Information from the National Eye Institute Researchers with the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) reported in 2001 that a nutritional supplement called the AREDS formulation can reduce the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The original AREDS formulation contains vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper. In 2006, the same research group, [Read More]
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Talking Books Service Has Gone Mobile
Talking Books is a service of the National Library Service (NLS), Library of Congress. People who are certified as legally blind, or otherwise unable to comfortably read print, may access over 50,000 titles in audio format at no cost. Until now, participants have been sent audio materials on tape, playable on special machines provided by [Read More]
Statin Use Associated With Cataracts
Statin drugs are known to reduce cholesterol, which benefits the retina. The medications may, however, also increase the risk of cataracts, according to a report published September 19, 2013 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. An analysis of 6,972 subjects showed that those taking the medication had a 9% higher risk of cataract [Read More]
Strong Support for Effective FDA Regulation of Compounding Pharmacies
Voters Expect to Be Informed If They Are Prescribed A Drug Not Approved By the FDA WASHINGTON – As Congress considers legislation to address the oversight of compounding pharmacies, a new, independent survey released today highlights the large gap between voters’ expectations that the medications they receive are FDA-approved and loopholes in federal law that [Read More]
C3 Gene Variant Linked To Macular Degeneration
Researchers report that a change in the C3 gene, which plays a role in inflammation and in the body’s immune response, also contributes to macular degeneration. After sequencing DNA from 10 regions of the genome that had been previously linked to AMD in previous genetic studies, the researchers turned up two gene variants: one in the [Read More]