without any heat nor any damage to the surrounding tissue. During the following 15 years, advances in biomedical research and technology evolved into the modern form of LASIK surgery. This technology has helped millions of people worldwide improve their vision and quality of life.

Based on a report in the November issue of Optometry and Vision Science, 2% of the people that wear contact lenses adhere to the appropriate cleaning procedures; 80% of contact lens wearers think they follow the proper procedures, when in actuality only 2% were following all recommended guidelines for proper contact lens care.

Here are some crucial contact lens cleaning procedures:
-Replace the contact lens solution rather than “topping off” the solution.
-Never expose contact lenses to tap water, even in the shower.
-Always properly wash your hands.

The authors reported that just 50% of the contact lens wearers followed through with the recommended guidelines. Dr Ashraf, LASIK surgeon at the Atlanta Vision Institute, states that while the risk of Keratitis, which is due to contact lenses, is very rare, the potential exists for severe complications. These complications could be infectious Keratitis of which could result in permanent vision damage.

Multiple surgeons outside the U.S. utilize corneal cross-linking as their routine treatment for Keratoconus and some are performing laser refractive surgery in conjunction with corneal cross-linking on these patients. Despite the success of this procedure, the FDA has not approved this process in the U.S. Dr. Ashraf, medical director of the Atlanta Vision Institute, has been utilizing this technology for the past two years at his Dubai office. He states: “We’ve had excellent results with this procedure with minimal side effects and it is unfortunate that this procedure is not available for our United States patients.” He also adds that several of his United States patients have flown to Dubai to seek treatment.

The good news is that the blurry vision did not substantially affect any of the astronauts’ tasks while in space. The researchers explained that future studies are necessary, especially in light of extended space travel with the International Space Station. Dr. Ashraf, LASIK surgeon of the Atlanta Vision Institute, claims that LASIK surgery with the Intralase laser has been approved by NASA for its astronauts and so far has not had any negative impact while in space.