* HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY & CATARACT RISK
Study links hormone replacement therapy and elevated cataract risk Ophthalmology. 2010;117(3):424-430. Postmenopausal women undergoing long-term hormone replacement therapy may have an elevated risk of cataract, according to a large Swedish study. Study data showed a higher cataract risk among women on hormone therapy who consumed more than one alcoholic beverage daily. “A longer duration of [hormone replacement therapy] usage was associated with an increased risk of cataract extraction,” the study authors said. “Higher intake of alcohol seemed to potentiate the harmful effect of [hormone replacement therapy] on cataract development. If other studies confirm this association, an increased rate of cataract extraction should be added to the list of potential negative outcomes associated with [hormone replacement therapy].” The prospective cohort study included 30,861 women aged 49 to 83 years who completed a questionnaire about hormone status, use of hormone replacement therapy and lifestyle. The study identified 4,324 women who underwent cataract surgery during the 98-month follow-up interval. Study data showed that women who had ever used hormone replacement therapy had a 14% higher risk of cataract than women who had never used therapy. Current users had an 18% higher risk of cataract than women who never used hormone replacement therapy. Results showed that among women who consumed alcohol, current hormone replacement therapy users had a 29% higher risk of cataract extraction than those who did not use therapy. Current users who consumed more than one alcoholic beverage daily had a 42% higher risk of cataract. Current hormone replacement therapy users who smoked had a 29% higher risk of cataract than women who neither used therapy nor smoked. Current users who never smoked had a 26% higher risk of cataract than women who neither used therapy nor smoked. Women who currently used hormone replacement therapy and alcohol and were smokers were at a 38% higher risk of cataract. Naturally secreted estrogen appears to protect the eye from cataract, but estrogen from outside sources in the form of hormone replacement therapy “is not to be regarded as a physiological substitution and could have other effects on the lens,” the authors said.
| POLYUNSATURATED FATS AND AMD Polyunsaturated fatty acids may influence development of AMD |
| Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(11):1483-1493. |
| A diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids may increase the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, according to a study.In a population study of 1,787 women aged 50 to 79 years who completed food questionnaires and were assessed photographically for presence of AMD, ingestion of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in high quantities was associated with a twofold higher prevalence of intermediate AMD compared with ingestion in low quantities.According to the study, omega-6 is found mainly in vegetable fats. Short-chain omega-3 is found primarily in linolenic acid while long-chain omega-3 is found in marine fats. While diets high in fish intake may protect against AMD risk, individuals in this study were highly likely to consume omega-6 and omega-3 concurrently, such as in tuna salad containing mayonnaise, the researchers said.”In three past studies in which omega-6 [polyunsaturated fatty acids] were associated with higher risk, a protective association with long-chain omega-3 [polyunsaturated fatty acids] was observed only in conjunction with low levels of omega-6,” the study authors said.Total fat intake was associated with AMD risk in younger women, but was inverted in older women. However, the inverse association in older women may have been confounded by selective mortality bias, the authors said.According to the study, intake of monounsaturated fatty acids was associated with a lower prevalence of AMD, which may represent a protective effect. |
* STRABISMUS
Researchers at the Centre for Eye Research have uncovered one of the genes responsible for strabismus, that could lead to new treatmetns and ways to prevent the condition . Strabismus is a condition that causes crossed or turned eyes, affecting one in 50 Australians and is the most common eye disorder in children.The study also reveals a link between some complex forms of the condition and borader neurological disorders INSIGHT NEWS, JUNE 201o
