What happened in optometry this week: January 29-February 2
Catch up on what happened in optometry during the week of January 29-February 2.
Catch up with what Optometry Times shared this week:
FDA warns consumers of contaminated copycat eye drops
By David Hutton, Managing Editor, Opthamology Times
The FDA has issued a warning to consumers not to purchase or use South Moon, Rebright, or FivFivGo eye drops because of the potential risk of eye infection.
According to an FDA news release, the drops in question are copycat eye drop products that consumers can easily mistake for Bausch + Lomb’s Lumify brand eye drops, an over-the-counter product approved for redness relief.
New report estimates $151 billion in health system, productivity costs due to unmanaged screen time in 2023
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
The American Optometric Association (AOA) and the Deloitte Economics Institute released a report January 30 on the implications of unmanaged screen time and found that working in front of screens generated health system, productivity, and personal wellbeing costs equivalent to an estimated $151 billion in 2023. The report, entitled, “The impact of unmanaged excessive screen time in the United States” was developed in part of AOA’s national public awareness campaign Eye Deserve More, according to a news release.
Posterior cortical atrophy study highlights importance of Alzheimer disease biomarker testing
By Jordana Joy, Associate Editor
A new international exploratory descriptive study strongly reinforces the connection drawn between Alzheimer disease and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).
First author Marianne Chapleau, PhD, and a team of investigators found that previous, smaller studies indicating that PCA typically presents as a pure, early onset dementia syndrome that strongly correlates with underlying Alzheimer disease pathology were correct.
What’s your clinical protocol for managing diabetic retinopathy?
By Michael Cymbor, OD, FAAO
According to recent projections, by 2060, nearly 18% of US adults (60.6 million) will have diabetes. That number is currently 38.4 million. Twenty-six percent of them have diabetic retinopathy (DR). What’s more, all of those patients are at risk of developing vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema. By 2050, the prevalence of DR is predicted to nearly triple and, without treatment, the patients with high-risk proliferative DR have a 50% chance of becoming blind within 5 years. These figures are concerning and have made me question what I can do to make a difference for the patients who rely on me for primary eye care services.
Looking forward to improving and lessening the allergic response
By Shawna L. Vanderhoof, OD, FAAO
Looking forward implies the anticipation of something favorable. Do allergy sufferers look forward to a new season? What could they do now before the upcoming allergy season to reduce their symptoms?
As eye care professionals, we encounter patients with recurrent symptoms suffering from not only ocular allergies but also skin issues that significantly impact their quality of life. In addition to their ocular symptoms of itching, redness, and tearing that you discuss during an eye exam, ask about other allergy symptoms such as scratchy throat, postnasal drip, and skin rashes or breakouts.
