StemCell Therapy

BETHESDA, Md., Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As COVID-19 appears to be building momentum worldwide, America's podiatrists say they're treating some of the sickest patients of their careersbut those patients are not suffering from the coronavirus. Instead, they're patients with diabetes who have delayed care due to fear of exposure to the virus and are suffering serious complications, ranging from severe diabetic foot wounds to gangrene to sepsis. Data have shown amputation rates are anywhere from three to 10 times what they were prior to the pandemic.

Podiatrists witness parallel public health crisis as amputation rates skyrocket during COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is marking November's Diabetes Awareness Month with a public education campaign designed to urge the 34 million Americans living with diabetes to keep their regular health-care appointments. The campaign, Keep Your Appointment, Keep Your Feet, will provide strategies for maintaining control of diabetes during the pandemic and information about when to seek care for a foot or ankle concern.

"People with diabetes are at high risk from COVID-19," said APMA President Seth A. Rubenstein, DPM. "They should absolutely take appropriate precautions, such as wearing masks in public and avoiding large gatherings. In addition to taking such precautions, they also must continue to monitor and care for their diabetes."

In fact, Dr. Rubenstein said, the risks of avoiding diabetes care are much higher than the risk of exposure to the coronavirus in a medical facility. Physicians' practices are taking extensive precautions to keep patients and providers alike safe during the pandemic. Safeguards include additional PPE, requirements for patients to wear masks, social distancing in waiting areas, temperature checks, pre-appointment questionnaires, disinfection between patients, and more. Virtual appointments may also be available.

"We're encouraging people with diabetes to keep their appointments to keep their feet," said Priya Parthasarathy, DPM, chair of the APMA Communications Committee. "During the pandemic, we want patients to stay active, stay alert, and stay in contact with their podiatrist."

Patients can stay active by engaging in regular exercise. They should stick to a sensible diet designed to help control their blood sugar and keep all their appointments with their diabetes care team. They can stay alert by being vigilant about daily foot exams, looking for changes in color or temperature of the feet and new injuries. They should wear shoes, even around the house. Patients can stay in contact by keeping their regular health-care appointments, especially with their podiatrist. If they notice a change in their feet or sustain an injury, they should contact their podiatrist immediately.

To learn more about the campaign, visit http://www.apma.org/diabetes.

The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is the nation's leading professional organization for today's podiatrists. Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs) are qualified by their education, training, and experience to diagnose and treat conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and structures of the leg. APMA has 53 state component locations across the United States and its territories, with a membership of more than 12,500 podiatrists. All practicing APMA members are licensed by the state in which they practice podiatric medicine. For more information, visit http://www.apma.org.

Contact: Leon Valentinelvalentine@apma.org301-581-9221

Originally posted here:
Podiatrists Caution Patients with Diabetes Not to Avoid Care Due to Fear of COVID-19 - Herald-Mail Media

November is National Diabetes Month.In the U.S., its estimated that some 30 million adults ages 18 and older are living with diabetes and 84 million with pre-diabetes. While these dire statistics arent going to change overnight, the power to change our health is in our hands, a new study says. One of the simplest things we can do to change our risk? Go plant-based.

Back in August, we reported on a study out of the University of Bergen in Norway, that found that plant-based diets help you metabolize glucose, lose weight (particularly for people who are overweight), and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Now, were back with more encouraging news for implementing a plant-based diet as an affordable, effective way to ward off type 2 diabetes.

In a recent review published in Practical Diabetology titled The Affordability of a Plant-Based Eating Pattern for Diabetes, the papers author, nutritionist Meghan Jardine, MS, MBA, RDN, LD, CDCES, Associate Director of Diabetes Nutrition Education, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, recommends that anyone at high-risk go plant-based and that doctors and nutritionists should make it clear that there are affordable options when ditching meat and dairy.

Plant-based eating has become more popular as a healthy eating pattern for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, Jardine writes. Both observational and interventional studies have reported that plant-based diets reduce diabetes risk as well as improve diabetes outcomes, she later states, referencing this 2016 comprehensive review on the use of a plant-based diet for management of type 2 diabetes.

Worth mentioning: When it comes to eating a plant-based for diabetes management or prevention, its important to consider carbohydrates. Its heavily processed, refined carbohydrateslike white bread and chipsyou want to avoid. As Jardine points out, A healthy, affordable, plant-based diet is high in [carbohydrates]. Patients with diabetes are often told to avoid foods high in carbohydrate, as these foods have the greatest effect on postprandial glucose levels. She also notes that studies, such as this 2017 study from the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, show that a high intake of carbohydrates, such as whole grains and cereal fibers, are associated with a reduction in diabetes risk, whereas refined carbohydrates increase risk. (For more on healthy carb options, check out our guide to whole grains here.)

While vegan eating may have the rap as a costly lifestyle, as Jardine argues and research supports, eating a healthy, plant-based diet can actually be quite wallet-friendly, and even save you money compared to other dietary regimes with animal products. Some healthy, affordable plant-based options the piece suggests include apples, bananas, oranges, broccoli, spinach, carrots, whole wheat bread, rolled or steel-cut oats, quinoa, black beans, pinto beans, and peanut butter, to name a few.

Buying foods when theyre in season and purchasing items like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains in bulk can also go a long way in reducing spending. Ditto for shopping the frozen aisle for fruits and vegetablesjust make sure there is no added salt, sugar, or other icky ingredientsand loading up on vegan pantry items when they are on sale. (If youre looking for more ways to save, check out 7 Ways to Save Money on Your Vegan Grocery List, According to Nutritionists.)

Bottom line: Eating a high-quality, plant-based eating pattern can be affordable and palatable and may offer specific benefits in preventing and treating diabetes, including quality of life and psychological health, offers Jardine. Frequent consumption of animal products has been associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain types of cancer and overall mortality. A diet thats good for our health and good for our wallets? Well take it. Spread the word, and spread the overnight oats recipes, dear readers.

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The Best Way to Prevent Diabetes: An Affordable Plant-Based Diet - The Beet

This article was originally published here

Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Oct 29;21(21):E8075. doi: 10.3390/ijms21218075.

ABSTRACT

Circulating calprotectin is a potential biomarker for endovascular inflammation in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated the determinants of calprotectin and its relationship with the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in 362 T2DM patients included in the Diabetes and Lifestyle Cohort Twente-1 (DIALECT-1) study. Lifestyle exposures, including nutrition, were determined by validated questionnaires. CVD was defined as coronary artery diseases, strokes, and peripheral artery diseases. Median serum calprotectin levels were 1.04 mg/L [IQR: 0.73-1.46 mg/L] and were higher in women (1.11 mg/L) than men (0.96 mg/L, p = 0.007). Current smoking was a major independent determinant of circulating calprotectin, with a 51% higher calprotectin compared to never smoking (p < 0.001). Albuminuria (p = 0.011), former smoking (p = 0.023), and intake of mono- and disaccharides (p = 0.005) also contributed independently to circulating calprotectin. Each incremental increase in calprotectin level was associated with 1.36-times higher odds for CVD (95% CI 1.04-1.77, p = 0.026). In the current study, calprotectin was the only inflammatory parameter significantly associated with CVD. The strong association of circulating calprotectin with smoking, a well-known direct cause of vascular inflammation, and also with CVD, stresses the urge for further research to define its role as a biomarker in T2DM.

PMID:33138021 | DOI:10.3390/ijms21218075

Continued here:
Determinants of Increased Serum Calprotectin in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus - DocWire News

With the help of Laura O'Hern, endocrinology physician assistant at CHI St. Vincent Little Rock, we are describing diabetes.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. In order to fully understand today's gowns topic, we first have to visit a factory. Lets just say this is a factory that processes sugar, but it's a factory where all the workers don't show up and you show up with a truck load of sugar that needs to go into the factory.

It's going to be much harder for that factory that's already on short staff to process a lot at one time, Dr. OHern said.

With the help of Laura O'Hern, endocrinology physician assistant at CHI St. Vincent Little Rock, we have just described diabetes.

It inherently comes down to the body is unable to process sugar in the normal way, Dr. OHern said.

To show how widespread it is in Arkansas, Dr. OHern has another analogy.

If you're in a room right now with any more than two other people, then the chances are that one of you has diabetes or pre-diabetes, that's serious, she said. That's a large percentage of the population.

With diabetes you have to see your doctor regularly. It's a progressive disease that only gets worse over time.

Without a pandemic on board, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation in the United States, Dr. OHern said.

That takes us back to our factory, where you can learn a valuable lesson.

You can control how much sugar you deliver to that defective factory at any time, she said.

CHI St. Vincent, like most clinics, are up and running and willing to help while observing pandemic protocols, and once you make a commitment to improve, you change your life's trajectory.

I had a patient who came to me at the beginning of the year to talk about their diet, Dr. OHern said. This patient was on over 300 units of insulin a day and multiple other diabetes meds plus had hypertension, high cholesterol, lots of problems.

Hopeless? No. A low-carb diet, exercise and monitoring with checkups and consultations, what had begun in January 2020 with expensive insulin and a bleak future had reached the magical point where he didn't need to worry about his factory.

At ten months later, this individual is now completely off of al insulin with a nearly normal Hemoglobin A1c and he achieved this with dietary control, Dr. OHern said. And the weight loss came with him getting his diet into line, so I was incredibly inspired by that story.

Note that he was not alone.

It's just so much better when we do it together as a community, she said.

One final word about the classic early symptoms of diabetes: A lower energy level, and dry mouth. If that has been bothering you, call your primary care physician or CHI St. Vincent for help.

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A deep dive into diabetes in Arkansas | Wear the Gown - THV11.com KTHV

Insulclock is preparing to open its first financing round. The Spanish company, specialized in the treatment against diabetes, has started a financing round of $5.8 million (5 million), as explained by Suso Prez, responsible for research and marketing of the company.

The company seeks to attract the interest of national and international funds. The economic boost it receives will serve to complete the national marketing of its device and begin internationalization, continue the second phase of technological development and continue with the development of products to improve the quality of life of people with chronic diseases, according to Prez.

Insulclock is an integral system that helps to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes and reduces the costs associated with this pathology helping to improve and efficient management by healthcare teams, according to the companys head of research.

Read more details about the biotech company Insulclock and find the latest financial news with the Born2Invest mobile app.

Jos Luis Lpez, CEO and co-founder of Insulclock, with type 1 diabetes for more than 21 years, founded the company in 2014 to provide a solution to a real problem for patients with diabetes: the need for a complete and global system that improves self-management and adherence to treatment for users.

During all this time, Lopez and his team, which currently consists of more than twenty people, have developed a telemonitoring and telemedicine system. This ranges from the automation of insulin data for insulin-dependent patients and self-monitoring of patients on oral medication to the integration of all health data available on the market into the patients clinical history in public and private health systems.

The work team is distributed between Galicia, Basque Country and Madrid, being a 100% national capital company and with most of the partners working within it. Suso Prez assures that the majority of the capital is distributed among the founding team. For the Insulclock team, people with diabetes generate a lot of clinical information on a daily basis: glucose, physical activity, food intake and adherence to treatment, among other data. In this way, the need arises to put order, not only in the generation of clinical information for self-management of diabetes, but also in the integration of this information automatically into the clinical history of each patient, the company explains.

The Spanish company is thus opening its first round of financing, since until now it has been able to meet all the investment in research and development (R&D) through the contribution of the partners. Even so, the company has obtained aid from the European Commission through Horizon 2020. We want to continue contributing to national and international clinical research, as we have already done with different clinical trials in which we have participated on an international scale, Prez points out.

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(Featured image by stevepb via Pixabay)

DISCLAIMER: This article was written by a third party contributor and does not reflect the opinion of Born2Invest, its management, staff or its associates. Please review our disclaimer for more information.

This article may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words believe, project, estimate, become, plan, will, and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks as well as uncertainties, including those discussed in the following cautionary statements and elsewhere in this article and on this site. Although the Company may believe that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, the actual results that the Company may achieve may differ materially from any forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the management of the Company only as of the date hereof. Additionally, please make sure to read these important disclosures.

First published in PlantaDoce, a third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

Although we made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translations, some parts may be incorrect. Born2Invest assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity relying on translated content does so at their own risk. Born2Invest is not responsible for losses caused by such reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you wish to report an error or inaccuracy in the translation, we encourage you to contact us.

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Insulclock, in search of five million euros to advance against diabetes - Born2Invest

Data from the Ohio Department of Health states that in 2016, nearly 1 million (11.1 percent) Ohio adults had been diagnosed with diabetes. In addition, nearly 800,000 adults in Ohio had been diagnosed with prediabetes, and it is estimated that more than 1 million Ohio adults have prediabetes but have not been diagnosed, increasing their risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes later in life.Becausethe longer someone has diabetes, the higher risk they face for developing vision issues, and health disparities continue to affect minority populations, the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness has declared November as Diabetes-related Eye Disease Month. Educational resources include downloadable factsheets, training modules, social media graphics and more. Materials are available in English and Spanish.

Diabetes-related eye disease refers to eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of the disease.Diabetes-related retinopathy(DR) is a disease that damages the blood vessels of the eye, causing them to leak and bleed into the retina.

Individuals may not experience symptoms in the early stages of DR, which is why it is important for individuals with diabetes to have an eye exam annually, or as directed by their doctor.

If diabetes-related retinopathy is left untreated, fluid can leak into the center of the macula, called the fovea, the part of the eye where sharp, straight-ahead vision occurs. The fluid makes the macula swell, blurring vision. This condition is calleddiabetes-related macular edema.It can occur at any stage of diabetic retinopathy, although it is more likely to occur as the disease progresses.

Other eye conditions common among people living with diabetes include:

Cataract, a clouding of the lens in the eye, which can cause vision to become blurry and colors to become dull. Aside from aging, diabetes is the most common risk factor for cataract.

Glaucoma occurs with damage to the optic nerve and possible loss of side vision, usually caused by an increase in fluid pressure inside the eye.

According to theNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases,finding and treating diabetic retinopathy early can reduce the risk of blindness by 95 percent."Nearly 300,000 Ohioans have diabetes-related eye disease," said Sherry Williams, President & CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. Education, advocacy and access to care are key to helping to prevent vision loss from diabetes.By working together to increase early detection, consistent monitoring, and treatment, we can help to avoid significant vision loss, including blindness, across Ohio and the country.The Center for Vision and Population Health at Prevent Blindness offers the Seeing the Way to Better Health: Diabetes and Vision Healthissue brief.The goal of the brief is to encourage diabetes health programs to integrate vision into their outreach and programs. It includes stories from peer programs, resources and infographics for program use. The brief was developed in partnership with theNational Association of Chronic Disease Directors.TheDiabetes & the Eyes Educational Toolkitfrom Prevent Blindness offers free educational materials on diabetes and the impact of diabetes on eye health in English and Spanish. These educational resources are intended for healthcare professionals, community health educators, diabetes educators and anyone in a caregiving or diabetes education role. The development of the toolkit was made possible by funding from the Allergan Foundation.

For those who have vision loss from diabetes, Prevent Blindness offers the freeLiving Well with Low Visiononline resource. The site includes the Low Vision: A Self-Help Guide, the Caring for the Visually Impaired guide, and a variety of self-help tools and resource links at:http://lowvision.preventblindness.org/.For more information on diabetes-related eye disease, please visithttps://preventblindness.org/diabetes-and-your-eyes/or call Prevent Blindness at 800-301-2020. For a free listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visithttps://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information/.

About Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate:

Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 1,000,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. For more information or to contribute, call 800-301-2020.Visit Prevent Blindness on the web atpbohio.org, Facebook atfacebook.com/pbohio/ or Twitter attwitter.com/PB_Ohio.

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Prevent Blindness declares November as Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Month to educate on leading cause of new cases of blindness in adults - The...

Jerome Jackson, 30, is a blind man who is fearful that his five-year-old daughter may also go blind because of a history of blindness in his family. Jackson lost his sight suddenly in 2001.

But before him, his grandmother and uncle lost their sight before doing surgery and repairing their vision.

His father and grand-uncle also went blind and haven't been able to see again. This is a 'family trend' he wants nowhere near his daughter, who recently had to get glasses.

"My grandmother got blind in 1988, but she got her sight back after three years. My uncle got blind and he got his sight back, too, after he did surgery in England. My grand-uncle was also blind, but he passed off. So, it's just me and my father leave now," Jackson told THE WEEKEND STAR.

The Woodford Park, Kingston resident says the thought that his daughter could have the same experience is frightening.

"I am totally blind and recently I took my daughter to the eye doctor. She's supposed to get a better (pair of) glasses to improve her sight, and it's about $50,000 for the glasses. The doctor said her eyes are not that bad, but the glasses will help her more. And the left eye is better than the right eye, so they have to triple the lens for the right eye. So, that's why I am trying to get the glasses for her, but it's challenging for me," he said. Jackson went blind when he was just 11 years old.

"I thought my eyes were bleeding. Everything was red. A teacher of mine passed off and my father and I went to her house. On our way back, I lost my sight. I don't know what happened. I don't know what's the cause of it all now," he recalled.

He was then admitted to Kingston Public Hospital for five months, where he learnt that there was a scar and infection behind his retina.

He has no idea what his daughter looks like. "I haven't seen her. That pains me every day," he related. "My dad got blind when he was 20. He has three of us and him don't know how none of us look.

Since February, Jackson has been facing challenging times after he lost his source of income in February. The COVID-19 pandemic came one month later and made life harder.

"I was working as a massage therapist with the empowerment programme through the National Youth Service, but there's nothing there for me anymore. I usually get some assistance from a charity, but I still have problems paying my rent sometimes," he said.

Jackson began studying at The University of the West Indies in 2014 and was reading for a degree in entertainment management and culture. However, he has to sit out a year due to financial issues.

Dr Peter Swaby, ophthalmologist, told THE WEEKEND STAR that "We need to know the cause of blindness for at least two of the relatives before we can ascertain whether it is genetic."

Jackson said his grandmother had cataracts, which were removed to repair her vision. But Swaby noted "If it's a hereditary link we're looking at, that information from the grandmother wouldn't be enough."

If anyone can assist Jerome Jackson, you can contact him at 876-815-6994 or 876-919-5201.

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History of blindness in family - Father worried daughter may also lose her sight - Jamaica Star Online

Better Cotton uptake accounts for 6% of global cotton production

The findings are set out in the'BCI Task Force on Forced Labour and Decent Work: Final report and recommendations,' which notes:"While BCI explicitly cites the promotion of decent work as one of its core objectives, the level of attention and investment thus far has been insufficient.

"This is clear across many areas of BCI, including new country start-up evaluations, implementing partner selection, onboarding and project development, and findings from second and third-party assessments. The Task Force believes that this has resulted in organisational blindness to forced labour and likely other key decent work issues."

BCI trains farmers on more sustainable cotton production, with the BCSS covering all three pillars of sustainability social, environmental and economic and addressing the many challenges of cotton production. According to its last annual report, Better Cotton uptake accounts for 6% of global cotton production, and retailers and brands sourced more than1.5m metric tonnes of Better Cotton by the end of 2019 a 40% jump on the previous year.

The group appointed theindependent task forcein Aprilto review the current BCI systemand make suggestions to improve its effectivenessin identifying, preventing, mitigating and remediating forced labour risks.

Report authors say the initiative"now has an opportunity with the right level of commitment and resourcing to renew its focus on the more than 1.5 million workersat the foundation of the Better Cotton system, to give these workers a stronger voice, and to pioneer innovative, worker-focused approaches to promote decent work in cotton fields.

"Strengthening decent work capabilities and systems will also provide greater assurance to brands, retailers, and other stakeholders that farmers growing Better Cotton are following BCI's stated principles on forced labour and decent work."

The findings come a week afterBCI calledan immediate halt toall field-level activities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, where ongoing allegations of forced labour and other human rights abuses "have contributed to an increasingly untenable operating environment." Earlier in the yearit suspended itslicensing and assurance activities in the XUAR, meaning there is now no new licensed Better Cotton coming from the region.

The task force also says BCI must acknowledge it cannot operate in regions where there is credible evidence of state-imposed forced labour.

The nine-point roadmap set out to help address the gaps and shortfalls in its decent work capability is grounded in international human rights standards, understanding inequalities, and addressing discriminatory practices.

In a statement following publication of the report, BCI says it recognises that strengthening its decent work programme will be a multi-year process and will require additional resources and funding.

"In the short-term, we will focus on strengthening our forced labour capabilities through capacity building for staff, implementing partners and third-party verifiers, enhancing our due diligence for selecting and retaining implementing partners, and revising our assurance processes to better identify and mitigate forced labour risks.

"In 2021, BCI is also exploring opportunities to pilot a more comprehensive set of decent work activities, including a detailed forced labour risk assessment and civil society engagement tactics, in one or two high priority regions."

Click here to read the Task Force's report in full.

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Better Cotton accused of "blindness" to forced labour - just-style.com

According to the National Eye Institute, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in developed countries. That is the reason for the prevention of this disease. Glaucoma can be developed by anyone, however, it is more common in people over age 45 or 60, and people with a family history of glaucoma. Generally, children can get a rare form of glaucoma early.

Glaucoma is

Lets begin with what is glaucoma. As we mentioned earlier, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness for people. It can occur at any age, but it is more common in older people. It is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, which is an important part of good vision. The damage that causes glaucoma can be by abnormally high pressure in the eye.

Unfortunately, some forms of glaucoma have no warning signs, due to the gradual effect we dont notice a change in the vision until it is in an advanced stage. Also, the vision loss by glaucoma cannot be recovered. Therefore, it is important to consult a specialist commonly, if the glaucoma is recognized early, it is easier to prevent vision loss.

Depending on the stage and type of glaucoma it will show symptoms. Those include:

4 things that you must know about glaucoma

Like many diseases, glaucoma has things that must be known by the patients, this way will be easier to prevent and accept the fact that we have to consult a specialist such as an ophthalmologist commonly.

It is important to consult a specialist either when feeling discomfort and thinking that there may be a relationship with glaucoma, or just to keep your vision healthy.

With the collaboration of Dr. Mercedes Silva Orellana, an ophthalmologist graduated from the National University Mayor of San Marcos, in Per. Her specialties are Anterior Segment Surgery, Glaucoma Treatment, and Glaucoma Surgery, also offering treatment to patients suffering from closed-angle glaucoma, among others.

References:

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This is what you need to know about glaucoma - The Yucatan Times

Every afternoon for three hours on SiriusXM radio, The Michelangelo Signorile Show has offered a lifeline of sanity and smart political discourse in these grueling and maddening times. Signorile has been fighting the good and progressive fight for decades, starting with his seminal writing on Queer America and gay activism (at one point serving as the head of ACT UPs media arm). Hes also developed his own online newsletter, The Signorile Report, where he covers the latest political horrors with thoughtful analysis.

INTERVIEW: Where are you and how long have you been isolating?

MICHELANGELO SIGNORILE: In Manhattan, since March 13.

INTERVIEW: What has this pandemic confirmed or altered about your view of society?

SIGNORILE: That things can move very swiftly, and everything can turn on a dime.

INTERVIEW: What is the worst-case scenario for the future?

SIGNORILE: We see more spikes, and no effective vaccine for a long timejust a few less-than-effective ones. I also worry about another virus coming out of nowhere.

INTERVIEW: What good can come out of this lockdown? Are there any reasons to hope?

SIGNORILE: For those lucky enough to keep their jobs and work at home, its been a time of creating better habits, seeing that we can all get on with less. Weve been through worse certainly as a gay man, Ive been through the HIV epidemic much of my adult lifeand many have come together to fight tyranny and negligence.

INTERVIEW: What has been your daily routine during this time?

SIGNORILE: Up early, scouring news, writing a bit, preparing for my radio show on weekdays. Exercise or a run. Shower, then three hours on the radio. Make dinner with my husband, maybe we watch some TV.

INTERVIEW: Describe the current state of your hair?

SIGNORILE: Im back to my barber once a week (in masks) to get a close buzz of whats left of my hair! But it was crazy there for a while.

INTERVIEW: On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your level of panic about the current state of the world?

SIGNORILE: Seven.

INTERVIEW: Do you think there is hope for true racial equality in the United States? What do you think is the first step in that goal?

SIGNORILE: Yes, there is always hope. It rises out of activism. But the first step is people realizing that the fight never ends, and that the wins ebb and flow. Too many people jump in, think they change laws, think its over. Its never over. People can change, they can be educatedand so can the government. It takes persistence, challenging all the time, and never thinking its done.

INTERVIEW: Do you think protests are effective tools for changing the system? How does it make a difference in the long term?

SIGNORILE: Protest is a voice. It screams for justice and is so important. It shuts down the daily routine and says, Listen up! It is also personally satisfying for those protesting, and necessary for their minds and bodies. Its empowering and it unites people. But it needs to be followed up by political organizing.

INTERVIEW: How do you personally channel your anger? Do you find anger to be a useful emotion?

SIGNORILE: Anger is vital. It gets you moving. I try to channel it by targeting those who need to be exposed or criticized or challenged, either in my writing or on the air. But sometimes my anger about one thinga Supreme Court nominationmight be channeled toward something or someone else, like seeing someone without a mask on the subway and telling them to put a damned mask on.

INTERVIEW: Which young leaders of the moment inspire you?

SIGNORILE: Just to name a few: Charlotte Clymer. DeRay McKesson. David Hogg. Gabe Ortz. Chase Strangio. Greta Thunberg. Indya Moore. Jared Holt. Juan Escalante. AOC. Alex Morse. Megan Rapinoe. So many more.

INTERVIEW: Whats the next step after protests in the streets? Where does the righteous rage go?

SIGNORILE: To more, and different, protests. Protests do not have to be large or in the streets. Targeted, sustained protest by small groupsof a particular senator, say, or some other government officialis just as effective. And being creative is so important in this media environment, because the goal is always about getting the message out. So you have to think of new ways to get attention. Secondly, it has to be a message that translates into policy change. Once you have peoples attention, people who are in power, and they really want to make a change, you have to have a concrete plan of action for them to work off of.

INTERVIEW: What thinker have you taken comfort in of late and why?

SIGNORILE: Laurie Garrett. She wrote the book The Coming Plague almost 25 years ago, and its been revelatory.

INTERVIEW: Where did we go wrong? Like, what was the exact moment?

SIGNORILE: Thinking wed arrived, thinking the fight for civil rightsfor so many groupswas over. This was during the Obama years. A complacencyI called it victory blindness in my last book.

INTERVIEW: Which (admittedly totally unqualified) celebrity would you trust with the planets future?

SIGNORILE: Jane Fonda, of course.

INTERVIEW: Whats one skill we should all learn while in quarantine?

SIGNORILE: Learning another language. Though I admit I havent done it.

INTERVIEW: What prevents you from giving up hope in the human race?

SIGNORILE: That people are alive, that they must survive, and that they will fight.

INTERVIEW: What is the most pressing issue facing the nation and the world that needs to be addressed in the next four years?

SIGNORILE: The planet is burning. We have to do what we can to stop it.

INTERVIEW: Who should be the next president of the United States?

SIGNORILE: Joe Biden, fingers crossed.

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Michelangelo Signorile on the Perils of Complacency and Victory Blindness - Interview

A new therapy being developed to help restore vision to people who are blind could be used within years.

The treatment involves a "relatively simple" injection into the eye and is a "relatively straightforward surgery".

That's according to John Flannery, a Professor of Neurobiology in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of Berkeley and a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board for Fighting Blindness Ireland.

He told Futureproof with Johnathan McCrea how blindness develops in some people and how his research will attempt to remove the disease from patients.

His startup company has recently been bought by Novartis and they will partner to develop the treatment.

Professor Flannery said "the hope is for some patients, they'll get a significant increase in their vision".

He added that "manufacturing enough of the treatment is not doing to be that difficult".

In explaining how blindness develops in some people, Professor Flannery said "almost all the inherited blindnesses occur over time".

He said: "The gene defect you have when you're born, and depending on what you inherit, it can manifest as a small child or sometimes not until you're a teenager and some conditions, likemacular degeneration, not until you're 50 or 60."

Professor Flannery said technology is been tested to get the eye to see something when there's no biological retina, but that its success is a long time away.

He said: "There have been some attempts to connect a video camera to the patient's brain in patients that are completely blind.

"That's been incredibly challenging because we know quite a bit about how the retina works but we don't know much about it encodes the signal.

"That will be quite a bit off until we have an electronic prosthetic.

"Nobody, in my knowledge, has been able to interpret the signals coming out of the eye and understanding what the picture is."

Professor Flannery said his research on how to develop therapies for blind patients starts out on testing with animals such as mice.

He said that the current treatments available to patients are for those who have recessive conditions, meaning they got the gene from both of their parents, which continues much of his work.

Professor Flannery explained how the therapy aimed to cure blindness would work.

He said: "The progress in the field has been to use the shell of the virus, the outside coat of the virus.

"We use a very different virus for the eye that's never been shown to cause disease, we put in a copy of the gene that the patient has a defect in.

"We use the virus shell to carry the DNA and protect it and that virus will carry the DNA into the retinal shells and that's a one time only repair."

He said that the virus contains a "zip-code" which controls which cells have the therapeutic gene.

Professor Flannery added: "It's a question of scale, a normal human has 150 million photoreceptors, which are the ones that are affected in these conditions.

"You can inject with a very small volume many hundreds of million virus particles."

Professor Flannery said that an experiment showed that blind mice were able to move around and explore as much as other mice.

He said: "In a couple of the therapies that are currently in the clinic, the patients have to be treated as quickly as possible because their photoreceptor cells are dying and if you get to the stage where theirphotoreceptors have died, the gene in the cell is gone.

"The therapy that we're trying to develop, which is called optogenetics, is for patients at the very late stages of blindness.

"What we're doing is capitalising on the knowledge that the photoreceptors talk to other cells in the retina that aren't light-sensitive

"Our gene therapy is designed to add light sensitively to the third cell in this chain between the damaged photo and the brain.

"Since it's in the middle, if you can make that cell light-sensitive, that's a new opportunity for restoring vision in the blind.

Professor Flannery said this treatment is "particularly appealing because you could treat someone at any age or any stage".

He said: "Because unlike the other therapies where you have to identify the exact genetic defect in the patient and put that exact gene back, this is putting a light-sensitive function in a different cell.

"It doesn't require you to know what the defect is in the patients."

Professor Flannery said they would begin to start testing the therapy in small groups of patients shortly after successful trials in dogs.

You can listen back to the full interview here:

'Relatively simple' therapy could help cure blindness

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

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'Relatively simple' therapy could help cure blindness - Newstalk

This article was originally published here

Psychon Bull Rev. 2020 Nov 2. doi: 10.3758/s13423-020-01826-4. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Retrospectively obvious events are frequently missed when attention is engaged in another task-a phenomenon known as inattentional blindness. Although the task characteristics that predict inattentional blindness rates are relatively well understood, the observer characteristics that predict inattentional blindness rates are largely unknown. Previously, expert radiologists showed a surprising rate of inattentional blindness to a gorilla photoshopped into a CT scan during lung-cancer screening. However, inattentional blindness rates were higher for a group of nave observers performing the same task, suggesting that perceptual expertise may provide protection against inattentional blindness. Here, we tested whether expertise in radiology predicts inattentional blindness rates for unexpected abnormalities that were clinically relevant. Fifty radiologists evaluated CT scans for lung cancer. The final case contained a large (9.1 cm) breast mass and lymphadenopathy. When their attention was focused on searching for lung nodules, 66% of radiologists did not detect breast cancer and 30% did not detect lymphadenopathy. In contrast, only 3% and 10% of radiologists (N = 30), respectively, missed these abnormalities in a follow-up study when searching for a broader range of abnormalities. Neither experience, primary task performance, nor search behavior predicted which radiologists missed the unexpected abnormalities. These findings suggest perceptual expertise does not protect against inattentional blindness, even for unexpected stimuli that are within the domain of expertise.

PMID:33140228 | DOI:10.3758/s13423-020-01826-4

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The invisible breast cancer: Experience does not protect against inattentional blindness to clinically relevant findings in radiology - DocWire News

A transit app arrives for KCs visually impaired // Photo courtesy of Alphapointe.org

The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA), Alphapointe, and Sensible Innovationhave partnered to develop an app for the blind and visually impaired to use transit more safely and accurately. It marks the first application of its kind to be applied to an entire transit corridor in the United States.

The mobile app, RideKC Navigator, is a custom platform to help individuals with vision impairment or blindness navigate select transit stops. The free RideKC Navigator app can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices. Users will receive location-specific audio instructions to help navigate 51 bus stops, East Village Transit Center, 75th Street Transit Center, and 31 intersections in Kansas City, MO.

The app was created as part of KCATAs Prospect MAX Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) 10-mile corridor project. The corridor runs from the 75th and Prospect Transit Center at Alphapointe, north on Prospect to 12th Street, and west along 12th Street into downtown Kansas City.

KCATA President and CEO Robbie Makinen credited Alphapointe for playing a critical role in testing and developing RideKC Navigator. Our visually impaired experts at Alphapointe navigate the real world on a daily basis. Their help in orientation and mobility instructions, testing and tutorials was invaluable, Makinen says.

Reinhard Mabry, President and CEO of Alphapointe, says the business is one of the largest employer of blind and visually impaired people in Missouri, as well as nationwide. This app will open up the community to people who are blind, Mabry says. It will prepare people who have visual impairment to navigate spaces and areas of the community that they may not have been comfortable with previously because they didnt know enough about their surroundings.

Alphapointe adaptive technology instructor Jim Fettgather is visually impaired and assisted with the development and testing of RideKC Navigator. To have this app in Kansas City is an incredible, innovative experience, says Fettgather.

For more information, watch this video that provides greater insight on the benefits of RideKC Navigator.

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Locals partner to create first transit app for the visually impaired in KC - Kansas City Pitch

Inherited retinal diseases marketis expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2027. Data Bridge Market Research analyses the market to account to an annual growth rate of 4.40% in the above-mentioned forecast period.

Based on type, inherited retinal diseases market is segmented into leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa, choroideremia, stargardts disease, and achromatopsia.

Inherited retinal diseases market has also been segmented based on treatment type such as gene therapy treatment, and symptomatic treatment.On the basis of distribution channel, the inherited retinal diseases market is segmented into hospital pharmacies, and retail pharmacies.

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Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Drivers:

he growing awareness amongst the physicians and patients regarding the benefits associated with the usage of inherited retinal diseases has been directly impacting the growth of inherited retinal diseases market.

The swelling prevalence of the acquired retinal disorders is foreseen to push the growth of inherited retinal diseases treatment market. Expanding knowledge and treatment-seeking flow is anticipated to feed the germination of the inherited retinal diseases therapy business. Emphasizing knowledge of the inherited retinal disease surgery options and analysis of the condition is moreover awaited to magnify the growth of the inherited retinal disease surgery market.

The production businesses in the inherited retinal diseases market is moreover concentrating on the gene mutation-specific way for developing innovative outputs which is anticipated to accelerate the growth of inherited retinal diseases market. Numerous companies are contracting in collaborations, businesses to perform clinical experiments to promote acquired retinal disorder medication alternatives more efficiently. These certain mentioned factors are expected to drive the market growth in the forecasted period of 2020 to 2027.

For more analysis on theinherited retinal diseasesmarket, request for a briefing with our analystshttps://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/speak-to-analyst/?dbmr=global-inherited-retinal-diseases-market

Table of Contents:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodologies

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Industry Trends

7 Compliance in Inherited Retinal Diseases Market

8 Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Service

9 Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Deployment Type

10 Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Organization Size

11 Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Analyses, By Vertical

12 Geographic Analyses

13 Competitive Landscapes

14 Detailed Company Profiles

15 Related Reports

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An absolute way to forecast what future holds is to comprehend the trend today!Data Bridge set forth itself as an unconventional and neoteric Market research and consulting firm with unparalleled level of resilience and integrated approaches. We are determined to unearth the best market opportunities and foster efficient information for your business to thrive in the market. Data Bridge endeavors to provide appropriate solutions to the complex business challenges and initiates an effortless decision-making process.Data bridge is an aftermath of sheer wisdom and experience which was formulated and framed in the year 2015 in Pune. We ponder into the heterogeneous markets in accord with our clients needs and scoop out the best possible solutions and detailed information about the market trends. Data Bridge delve into the markets across Asia, North America, South America, Africa to name few.Data Bridge adepts in creating satisfied clients who reckon upon our services and rely on our hard work with certitude. We are content with our glorious 99.9 % client satisfying rate.

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Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Is Growing In Huge Demand In 2020 ||Invitae Corporation., The Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc, American...

Dennis Kigen has a flock of 148 birds of mixed ages in his farm in Kiserian. He got the stock to start his farm from this home village early last year. Last week, he started observing dark pimples on the unfeathered parts of the body of the eight-week-oldchicks and yellow lesions in the mouth and blindness among the growers which are about 4 months old. He has never had his flock vaccinated. He was worried about this condition and called me.

I visited the farm last weekend. From the vaccination history and the presenting clinical signs it was clear that his flock had developed Fowl pox.

Lets discuss this peculiar disease.

Fowl pox is a disease that occurs worldwide. All species of birds are affected. All ages are affected as well.

It is caused by Avian pox viruses which are single, linear double stranded DNA viruses. The virus comes from the same family as the viruses that cause sheep, goat and cow pox.

The effects of the disease;

Its incubation is from 4-10 days. There are two forms of the disease- cutaneous dry and diphtheritic or wet. Both may present in the same flock. The dry form is manifest as pimples or scabs on the skin (mainly on unfeathered parts of the body). The diphtheritic form shows cankers or yellow lesions in the mouth, esophagus or trachea. Other symptoms include blindness, feed refusal, lowered egg production, facial swelling.

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How does this disease spread?

The disease is transmitted through mosquito bites and mechanical transmission of virus to injured skin or eye are common routes of viral spread. Wild birds are a reservoir for the viruses.

What are the presenting clinical signs?

Incubation period is from 4-10 days. They are two forms of the disease; the cutaneous or dry and the diphtheritic or wet. Both may be present in the same flock or animals.

The dry form shows as a pimple or scab on skin mainly comb, wattles, eyelids and other unfeathered portions of the body.

The wet-mucous form shows diphtheritic, cankers or yellow lesions in mouth, esophagus or trachea. Eye involvement (blindness), off feed, lower egg production, facial swelling and an increase in culls can be seen.

The disease has a high morbidity rate and a low mortality rate. This means that it spreads to many birds in the farm but very few die if any.

What are the postmortem lesions?

Cankers or false membranes in mouth (wet) are seen as slightly elevated white opaque nodules. Nodules increase in size and coalesce to yellow, cheesy, and necrotic membranes.

Grey or black papular eruptions on unfeathered portions of skin (dry). Head, face, and feet are most commonly affected, but may spread to feathered portions of the body.

How to treat & control Fowl pox?

Being a viral disease, it has no specific treatment.

However, at the advice of the attending Vet, antibiotics may be administered to counter secondary infections. The withdrawal period for eggs and meat must be observed. Administration of multivitamins help to restore immunity and hasten recovery.

What are the preventive measures?

Vaccinate chicks when they are 8 10 weeks by wing web puncture method. The vaccination regime against all the other poultry diseases as well as deworming should be strictly adhered to.

After administration, vaccines take at least 2 weeks to take good protective effect. Do not use antibiotics and other drugs such as dewormers together with vaccines. They may interfere with the protective effects of the vaccine.

By adopting proper vaccination regimes, youll save your farm from losses accruing due to loss of production, Vet fees for treatment, culling and massive deaths.

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How to prevent Fowl pox from affecting your flock of birds - The Standard

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According to a new market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Ophthalmic Devices: Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2020, the global ophthalmic devices market was valued at USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2014 to 2020, to reach an estimated value of USD 42,685.1 million in 2020.

Globally, the ophthalmic devices market is witnessing significant growth due to increasing prevalence of eye disorders, such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. In addition, growing global aging population, increasing government initiatives towards healthcare infrastructure in developing countries, and increasing incidence of lifestyle-associated diseases are also driving the growth of the market.

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Some of the major players in the global ophthalmic devices market:

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However, lack of awareness among people about eye disorders, poor primary healthcare infrastructure, and lack of insurance in developing countries hamper growth of the global ophthalmic devices market. In addition, eye diseases in children are also increasing due to the general lack of awareness.

The global ophthalmic devices market is anticipated to grow from an estimated USD 29,171.5 million in 2014 to USD 42,685.1 million in 2020 at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period.

Age-related eye diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration, are the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in North America. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, approximately 22 million Americans aged 40 and above were affected by cataract and 2.3 million Americans were affected by glaucoma in 2011.

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In Europe, increasing prevalence of chronic eye diseases among the rising aging population is becoming a challenge for the European healthcare system. In France, the number of age-related macular degeneration cases was 0.3 million in 2000 and it is anticipated to increase by 0.5 million in 2020.

However, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic retinopathy are the major causes of blindness in Asia. Cataract can be held responsible for 50% to 80% of all cases of blindness in Southeast Asia. The prevalence of age-related macular degeneration is also increasing in Asia due to increase in life expectancy and rising incidence of diabetes among the younger population. As per the Centre for Eye Research Australia, prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among people ranged between 17% and 22% in India and 43.1% in rural China in 2012.

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Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.

To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.

Our client success stories feature a range of clients from Fortune 500 companies to fast-growing startups. PMRs collaborative environment is committed to building industry-specific solutions by transforming data from multiple streams into a strategic asset.

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The Ophthalmic Devices Market To Revive The Growth Indices, Reach US$ 42.68 Bn - Eurowire

In a paper published today in the journal Cell, scientists describe unexpected, undesirable outcomes after editing genes in human embryos with CRISPR, a genomic editing system.

The study, the most detailed analysis to date of CRISPR in human embryos, shows that applying gene editing technologyto repair a blindness-causing gene early in the development of a human embryo often eliminates an entire chromosome or a large section of it.

"Our study shows that CRISPR/Cas9 is not yet ready for clinical use to correct mutations at this stage of human development, says the studys senior author Dieter Egli, assistant professor of developmental cell biology in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The genome editing system called CRISPR/Cas9 has revolutionized molecular biology in recent years, and its discoverers were honored with this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry. The system allows scientists to make precise changes in the genomes of cultured cells, living tissues, and animal embryos.

The first use of CRISPR in human embryos was reported in 2015. Then in 2018, He Jiankui claimed to have performed the procedure in a pair of twin embryos, eliciting a firestorm of condemnation from scientists and government officials worldwide.

In the new paper, Egli and his colleagues tested CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing's effects on early-stage human embryos carrying a mutation in a gene called EYS (eyes shut homolog), which causes hereditary blindness.

We know from previous studies in differentiated human cells and in mice that a break in the DNA results in mostly two outcomes: precise repair or small local changes. At the EYS gene, these changes can yield a functional gene, though it is not a perfect repair, says Michael Zuccaro, a research scientist at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and co-lead author of the paper.

When Zuccaro, Egli, and their colleagues looked at the entire genomes of the modified embryos in this study, they identified another outcome. We learned that in human embryonic cells, a single break in the DNA can result in a third outcomethe loss of an entire chromosome or sometimes a large segment of that chromosome, and this loss of the chromosome is very frequent, says Zuccaro.

In 2017, a study reported the successful correction of a heart disease-causing mutation in normal human embryos using CRISPR. Comprehensive data from the new study offer a different interpretation of these results: Instead of being corrected, the chromosome carrying the mutation may have been lost altogether.

"If our results had been known two years ago, I doubt that anyone would have gone ahead with an attempt to use CRISPR to edit a gene in a human embryo in the clinic," Egli says.Our hope is that these cautionary findings should discourage premature clinical application of this important technologybut can also guide responsible research to achieve its ultimate safe and effective use.

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Study Identifies Pitfall for Correcting Mutations in Human Embryos with CRISPR - Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Monday, 2 November 2020, 10:20 amPress Release: Macular Degeneration New Zealand

49% of New Zealanders do not know anything aboutmacular degeneration which puts them at risk of missingkey signs in their own eye health

Thecondition is the most common cause of blindness but someforms are treatable if caught intime

Today marks the start of MacularDegeneration Awareness Week 2-9 November which aims toeducate New Zealanders about the simple steps they can taketo protect their vision

Its a conditionthat affects 1 in 7 New Zealanders aged 50+, rising to aquarter of those aged over 80, yet awareness of maculardegeneration is low, with almost half (49%) revealing theydo not know anything about the condition.

This is aproblem as early detection and treatment can reduceavoidable vision loss for the 1,500,000 New Zealanders atrisk.

The macula is the central part of the retina atthe back of the eye. The retina processes vision, andmacular degeneration causes progressive macula damage,leading to issues such as a loss of reading, recognisingfaces, and being able to drive. There are two types ofmacular degeneration, dry and wet. Dry macular degenerationresults in gradual loss of central vision. Wet maculardegeneration is characterised by a sudden loss of visioncaused by abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina.Immediate medical treatment of wet macular degeneration isessential for saving sight.

During awareness week acampaign by the charity to highlight what New Zealandersrisk losing if they dont take their eye health seriously,will feature on billboards across Auckland, Hamilton,Wellington and Christchurch. The posters show beautifulviews of New Zealand, obscured by a dark blur to show whatthe same vista might look like to someone suffering frommacular degeneration.

Phillippa Pitcher, GeneralManager at Macular Degeneration NZ says, Sadly maculardegeneration is not uncommon and the risks increase as weage. It is important that all New Zealanders aged 40+ gettheir eyes checked regularly but also crucially know thesigns to look out for so they can monitor their own eyehealth and get any abnormalities checked out quickly. Wehope that by raising awareness of the condition and thesigns to look out for we avoid future cases of needlessvision loss. Early detection and prompt treatment savessight.

Key signs to look out for when monitoringyour own eye health include;

Asimple test, available via the MDNZ website and youroptometrist, can lead to early diagnosis and treatment ofmacular degeneration, the most common cause ofblindness.

Visit http://www.mdnz.org.nz to findout more about macular degeneration including tips forstaying healthy and signs to look out for as well as eventstaking place during Macular Degeneration Awareness Week 2020 2-9 November.

Case studies are available onrequest.

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Raising Awareness For Macular Degeneration, The Condition That Affects 1 In 7 Aged 50+ - Scoop.co.nz

By Christa Poggemiller| The Hawk Eye

Its hard to believe eight months have passed since we first starting hearing about COVID-19 and at least seven months since the first lockdowns.

Probably like a good majority of our neighbors, we have all grown tired of being cooped up, tired of having to worry about where you can safely go, or just plain worried about contracting COVID.

Over the past few months, I have written several articles to highlight what we can do to stay safe and prevent further COVID-19 community spread. I am not going to focus this article on COVID-19 anymore than to remind everyone, it is normal to have COVID fatigue and not feel motivated to follow the health strategies or even consider not following the recommendations when you are contacted by local health departments.

But the most important thing we can do for ourselves, our families and neighbors is to follow those isolation recommendations. Close contacts (those within six feet for a duration of 15-minutes) to a positive COVID case can become symptomatic and COVID positive literally at any time during their 14-day isolation. Once this person is positive, anyone they came in contact with during the 48-hours prior to having symptoms or a positive test will need to quarantine, and those people also could develop the virus, which means now they have exposed more families and people in the community.

Our current community 14-day rolling percentage has gone up significantly over the past few weeks. I am encouraging everyone to do their part to bring those numbers back down by following isolation recommendations and continuing to follow the guidelines: social distance, good handwashing and stay home when your sick.

Together, we will get through this.

During COVID-19, some of the other important health promotion activities or your routine health visits may gotten missed. Things like annual check-ups, childrens immunizations or flu shots may have gotten postponed and still havent been done. Now may be a good time to reach out to your health care provider or local health department and get those caught up. Maintaining good health, managing chronic diseases and early diagnosis is especially important to overall wellness.

Of those chronic diseases, diabetes is one that affected about 34.2 million Americans, or about 10.5% of the population, in 2018. According to American Diabetes Association, each year about 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes, and another 7.3 million people go undiagnosed.

November is raising awareness about diabetes month. So, what is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body turns food into energy. If you have diabetes, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or cant use the insulin it makes as well as it should. When there isnt enough insulin or cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood sugar stays in your bloodstream, which can cause serious health problems over time.

Ninety-five percent of people with diabetes have Type 2. Common symptoms of Type 2 diabetes can include: excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue and unexpected weight loss. Its untreated Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness, heart attack, kidney failure, stroke or loss of toes, feet or legs.

What can you do about it?

You dont have to make big changes to prevent or delay diabetes.

Before beginning any exercise or weight-loss program consult your healthcare provider. For more information visit: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/

Christa Poggemiller is director of Des Moines County Public Health.

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In the Public Health: Don't let pandemic fatigue get the better of you - Burlington Hawk Eye

There are numerous eye-infections caused by various viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi that can invade the human body, and also have the potential of attacking the surface or interior of the eye. Eye infections can be the inflammation of the Conjunctiva (Conjunctivitis), eyelid (blepharitis), the cornea (keratitis), the liquid inside the eye (vitritis), the retina and the blood vessels that feed it (chorioretinitis), optic nerve (neuroretinitis) and others. The most commonly seen eye infection is conjunctivitis, caused by adenovirus, other cause of conjunctivitis is bacteria such as staphylococcus aureus which is common in children. Symptoms of eye infections may include redness, itching, swelling, photosentivity, tears, swollen eyelid & involuntary blinking discharge, pain, or problems with vision. Whereas many eye infections have potential to cause significant damage to retina, formation of scars and ulcers in the cornea ultimately damaging the vision of an individual temporarily or permanently. Treatment depends on the cause of the infection and may include compresses, eye drops, creams, or oral antibiotics therapy. Eye infections treatment market includes the medicines used in treating eye infections. Eye infection can be treated by analyzing the cause of infecting agent and treating the cause as per required. For example bacterial infections are treated through antibiotics eye drop or ointments. Fungal infection as against is resolved on their own or by prescribing anti-fungal eye drops.

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Eye Infections Treatment Market: Drivers & Restraints

Eye infections treatment market is growing, this is attributed to aging population, rising prevalence of ophthalmic diseases, increasing company investments for launching new product forms, health conscious population, free eye check-up camps funded by the government in the different regions. Secondly rising awareness regarding various eye infections and rising prevalence of blindness amongst the geriatric population driving the growth of eye infection treatment market. However stringent government regulations in various drugs development procedures and the side effects associated with various antibiotics would impede the adoption of eye infection pharmaceutical treatment, thereby, hamper the market growth.

Eye Infections Treatment Market: Segmentation

This market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel and drug class

Segmentation based on product type

Segmentation based on distribution channel

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Eye Infections Treatment Market: Overview

There are different OTC as well as prescription based drugs available in the market to treat eye infection including artificial tear drops, ointments, eye wash, hyper osmotic, scrub, decongestants, and antihistamines, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral. Some of the important and widely used drugs in ocular infections include Fluoroquinolones, Aminoglycosides, Macrolides and Others.

Eye Infections TreatmentMarket: Region-wise Outlook

Globally, the eye infections treatment market is expected to witness healthy growth in the near future due to increasing awareness about eye care, global aging population and the rise in per capita expenditure on healthcare in the developing nations. North America region dominate the eye infection treatment followed by Europe owing to technological advancement and more number of market players in these regions. Asia-Pacific market is expected to register fastest growth owing to the rise in geriatric population and also the rise in prevalence of blindness in geriatric population.

Eye Infections Treatment Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players in global Point of care test market are Allergan Inc., Alcon Laboratories Inc., Johnson & Johnson Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, Santen Pharmaceuticals, Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis and Bausch & Lomb, Inc.,

The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technology and applications.

The report covers exhaustive analysis on:

Regional analysis includes

The report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.

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Sales of Eye Infections Treatment to Decelerate in 2020 as COVID-19 Pandemic Takes its Toll on Global Market - PRnews Leader