WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services should establish a national payment policy for bevacizumab (Avastin) to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, a government report concluded.
Author: MedPage Today
Group OKs New Criteria for Sjogren’s (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — An expert panel of international researchers has developed a set of objective classification criteria for Sjogren’s syndrome that encompasses the autoimmune, ocular, and salivary components of the disorder.
Eye Tremors May Be Early Sign of Parkinson’s (CME/CE, with audio)
(MedPage Today) — Eye tremors are pervasive in Parkinson’s disease and could be an early warning sign of the neurodegenerative movement disorder, according to a case-control study.
Anti-VEGF Shot Sharpens Sight in Diabetic Eyes (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Improved visual acuity seen with bevacizumab injections is maintained long term in diabetic macular edema compared with laser surgery results, researchers found.
PodMed: A Medical News Roundup from Johns Hopkins (with audio)
(MedPage Today) — This week’s topics include video to promote organ donations, mammography ‘plus’ for breast cancer diagnosis, and a possible link between a common antibiotic and detached retinas.
Antibiotic May Pose Risk to Eyes (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — The risk of retinal detachment was found to be higher among patients currently taking oral fluoroquinolones, although the absolute risk remained small, a case-control study showed.
Bone Drugs May Raise Risk for Eye Pain (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Oral bisphosphonate therapy may boost the risk of inflammatory eye complications in first-time users versus nonusers, researchers found.
Lab Notes: Zapping Glaucoma Away
(MedPage Today) — A single jolt of x-ray radiation may provide lifelong protection against glaucoma, a mouse study suggested. Also in this week’s Lab Notes, a cat parasite could hold clues to possible Alzheimer’s disease therapies.
Medicare Turns Gimlet Eye on DME Drugs
(MedPage Today) — VEGF inhibitors, such as ranibizumab (Lucentis) or bevacizumab (Avastin), may improve vision in patients with diabetic macular edema, but more research is needed, according to a Medicare advisory panel.
Clinical Notes: Foodborne Illness Toll Soars
(MedPage Today) — Reports from a CDC-sponsored conference painted a grim picture of increasing deaths and illnesses from ingested pathogens over the past decade. Also this week: kids skip out on allergy treatments.
Retinopathy Tied to Cognitive Decline (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — The eye of the patient may hold clues to the risk of dementia, researchers reported.
Glaucoma Screens Urged for Blacks (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Routine screening of older African Americans for glaucoma would significantly reduce the incidence of blindness at relatively low cost, researchers said.
Combo Spray Beats Allergy Sniffles, More (CME/CE)
ORLANDO (MedPage Today) — A two-drug nasal spray safely controlled the symptoms of allergic rhinitis for up to a year and offered short-term relief for itchy, watery, and red eyes, researchers reported here.
Adding Omega-3s May Help Slow Vision Loss (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — The combination of vitamin A supplementation and a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may slow the loss of visual acuity for patients with retinitis pigmentosa, researchers found.
New Glaucoma Drug Approved
(MedPage Today) — The FDA has approved an ophthalmic solution of tafluprost (Zioptan), a prostaglandin analog, for patients with open-angle glaucoma, its manufacturer said Monday.
Women Suffer More ICD Complications (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Women are at greater risk of complications and are less likely to receive appropriate shocks from their implantable cardioverter-defibrillators than men, researchers found.
Stem Cell Therapy Safe in Macular Degeneration (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — In the first application of its kind, human embryonic stem cells were safely used to treat macular degeneration in two patients, researchers reported.
Glasses, Patching Work for Rogue Form of Lazy Eye (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Refractive correction followed by patching helped kids with a particularly difficult-to-treat form of amblyopia, according to a small, prospective trial.
Dilated Eye Exams Cost Effective for Seniors (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Replacing the currently recommended visual acuity screening at the time of enrollment in Medicare with coverage for a dilated eye examination would be very cost effective, a simulation model suggested.
Daily Aspirin Tied to Eye Disorder (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) — Daily aspirin use may protect the heart but hurt the eyes, boosting the risk of age-related macular degeneration, researchers found.