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Monthly Archive for: ‘May, 2013’
Glucosamine- a possible Glaucoma risk?
A study has recently reported a possible link between Glucosamine and raised Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP).
Glucosamine is sometimes recommended as a treatment for arthritis- it is a naturally occurring amino sugar that is found in cartilage, so the theory is that supplements might improve the health of worn cartilage. Various studies have found it to be a safe and effective treatment for osteoarthritis. It is also available over the counter in health food shops.
There is little conclusive evidence that it is helpful to treat arthritis, but until recently there has been a “what harm can it do?” attitude towards it – it is naturally occurring after all. Unfortunately there is a suggestion that people who try this treatment themselves often exceed the recommended dosage- if the standard dose does not help them, they will often try more of it – to see if that works.
The study suggests that Glucosamine use may increase the risk of developing Glaucoma, because it can cause a rise in IOP in some people. The authors would themselves admit that the sample size of the study was small, and a larger follow up would be required to be certain that this finding is reproducible.
For the moment we should NOT advise that people should stop taking glucosamine supplements, but it is something to be aware of if you do use it- make sure to have your eyes regularly tested, and inform you eyecare practitioner that you are taking it.
The article is available to read here – you may need to login or register to read it, but registration is free.
Summer is coming…..?
Although, as someone said to me last night “I always knew somehow that summer would be on a Tuesday this year”!
I have a pair of these lenses, they are particularly excellent for driving, but also help on water and snow, when the glare can be really bad. Available in single vision, but also as varifocals.
Call us, send us a message or call in for details.
The most common search term…
We recently had a look at our site statistics, and were amazed to see that we have had approximately 6000 hits to the site resulting from searches on Google and Bing for pupil problems, misshapen pupils, pupil not dilating, pupil not round etc etc.
It just goes to show that many people would Google a problem before seeing their GP or optometrist, perhaps some would prefer just to Google.
In the case of a pupil defect or problem, if it is intermittent it is probably innocuous, but if it is not explained, we would suggest you get your own eyecare practitioner to check it out for peace of mind.
Macular Degeneration – AREDS2 Results
The much anticipated AREDS2 trial has published its findings. The original AREDS (Age Related Eye Disease Study) found that the vitamin and mineral supplements which are now so commonly recommended to patients with early Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) were effective at slowing down the progression of the disease. The AREDS2 study looked at the benefits which might come from incorporating other supplements into the original tablets-
- lutein
- zeaxanthin
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
It had been thought that incorporating these pigments which are found at the macular area, the area which is damaged in AMD would confer extra protection. The second two in the list are Omega 3 fatty acids which were also expected to help, but the study’s finding are that none of these extra ingredients are of any benefit over the original tablets’ formulation.
