"Late in the disease, people may notice they’re tripping over the curb, or walking into things they didn’t see. It really is only in very advanced disease that people notice there’s anything wrong." WebMD Health News
Author: Medscape
HCQ Blood Level ‘Sweet Spot’ May Maximize Efficacy in Lupus
Researchers identified a blood-level reference range linked with 71% lower odds of active lupus. Medscape Medical News
Adolescent Eye Health Worse With Vape and Cigarette Use
Using both cigarettes and vapes are apparently much worse for eye health than either product use alone, a new study found. Medscape Medical News
Even an Hour’s Walk a Week Lowers Risk in Type 2 Diabetes
Leisure time activity equivalent to less than 1.5 hours’ walking time per week may be enough to substantially reduce the risk for neuropathy and nephropathy in type 2 diabetes, say Danish researchers. Medscape Medical News
Chatbots as Accurate as Ophthalmologists in Giving Advice
The first study of the quality of ChatGPT answers for topics in eye care has found they’re on par with answers from ophthalmologists, who could not always distinguish human from AI responses. Medscape Medical News
Avoid 2 Eye Drop Products, FDA Advises
The FDA is urging the public to avoid buying or using two different kinds of eye drops because of possible bacterial or fungal contamination. WebMD Health News
Could Retinal Changes Be a Harbinger of Parkinson’s?
Changes in retinal tissues known to be associated with Parkinson’s disease may occur up to 7 years before clinical symptoms of the disease appear. Medscape Medical News
Study Questions if Blue Light Blocking Glasses Really Work
Despite claims by their makers, blue light glasses probably don’t reduce eyestrain for people who spend a lot of time looking at computer screens or phones. WebMD Health News
Primary Care Vision Testing Rates in Children Low
Vision testing rates by primary care physicians in children were low and differed by insurance status, an anlysis of pooled data found. MDedge News
SpA-Related Diseases Share Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis
Stool samples from patients with spondyloarthritis, acute anterior uveitis, and/or Crohn’s disease showed similarly low levels of certain bacteria, compared with samples from control patients. Medscape Medical News
Long-Term Outcomes of Pegcetacoplan for GA Show Promise
Results of the 30-month data cut of the 3-year GALE open-label extension trial of pegcetacoplan for geographic atrophy showed that the drug produced clinically meaningful reductions in lesion growth. Medscape Medical News
Drug Name Confusion: List of Problem Medications Grows
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, which is focused on preventing medication errors, added 82 new drug pairs to its list of medicines requiring special safeguards to reduce error risk. Medscape Medical News
Complications From Geographic Atrophy Drug Fuel Questions
An extension study found no cases of occlusive retinal vasculitis after 23,000 injections of pegcetacoplan, but a panel received more reports of the complication and dealt with conflicts of interest. Medscape Medical News
Do GLP-1 Agonists Worsen Diabetic Retinopathy?
Patients taking glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists were more likely to progress from nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy to proliferative disease or diabetic macular edema than those who took sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors. Medscape Medic…
Biosimilars Comparable to Aflibercept in Macular Disease
Phase 3 registration trials found the comparability of two biosimilars to reference aflibercept in terms of efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity. Medscape Medical News
Higher Aflibercept Dose Safe as 2 mg
The PULSAR trial of a higher dosage formulation extended the treatment interval to 12 or 16 weeks. Medscape Medical News
Study Shows Vision, Anatomy Stable With Port System for AMD
Recalled in 2022, a port delivery system for ranibizumab to treat wet AMD demonstrated that vision and retinal anatomy remained stable in patients who had the device for 5 years. Medscape Medical News
Study: AMD Gene Therapy Demonstrates Vision Stabilization
An early gene therapy trial reported maintenance of vision, reduced retinal inflammation, and detectable therapeutic protein levels 9 months after treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Medscape Medical News
Are AI-Powered Skin-Check Tools on the Horizon?
Primary care might be the first setting where AI-driven tools allow for broader access to effective melanoma screening, amid continuing challenges in developing consumer apps for this purpose. Medscape Medical News
From Chronic Care to Zebras: Clinical Pearls in Uveitis
Nisha Acharya, MD, advocated long-term treatment for chronic or recurrent uveitis, exploring less-common causes, and multimodal imaging. Medscape Medical News