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THE MAGNIFIER Issue #32, June 25, 2005
Newsletter from the Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 531313 Henderson, NV 89053
http://www.eyesight.org
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QUESTIONS MACULAR DEGENERATION PATIENTS ARE ASKING:
What is the retina? The
retina is the light-sensing layer in the back of the eye that acts like the film in a camera. The macula is the center portion of the retina that is responsible for sharp, focused vision, and it is the part of the eye most
affected by both wet and dry macular degeneration. The retina converts light (or an image) into electrical impulses. Then it transmits these electrical impulses or nerve signals via the optic nerve from the retina to
the brain. The optic nerve connects to the back of the eye near the macula. When examining the back of the eye, a portion of the optic nerve called the optic disc can be seen.
What are the light-sensing cells?
The light-sensing cells are called photoreceptor cells. The photoreceptor cells are part of several layers of cells beneath the macula. Photoreceptor cells get nourishment from the retinal-pigmented epithelium (RPE).
The RPE is nourished by a thin layer of blood vessels, called the choroid. Photoreceptors are light-sensitive proteins involved in the function of photoreceptor cells. The light-sensitive protein in our retina is called
rhodopsin.
Could poor retinal blood flow contribute to the onset of MD? Circulation behind the eye, medically referred to as foveolar choroidal blood flow, has caught the interest of prominent researchers. In
1998 Dr. Juan E. Grunwald from the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center's Department of Ophthalmology, based at the Scheie Eye institute, found that abnormal circulation in the choroids may play a role in the development of
macular degeneration. A Universtiy of Pennsylvania study published in the February 1998 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology 7 Visual Science compared blood circulation of the choroid in men and women between 56-84 years with
early-stage MD and those without the disease. Blood velocity, volume, and flow were assessed with Doppler flowmetry, a technique using laser technology to measure circulation. Choroidal blood volume of the 20 patients
with MD was 33% less than that of the 10 not suffering from the disease. In addition, the decrease in volume affected average blood flow in patients with MD - 37% lower than in the study's unaffected participants.
"Circulation in the blood vessels behind the retina is a vital factor for normal vision function," states Juan E. Grunwald, M.D., associate professor of ophthalmology and lead investigator. "Is abnormal
circulation in the early stages of MD responsible for the development of the disease? We can't be sure yet, but the presence of such a large decrease in blood volume and flow may help explain why macular degeneration
occurs."
What is dry macular degeneration? A person with dry macular degeneration may develop a gradual loss of detailed vision as light-sensitive cells in the retina slowly break down over time. Macular
degeneration affects central vision, which is the sharp detailed vision that you use when you look straight ahead. Peripheral vision is side vision - the less acute vision that you may call "seeing out of the
corner of your eye." Dry macular degeneration may cause a slow decline in vision over time. It may also lead to the formation of drusen (yellow deposits) beneath the retina. These changes may cause distorted
or blurry vision.
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ARE THERE STUDIES INVOLVING A THERAPY FOR THE DRY FORM?
There is a study being done at the NY Eye & Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology in New York City,
NY. Summary: Microcurrent stimulation for the improvement of visual acuity in dry age-related macular degeneration. Subjects will use a medical device that supplies current to the eyes and take a daily nutritional
supplement. The treatment is self-administered at home twice daily for 12 minutes each session for a total of 6 months. Subjects are required to complete 5 study visits with the doctor. There are up to 96 study
subjects enrolled in this trial. The product (MCS device) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but not yet for the purpose of this study. The nutritional supplements are approved by the FDA. Half
of the subjects will receive a fake MCS device and a nutritional supplement. Subjects have an equal chance of being placed in one of these two therapy groups. This is a double masked study, which means neither the
subject nor the doctor will know which treatment has been assigned to a particular subject. However, this information is available to the doctor in case of emergency.
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Letters to Liz:
Helene in Michigan writes: Dear Liz, when I started using microcurrent stimulation six months ago, my eyesight was 20/60. I just had my ophthalmic visit in May and I'm so excited and want you to know I only missed
one letter to be 20/40 in the right eye. I know that on my next exam I will be at 20/40 and be able to get my driver's license back. I have had MD for 8 years. I have had laser on my right eye and last year
developed wet in my left eye. The Dr. said there was nothing to do: it was too far gone for surgery. Desperate, I found information about microcurrent stimulation and decided I had nothing to lose. Thank
you, Liz and Julie for your telephone support and your friendship.
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SIGHT SAVERS
Some strategies for "seeing" into the future:
Melissa Gotthardt, AARP reporter
1. Gorge on Greens (even broccoli can offer potent protection)
2. Ditch the Donuts (hydrogenated fats doubles the odds of Advanced MD)
3. Take "C" to See (take eye supplements to slow effects of MD)
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CONTACTING MDF
To speak to a support representative directly, you may call 1-888-633-3937. If you reach our voice mail, please speak slowly and distinctly.
ORDERING BOOKS & TAPES
When purchasing items from Amazon.com, please remember to use the MDF search box located at http://www.eyesight.org/Books/books.html . By simply originating your search from our website, Amazon
rewards the Foundation with a small commission from each product you order. Thank you.
MAKING CONTRIBUTIONS:
Please make checks payable to Macular Degeneration Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 531313, Henderson, Nevada
89053, or you may use your credit card on our web site http://www.eyesight.org/Donations/donations.html . Your contributions make our services available as a support system for macular degeneration patients in the following
ways:
1. We provide toll-free lines for personal contact assistance.
2. We mail brochures and other printed materials upon request.
3. We support an award-winning web site that provides the latest up-to-date
information.
4. We fund research proposal grants to provide therapies for both the wet and dry form of AMD. Contributions marked "research" are used 100% for research.
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MDF was founded in 1992 by Edmund J. Aleksandrovich Ph.D (a victim of macular degeneration). It provides MD patients and their families with the information necessary to understand the disease, the latest news
concerning ways to cope with the disease, and supports the efforts of researchers to find a cure.
Subscribers who wish to cancel their subscription or change their email address may visit:
http://www.eyesight.org/Newsletter/newsletter.html .
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