Blog

The brain and the body are in constant relationship.  This truth is further supported by the recent study published in General Hospital Psychiatry that describes how people who suffer from both depression and diabetes are more likely to end up with diabetic retinopathy.

In a study that controlled such factors as obesity, smoking, and activity, diabetic retinopathy was linked to occurrences of depression.  Over the five year trial, almost one quarter of patients with depression developed the eye disease compared to less than 20% of those who did not have depression.  Researchers extrapolate that depression increases one’s risk of developing retinopathy by 15%.
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Don’t just take it from us that glaucoma risk increases in those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, and who are overweight.  Researchers publishing in the journal Ophthalmology have found that these conditions, which together are labeled “metabolic syndrome” are all linked to the development of open-angle glaucoma.

A staggering 20% of people in America are said to have metabolic syndrome.  Both metabolic syndrome and glaucoma are associated with aging, so, as the US population gets older, scientists believe that both conditions with become more prevalent.
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Is it harder to “see the bigger picture” as we get older?  New research published in Cortex indicates that as people age, the brain is less able to process information in the wider visual field.

A study of young and elderly people showed that the older subjects found it harder to focus on the “global picture.”  The participants were shown a figure similar to that which appears below.  Smaller letters made up a larger letter.  The elderly study subjects took longer to spot the larger letter.

According to Medical News Today, this experiment provides insight into the processes of aging, including the changes in attention (meaning, the ability to concentrate on one thing, while ignoring other) which naturally happen over time.
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The role of intraocular pressure (a.k.a. IOP or eye pressure) and glaucoma is still a point of discussion.

At a meeting of the World Glaucoma Association, speaker Felipe Medeiros, MD described a common myth: “21 mm Hg threshold, above which IOP is supposed to be abnormal and below which is thought to be normal.”

In fact, according to this story’s source, the OSN Supersite, only 9.5% of patients with what is considered a high IOP are ever diagnosed with glaucoma.
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The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) reminds Americans that there are over 9,000 fireworks related injuries each year.  Of these injuries, almost half affect the head and nearly 30% of those are injuries to the eyes.  One quarter of these fireworks related injuries leave victims with permanent vision loss or blindness.

It is especially important to note that children age fifteen and younger suffer half of all fireworks eye injuries.  Sparklers, which can cause third degree burns, can be especially dangerous for young children.  Bottle rockets are considered the most dangerous fireworks.

The month of July has been established as “Eye Safety Awareness Month.”  The AOA offers the following safety tips:
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Changes in lifestyle are usually the most important way that individuals with diabetes can control their conditions.  Most people seem to know this, but a new survey shows that many diabetics do not follow that advice.

A study called SHIELD (The Study to Help Improve Early Evaluation and Management of Risk Factors Leading to Diabetes), which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, surveyed nearly 4,000 people with type 2 diabetes.  In response to questions about the link between diabetes and obesity, 87% said they knew excessive weight contributed the disease, but only 70% of respondents reported trying to lose weight in the preceding year.  Only a third of those surveyed had managed to maintain their target weight for longer than six months.  Almost one-fifth of those studied (17%) said they preferred to take medication to control their conditions rather than try diet and exercise.
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