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October, 2007 | |||
High blood pressure medications can be harmful with glaucoma patients.From Dr. Ed Kondrot's recent newsletter.Maneli Mozaffarieh, MD and Josef Flammer, MD published a report entitled "Is there More to Glaucoma Treatment then Lowering the Intraocular pressure?". In this article they stress the importance of protecting the optic nerve in glaucoma. Low pressure increases the probability of visual field loss. They even suggest methods of increasing the blood pressure to improve circulation of the nerve. (I feel that all glaucoma patients with nerve damage should reconsider taking their high blood pressure medication) In this article vascular improvement can be improved by taking carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and magnesium. Omega–3 fatty acids and cacao beans are also beneficial due to their vasorelaxing properties The article reports on the benefits of antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress to improve the function of the optic nerve. Green tea, coffee, dark chocolate and red wine contains polyphenolic compounds that reduce free radicals. Not only does it have a polyphenol it also contains a selective compound that reduces peroxynitrate a free radical that damages the nerve. Fruits that are rich in anthocyanosides such as bilberry are a powerful antioxidant. Other helpful compounds that the authors mention are coenzyme Q10 and melatonin. Ref: Glaucoma Topics and Trends 2007 Issue #6 Editor's Note: Optic Nerve formula is an excellent formula with nutrients that help protect the optic nerve from damage. ------------------------------------------------------
Vitamin C and Bioflavenoids Help Prevent CataractsTwo studies show significant reductions in cataracts for those in the highest percentage of vitamin C intake.In the first study, Japanese researchers followed 35,000 people. They evaluated the participants for their vitamin C intake and cataract formation. They found that those in the highest 20% of vitamin C intake had a 40% reduced risk of getting cataracts. The second study followed 177 (116 women, 61 men) participants over the age of 60. In this study, the researchers found that if you are in the top 5% of vitamin C intake, your risk is reduced some 20% compared to the lowest 5%. But that's not all this study found. If you ingest more than 3,290 mcg daily of lutein, your risk drops 14% compared to ingesting less than 256 mcg daily. Zeaxanthin had a smaller risk reduction, but mostly in men. Interestingly, the study also found that sunlight exposure is also a major risk factor. If you were out in the sun a lot in your early years, your risk triples compared to being closeted indoors. Ref: International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 2006; 76(6); Nutr, 2007 January 30. Also, refer to the Second Opinion Newsletter Oct. 3 2007 for original article Editor's Note: See specific nutrient recommendations for cataracts. ------------------------------------------------------
Vision Restoration May Help Partially Blinded Stroke PatientsA study in a recent issue of Neurorehabilitation & Neural Repair explores whether patients who have lost part of their vision as a result of stroke can regain the vision through restoration therapy. Researchers at Columbia University's Department of Neurology hypothesize that such training induces specific changes in the brain's response to stimuli, a phenomenon that has been demonstrated in animal experiments but never in humans with brain injury.The home-based therapy uses repetitive stimulation of the zones adjacent to the blind area to modestly enlarge the field of vision in patients who lost the ability to see to the left or right in each eye. "Our goal in this study was to determine whether therapy would produce a unique alteration in the brain's response to stimuli in the trained border-zone location compared with the non-trained portion of the seeing field," the authors wrote. Their results suggest that visual restoration therapy seems to alter brain activity, and they believe that demonstrating a visual field's specific training effect on brain activity may provide an important starting point for understanding the potential for visual therapy in partially blind stroke patients. See contact information. ------------------------------------------------------
New Gel May Treat Retinal Diseases Without InjectionA new gel formulation applied under the eyelid could provide an innovative way of delivering drugs for treating age-related retinal diseases such as wet AMD, and could potentially eliminate the need for invasive eye injections, according to research presented at the recent British Pharmaceutical Conference. At present, the only effective way to deliver drug treatment to the retina has been through direct injection to the back of the eye. The gel compound would deliver drugs to the retina using "smart" polymers that behave as liquids at room temperature but rapidly transform to a gel at body temperature. The treatment would be inserted under the eyelid and would deposit on the white of the eye. Once at body temperature, the liquid converts to a gel, providing a depot for the drug and allowing it to slowly move towards the retina over several hours. A gel system would also prolong drug release duration, allowing for controlled drug release. For more information, contact the public relations unit of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. ------------------------------------------------------
Study Show Hypnosis Can Lower Intraocular PressureA research study shows that hypnosis can lower intraocular pressure for those with open-angle glaucoma.Editor's Note: In Dr. Robert Abel's book "The Eye Care Revolution," he states that glaucoma is a disease of stress. Other research studies as well have confirmed that chronic stress can raise intraocular pressure. This may account for why hypnosis helps as it can result in relaxing the person. ------------------------------------------------------
Maintaining normal zinc levels helps protect against pneumoniaThe October, 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that having adequate levels of the mineral zinc may help protect nursing home-bound individuals from pneumonia and its sometimes deadly complications.Based on the data from the research study, it appears that daily zinc intake based on RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) can help nursing home residents who are susceptible to pneumonia, especially those with low serum zinc concentrations in their blood," stated Dr Meydani. "The study participants with normal serum zinc concentrations in their blood reduced their risk of developing pneumonia by about 50 percent. Additionally, deaths from all causes were 39 percent lower in this group. ------------------------------------------------------
Grilled Vegetables˝ cup medium size cauliflower florets˝ cup medium size broccoli florets ˝ cup chopped zucchini 1 red onion chopped in square pieces ˝ cup diced eggplant 1 tsp. chopped garlic 3-4 T. good olive oil Salt to taste 1-2 teaspoon (herb of your choice – basil, oregano, rosemary etc) (optional) 1. Line a flat tray with foil and gather all vegetables on it. Drizzle olive oil, sprinkle salt and add chopped garlic and herbs so that everything is evenly coated. 2.Bake in a hot oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until vegetables are done. 3. Serve hot with any kind of seafood or as an accompaniment to a soup and salad. 4. Squeeze juice of lemon for a zesty taste. Contributed from the book – Indian Flavors to Savor – The Easy Home Cooked Way. |
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