Ophthalmology Clinical Trials Preventing Loss of Vision

Why have ophthalmology clinical trials become so important in recent years? Diabetes has now become the leading cause of new cases of blindness amongst adults in recent years. It is highly important to take care of your eyes and vision as they allow us to see the beauty of the world. Diabetes is a major risk factor for cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, which is the most severe of the three eye diseases which affects approximately 7.7 million Americans.  Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among Americans between the ages of 25 and 70. The condition typically develops without early warning signs. The damage to the eye can occur slowly and is hard to detect without regular and accurate monitoring. It’s important that patients be referred for treatment before the impairment is so severe that they cannot be treated. When it comes to saving vision, timing is everything. There are a few steps one can take in order to take care of one’s vision after being diagnosed with diabetes: 1) Get a comprehensive dilated eye examination from your ophthalmologist once a year, regardless of your age. In its early stages, diabetic retinopathy often has no symptoms. A dilated eye exam allows ophthalmologists – medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and medical and surgical treatment of eye diseases and ophthalmology research – to examine the retina and optic nerve more thoroughly for signs of damage before changes in vision occur. 2) Maintain close-to-normal blood glucose (sugar) levels. High blood glucose damages the blood vessels in the eyes. This damage can result in swelling in the retina and the development of abnormal blood vessels that can bleed and form scar tissue. Maintain healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels. High blood pressure and high cholesterol can increase the risk of eye disease and vision loss. Keeping both under control will help the eyes as well as overall health. 3) Finally, it is important to quit smoking and exercise regularly to maintain eye health. Smokers are at an increased risk for diabetic retinopathy and other diabetes-related eye diseases and regular exercise can help the eyes stay as healthy as possible while helping to control blood glucose levels.Ophthalmology clinical trials have become so important in recent years because as diabetes has become the leading cause of blindness amongst adults and the data collected from ophthalmology clinical trials can prevent even more cases of blindness in the future. Diabetes is on the rise in the United States with a staggering number of diagnosed and undiagnosed cases.http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/With such staggering numbers, and a nearly ~30% of these cases developing diabetic retinopathy, it is important that we look towards ophthalmology to correct these issues, as well as continue to educate the nation on overall diabetes prevention, especially in children.
With recent advances in ophthalmology, there are surgeries and treatments that can remedy almost any condition. But truly significant here is that active participation of patients is critical for advancing research and breakthroughs in this field. Therefore, education throughout ophthalmic patient communities is necessary. Statistically speaking, nearly 70% of the lack of clinical trial participation is due to a lack of awareness that trials are even taking place. This tragic fact is a huge barrier towards advancing research in all fields. Pharmaceutical companies and the organizations they hire can take steps towards not only creating, but educating and engaging patient populations through venues such as social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) and direct e-mail marketing. Most traditional ways of patient recruitment do not work, and should be reconsidered in our digital and information based age. All clinical research originates and ends with patients; engaging and retaining these patients, especially for research in a field as important as ophthalmology, is absolutely imperative to making further advances and breakthroughs.
http://wcct.com/therapeutic-areas/ophthalmology-clinical-research/http://www.health.com/health/ http://www.thefreedictionary.com/medical
http://www.medicinenet.com/blindness/article.htm