Studies Show Relationship of Blood Pressure and Glaucoma
Glaucoma may continue to progress after the reduction of IOP to targeted levels. Research is providing increasing
support for the idea that vascular risk factors may be the cause.
Several population-based studies have suggested that low diastolic perfusion pressure is associated with an increased
incidence of open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Perfusion pressure is defined as the difference between arterial and venous
pressure, which, in the eye, by convention equals IOP. Blood pressure and IOP are therefore the principal components
of ocular perfusion pressure (perfusion pressure = blood pressure – IOP).
Choi J, Kim KH, Jeong J, et al. Circadian fluctuation of mean ocular perfusion pressure is a consistent risk factor
for normal-tension glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48:104-111.
Tielsch JM, Katz J, Sommer A, et al. Hypertension, perfusion pressure, and primary open-angle glaucoma. A population-based
assessment. Arch Ophthalmol. 1995;113:216-221.
Leske MC, Connell AM, Wu SY, et al. Risk factors for open-angle glaucoma. The Barbados Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol.
1995;113:918-924.
Hulsman CA, Vingerling JR, Hofman A, et al. Blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and open-angle glaucoma: the Rotterdam study.
Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125:805-812.
Perfusion pressure can be affected by IOP and blood pressure, but which is really the most important? In a given patient, it
could be IOP alone, blood pressure alone, or a combination of the two.
For more related studies, go to www.glaucomatoday.com/articles/0409/GT0409_06.phpdelivery
Editor's Note: We have long believed that impaired circulation and the delivery of essential nutrients to the optic nerve was a big factor in the impairment of optic nerve health those with both with high IOP's as well as those with normal tension glaucoma.
See more information on supplements and nutrients that help nourish and protect the optic nerve.
New Study Show That Just 10 Minutes of Exercise Could Help Prevent Vision Loss from Glaucoma
According to a recent study that appears in August's online issue of BMC Ophthalmology, just ten minutes daily of aerobic exercise may help prevent further vision loss.
Editor's Note: This is another study showing the "whole-body" connection to lifestyle and eye disease. Dr. Robert Abel, a well known Ophthalmologist for over 30 years, described glaucoma as a stress related eye disease in his book "The Eye Care Revolution".
See more natural ways to help preserve vision for those with glaucoma or who are glaucoma suspects.
Skins Cells Can Turn Into Retinal Cells?
Scientists genetically “reprogrammed” human skin cells to possess the same properties as those that make up the retina.
The process involved first turning them into pluripotent stem (IPS) cells, which have the potential to develop into virtually every kind of tissue in the body.
By exposing the IPS cells to a specific cocktail of chemicals, the scientists then caused them to grow into partially developed retina cells – the light-sensitive cells at the back of the eye which transmit nerve signals to the brain.
Although the work, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is at a very early stage, it paves the way for treatments that allow retinas to be repaired with cells grown from a patient’s own skin.
In the more immediate future scientists could use the cultivated cells to study genetically-linked eye disorders, or screen new drugs for retina conditions.
Study leader Dr David Gamm, from the University of Wisconsin, said, “This is an important step forward for us, as it not only confirms that multiple retinal cells can be derived from human IPS cells. but also shows how similar the process is to normal human retinal development.
New device allows the blind to 'see' with their tongues
Fascinating work being done at Dr. William Seiple at Lighthouse International in New York City. This device uses a patch that sits on the tongue, and vibrates in different ways depending on what the camera mounted on the glasses picks up. With training, one can "teach" the brain to pick up visual images based on the vibration being received.
This device can an even be used by people who have been blind from birth.
For quick video on yahoo, go to http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/vid/15259030
Mesozeaxanthin and Macular Degeneration Prevention
A supplement of meso-zeaxanthin may bolster macular pigment optical density (MPOD), according to researchers from Florida International University (Nutr Metab . 2007;4:12) (DOI:10.1186/1743-7075-4-12). Lutein and zeaxanthin have been the primary focus of research trials exploring how the xanthophyll carotenoids can support macular pigment and possibly prevent onset of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Meso-zeaxanthin is the third major carotenoid found in macular pigment.
Nutrients such as lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin are essential in helping protect the retina from damage due to ROS and free radicals. ROS encompasses all of the unstable molecules produced as a result of HEV photochemical reactions, as well as normal cellular metabolism for the creation of cellular energy, including retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) phagocytosis and the photosensitizers.
Collectively, lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin make up the macular protective pigment (MPP). Zinc is present in the macular tissue, but it facilitates the process of eliminating the ROS and isn't an actual antioxidant.
Research indicates that meso-zeaxanthin is created in the center of the macula from lutein. The inability to create meso-zeaxanthin is a theory that is gaining in popularity.
In nature, meso-zeaxanthin has been isolated in shrimp, certain turtles and yellow fish skin.
The average Western diet contains fewer than 3 mg of lutein and zeaxanthin daily.21 Approximately 20 mg of carotenoids per day are needed to effectively repigment the macula. That translates to about a bucket of green leafy vegetables per day. It would be very difficult, or next to impossible, to raise MPPD through diet alone.
In studies to date, once the macula is repigmented, some patients have experienced improvements in their visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color appreciation and glare recovery time ( Bone R, Landrum J, Friedes L, et al. Distribution of lutein and zeaxanthin stereoisomers in the human retina. Exp Eye Res. 1997;64:211–218).
Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Vitamin E Reduce Risk of Cataracts
An observational 10-year study of more than 35,000 middle-aged U.S. women observed the women’s use of dietary supplements and occurrence of cataracts.
The study found significant evidence that women who got more lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E were less likely to develop cataracts than women who are lacking intake of these nutrients. In fact, the women who got the most lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E were 18% less likely to get cataracts.
Archives of Ophthalmology (Arch. Ophthalmol. 2008;126:102-9) gathered from the Women's Health Study,
Editor's Note: For more information on nutrients and cataracts.
Study Shows Red Rice Yeast Supplement Reduces LDL Cholesterol Levels
By some estimates, as many as 10% of people who take cholesterol-lowering statins experience troubling muscle pain, and many stop taking the drugs because of it.
Now a new study suggests that a dietary supplement sold in nutrition centers and grocery stores may be a useful alternative to statins for some. Common statin drugs include Vytorin, Lipitor, Crestor and Zetia.
People who took red yeast rice supplements and completed a 12-week lifestyle intervention program experienced bigger reductions in LDL "bad" cholesterol than patients who completed the same lifestyle program but took placebo pills.
The newly published study included 62 people with high LDL cholesterol who had stopped taking statins because of muscle pain.
Half the study participants took three 600-milligram capsules of red yeast rice a day and half took placebo capsules that were identical in look and smell to the red yeast rice.
Editor's Note: Fish Oil (omega-3 fatty acids) can help lower cholesterol as well. Also, add oat bran and brown rice bran to your diet, along with blueberries, garlic and apples, and avoid transfatty acids, fried food and refined carbohydrates.
See an excellent fish oil.
Editor's Note: Anyone taking statin drugs should supplement with CoQ10 as statin drugs deplete the body of CoQ10, essential for the proper functioning of the heart, energy production within all cells in the body, and a powerful antioxidant. For excellent CoQ10 products, go to www.naturaleyecare.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=coq
Vitamin E supplementation may slow Alzheimer's disease
An analysis of "real-world" clinical data indicates that vitamin E, and
drugs that reduce generalized inflammation, may slow the decline of mental and physical abilities in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) over the long term.
Dr. Alireza Atri, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the VA Bedford Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, led the National Institutes of Health-sponsored research. The findings, reported at the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society in Chicago, stem from data on 540 patients treated at the MGH Memory Disorders Unit.
All of the patients were receiving standard-of-care treatment with a drug intended to help patients with Alzheimer's. As part of their clinical care, 208 patients also took vitamin E but no anti-inflammatory, 49 took an anti-inflammatory but no vitamin E, 177 took both vitamin E and an anti-inflammatory, and 106 took neither.
While the daily dose of vitamin E ranged from 200 to 2000 units, the majority of patients were given high doses that ranged from 800 units daily to 1000 units twice daily.
Acupuncture and Headache Relief
Acupuncture can effectively relieve headaches, as well as treat their underlying causes. In fact, headaches are one of the conditions most commonly seen in acupuncture clinics today. It can offer powerful relief without the side effects that prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause.
Headaches that can be treated with acupuncture include migraines, tension headaches, headaches occurring around the menstrual cycle, sinus headaches and stress-related headaches.
When treating with acupuncture, headaches are often classified by their location. This is only a broad guideline which needs to be further refined and integrated into the treatment for each individual, but this shows meridians and patterns that affect each area of the head.
Top of Head: Liver Meridian (Liver Blood Deficiency, Liver Yang Rising)
Sides of Head: Gall-Bladder Meridian (Liver-Yang, Liver-Fire or Liver-Wind Rising)
One Side Only: Gall-Bladder Meridian (Liver-Yang or Liver-Fire Rising)
Temples: Gall-Bladder Meridian (Liver-Yang, Liver-Fire or Liver-Wind Rising)
Behind the Eyes: Liver Meridian (Liver Blood Deficiency, Liver Yang Rising)
Forehead: Stomach Meridian (Stomach Deficiency or Stomach-Heat)
Back of Head (Occipital): Bladder Meridian (Kidney Deficiency or Damp-Heat in the Bladder) or External Wind
Two separate systematic reviews by Cochrane Researchers show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for prevention of headaches and migraines.
British Medical Journal, July 2005
Acupuncture for tension-type headache. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD007587 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007587
Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2009, Issue 1. Art.No.: CD001218 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001218.pub2
New Harvard Study links 45,000 U.S. deaths to lack of insurance
Researchers in a new Harvard estimated that nearly 45,000 people die in the United States each year, nearly one every 12 minutes due to lack of health care insurance. American adults age 64 and younger who lack health insurance have a 40 percent higher risk of death than those who have coverage.
An similar study in 1993 found those without insurance had a 25 percent greater risk of death, according to the Harvard group. The Institute of Medicine later used that data in its 2002 estimate showing about 18,000 people a year died because they lacked coverage.
"Part of the increased risk now is due to the growing ranks of the uninsured," researcher Himmelstein said. Roughly 46.3 million people in the United States lacked coverage.
The Harvard study's six researchers closely followed the methodology used in the 1993 study conducted by researchers in the federal government as well as the University of Rochester in New York.
Editor's Note: We are currently the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide health insurance to all our citizens. The negative impact of this is born out in studies such as the one described above.
In addition, preventing illness is a big part of reducing our burgeoning health care costs as well as keeping people healthy and seniors independent. Our diet, lifestyle and life attitudes play a significant role in staying health and preventing illness.
Health and Peace
Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac.
Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac.
