‘Sneak thief of sight’ commonly undiagnosed, says expert

About 300,000 Australians have glaucoma yet half of these don’t know they have the potentially blinding disease.

Further, it’s estimated that the ageing of the population will see this figure increase by 40 per cent to 420,000 in 2025, at a cost to the community of $4.3 billion a year. 

“Around 150,000 Australians have undiagnosed glaucoma. If you’re 40 years or over and glaucoma runs in your family, it’s very possible you’re living with the disease but do not yet realise it,” said CERA Managing Director Professor Jonathan Crowston.

 “Glaucoma is dubbed the ‘sneak thief of sight’ because vision loss caused by the disease is gradual, often with no symptoms or warning.”

According to Professor Crowston, while current treatment options can delay the progression of glaucoma, they can’t reverse the damage already done. 

“An eye test can detect glaucoma long before a patient notices any symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment can significantly reduce the risk of irreversible vision loss caused by the disease,” Professor Crowston said.

Glaucoma, a hereditary disease, causes damage to the optic nerve that connects the brain to the eyes. It is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness.

During World Glaucoma Week (7 – 13 March 2010) Australians who are 40 years or over, with a family history of glaucoma, are being urged to book an eye test and encourage others to do the same. 

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Cycle for Sight

Join the Lions Ride for Sight and raise money for eye research.

The Lions Ride for Sight is an annual event that brings together riders of all levels to raise money for eye research and spread the word about preventable blindness. Funds raised will support a Low Vision Research Fellow in the Population Health Unit at CERA. 

The four day ride will cover more than 400 kilometres, beginning in Trafalgar, West Gippsland on March 18 and finishing in Frankston, Mornington Peninsula on March 21.

The ride is a fun, non-competitive event that is open to everyone.

Support the CERA team

Join the CERA team

 

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Good fats prevent blindness in old age

Good news for people who love the Mediterranean style diet – olive oil can significantly reduce the risk of blindness in old age.

A CERA study has found that people who eat at least 100 millilitres (about seven tablespoons) of olive oil per week are almost 50 per cent less likely to develop late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than those who eat less than 1 millilitre per week.

The study also found that people who eat other foods rich in omega-3 fatty-acids, such as fish and nuts, are 15 per cent less likely to develop early AMD.

Report author Dr Elaine Chong said olive oil contains a number of protective elements that contribute to eye health.

“Olive oil is rich in powerful antioxidants such as vitamin E. It also contains an anti-inflammatory component, similar to ibuprofen, which helps to protect the blood vessels in the eye,” said Dr Chong.

“A diet rich in olive oil and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids such as oily fish varieties like salmon and tuna, and nuts may help protect your eyes against diseases such as AMD.”

Half a million Australians live with the early stages of AMD, a progressive disease affecting the central area of the retina called the macula.

Read the full story

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Treatment a step closer for the long-sighted 

CERA researchers hope the discovery of a ‘long-sighted gene’ will lead to new treatments to prevent vision loss.

Long-sightedness is one of Australia’s leading causes of correctable vision loss, affecting almost 10% of the population.

Long-sighted people can see clearly when looking at objects that are far away, but have difficulty focusing on near objects and struggle with tasks such as reading. This can often lead to blurred vision, headaches and tiredness.

Principal Investigator Associate Professor Paul Baird of the Ocular Genetics Unit at CERA said the study is the first to positively identify a gene for long-sightedness.  

“The discovery of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene provides important insights into the biological mechanisms involved in ocular development,” Associate Professor Baird said.

“We hope this important discovery will help us develop new drug treatments and I expect it will have a profound impact on improving global eye heath.”

Read the full story

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Federal Government funds new ocular implant technology  

CERA has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Development Grant to develop an ocular implant for the treatment of bacterial endophthalmitis.

Bacterial endophthalmitis is a sight-threatening condition and one of the main complications of cataract surgery.

The funding will allow researchers to develop a small implant that can be administered directly to the eye. Once in the eye, the implant will release a controlled dose of antibiotic to the affected area before safely eroding.  

CERA is one of 19 research institutes to receive an NHMRC Development Grant, which are awarded to innovative medical research projects.

The project is a joint venture between CERA, Bionic Ear Institute and CSIRO.

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CERA enters social media age

CERA has joined the social networking site, Facebook.

Featuring links to recent media such as news articles, and television and radio coverage, the page attracted more than 50 fans in just two days.

Managing Director Professor Jonathan Crowston said that more and more people are turning to the internet to access news and information, particularly the young.  

“CERA communicates with many groups, from medical students to elderly patients, and each group has unique media consumption habits”.

“Social media is effective in communicating with members of the Y and Z generations, who can be difficult to reach with traditional forms of media like newspapers and radio”.

Professor Crowston said the other benefit of social networking sites is the ability to engage in two-way communication with members.

“Our Facebook fans can post questions and leave comments, this allows us to relay information back to fans directly and act on suggestions and feedback”.   

When asked whether he is a member of sites like Facebook and Twitter, Professor Crowston admits he’s still learning ropes of social networking.

“I have a neglected Facebook profile and I’m a regular visitor to the CERA page, but I’m yet to ‘tweet’ on Twitter!”

To become a fan of the CERA facebook page log in and search for the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

 

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Link between Smoking and AMD

CERA Research Fellow Suki Sandu talks to 5AA presenter Jane Riley about the link between smoking and AMD.

Download the audio file.

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Call for optometrists to join study

Research shows that half of all glaucoma patients go undiagnosed, despite 50 per cent of these cases having had an eye test in the past year.

Researchers at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) hope to change this with an online training program aimed at improving glaucoma detection rates.   

Research Assistant Jessica Brennan said the Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy Evaluation (GONE) project tests optic disc assessment skills and highlights the subtle characteristics of glaucoma that are easily missed in routine eye exams.

“Understanding the common problems faced in glaucoma assessment will help us develop a customised training program and give optometrists greater confidence to diagnose glaucoma and refer patients to ophthalmologists,” Ms Brennan said.   

“Ultimately, an improvement in diagnosis rates will allow patients to seek treatment sooner and significantly reduce the rate of preventable vision loss caused by the disease”.

According to Ms Brennan, optometrists will also benefit from the program with participants eligible to receive two Continued Professional Development (CPD) points on completion of the assessment.

“The anonymous assessment takes only 45 minutes and is available to all eye care practitioners. Best of all it’s free and gives people instant feedback,” Ms Brennan said.

More than 800 eye care professionals have registered to participate in the study. Researchers hope the training tool will be available at the end of this year.

To register for the GONE project visit www.gone-project.com

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