Category Archives: Industry News

Computer Vision Syndrome, Industry News

Nearly Half of the Global Population May Be Nearsighted by 2050, Researchers Say

An estimated 1.4 billion people worldwide were nearsighted in 2000. That’s about 23 percent of the total global population. But by 2050, researcher predict this figure will soar to 4.8 billion, afflicting 49.8 percent of the world’s population.

The good news is, there are ways to protect your children from landing on the wrong side of this statistic. One key may be to encourage them to turn off their electronic devices and head outdoors.

Although the vision of most people with nearsightedness can be restored with glasses and contact lenses, high levels of myopia increase the risk of eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and myopic macular degeneration — all of which can

Regular eye exams are important to maintaining your eye health. Fine Eyewear and Eyecare provides advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for more information.  http://www.fineeyewear.net

Cataracts, Industry News, Macular Degeneration, Sunglasses

Sunglasses are a must – protect your eyes!

More than one in four American adults are risking serious eye damage through exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, according to a new report from The Vision Council,  “Protection for the Naked Eye: Sunglasses as a Health Necessity.” The report, which is intended to educate consumers about the importance of wearing sunglasses to protect against UV.   It finds that more than 25 percent of U.S. adults rarely or never wear sunglasses, and nearly two-thirds are unaware of the link between UV exposure and serious eye diseases such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

The report also finds that more than one-third of parents report that their children 13 and under rarely or never wear sunglasses, despite the fact that children are at increased risk for UV overexposure.

To view or download a copy of the report, Protection for the Naked Eye: Sunglasses as a Health Necessity, click here.

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare offers an extensive sunglasses collection that not only look great, but protect your eyes. Our eye doctors also provide advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for a preview a few of our sunglasses : Fine Eyewear Sunglasses Collection
Eye Disease & Problems, Industry News

Study: Comprehensive Eye Exams Can Help Re-Engage Patients into Care for Certain Chronic Conditions, with the Potential to Help Improve Health and Reduce Costs

UnitedHealthcare study shows that 57 percent of patients with chronic conditions who receive a comprehensive eye exam became re-engaged with a primary care physician or specialist in managing their ongoing illness
Employers that adopt integrated eye health and medical benefits, along with health and wellness programs, may improve employee well-being and reduce medical costs

MINNETONKA, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Comprehensive eye exams can help re-engage patients into care for certain chronic conditions, with eye care professionals encouraging people to seek follow-up treatments from primary care physicians and specialists, according to a new study by UnitedHealthcare.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150519005338/en/

Eye Exam Impacts on Re-engagement for Chronic Conditions demonstrates for the first time how eye care professionals can play a key role in helping re-engage patients with chronic conditions into care. This may help enable cost savings and prevention of disease progression and complications. Study results showed that 33 percent of previously unengaged patients, defined as lacking medical care for any chronic conditions over the previous 18 months, were re-engaged into care with a primary care physician or specialist within 60 days following an eye exam. Another 24 percent of patients were re-engaged after 60 days following an eye exam.

The study followed more than 2,300 UnitedHealthcare plan participants enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans to determine whether patients lacking care for chronic conditions followed up for treatment with a primary care physician or specialist after an eye exam. The study examined re-engagement rates for people with seven chronic conditions: Crohn’s disease, diabetes, Graves’ disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The results are important considering many people visit their eye care doctor more frequently than their primary care provider.

More than 117 million people nationwide, or nearly one of every two adults, suffer from at least one chronic condition, while one quarter of adults have two or more conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than 29 million people have diabetes; 73.5 million have high LDL cholesterol; and 70 million have hypertension, according to the CDC.

“This study demonstrates the important role comprehensive eye exams play in re-engaging patients into care, especially for chronic conditions,” said Linda Chous, O.D., chief eye care officer for UnitedHealthcare Vision. “When patients are reconnected into care, the prevention of disease progression and complications can be realized, which may contribute to improved patient health and reduced costs.”

The new report builds on the findings of a previous UnitedHealthcare study, “Impact of Eye Exams in Identifying Chronic Conditions,” published in 2014. That study demonstrated how comprehensive eye exams can help eye-care doctors identify some chronic conditions – such as high cholesterol, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease and Graves’ disease – helping with early diagnosis so people can obtain appropriate treatment sooner and take steps to better manage their disease.

“The eyes are the only place on the body to offer a noninvasive view of the blood vessels, which means a comprehensive eye exam can reveal important information about a patient’s overall health, as well as their vision,” Dr. Chous added.

Employers are increasingly recognizing the role eye health plays in overall health, adopting integrated vision and medical benefits programs such as UnitedHealthcare’s Bridge2Health®, which supports patients and health care professionals with information, decisions and outcomes. Bridge2Health does the following:

integrates medical and vision data to close gaps in care and identify opportunities for interventions, including monitoring of 23 chronic conditions;
identifies people with chronic conditions for eye care providers, and helps ensure that patients’ eyes be dilated during the exam to provide a better view of eye health and overall health;
contacts plan participants by phone with eye exam reminders for people with chronic conditions who have not had an exam; and
refers people with diabetes to disease management programs that may save more than $1,800 per patient per year, according to the 2014 UnitedHealthcare study.

More than 170 companies representing 5.3 million plan participants have already selected Bridge2Health’s integrated approach for vision benefits to help create healthier employees, lower health care costs and increase productivity. With wellness as a core value for many companies, programs such as UnitedHealthcare’s Bridge2Health provide employees with the most advanced programs and resources that encourage a healthier workforce.

For more info : http://www.uhc.com/employer/health-plans/ancillary-specialty-benefits/vision/bridge2health-vision

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare optometrists provides advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities. Stop by and check out our world class optical studio.  Our mission is to help you look and see your best!  More info can be found at www.FineEyewear.Net

 

Industry News

Eye Test designed to identify Alzheimer’s disease

Cognoptix announced that it has developed a simple eye test that has the potential to change the way that Alzheimer’s disease is detected and managed. The company conducted a multi-site clinical trial of its Sapphire II eye test designed to identify Alzheimer’s disease patients via a beta-amyloid (Ab) signature in their eyes. By detecting a specific fluorescent signature of ligand-marked Ab in the supranucleus region of the human lens, Sapphire II achieved a sensitivity of 85 percent and a specificity of 95 percent in differentiating 20 patients who were clinically diagnosed with probable Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) from a group of 20 age-matched healthy volunteers.
The key to effective preventive therapy and treatment of Alzheimer’s is the creation of an “early warning system” for the disease, before it progresses to the point where treatment options are limited.
Anti-Reflective Treatment, Eye Health, Industry News, Sunglasses

Protecting Eyes From ‘Bad’ Blue Light

 

The world can be a dangerous place, especially if viewed through the naked eye.  The threat posed by exposure to ultraviolet light is well known to eyecare professionals, and a growing number of consumers are becoming aware of it as well, thanks to advertising by sunglass companies . Protect your eyes with sun lenses wear lenses that block UV rays up to 400 nanometers. Now a new ocular threat has emerged in the form of High Energy Visible (HEV) light. HEV is prevalent not just outdoors, but indoors as well. The indoor threat is posed largely by digital devices such as computer screens, tablets, smartphones and televisions, particularly the new flat screen models with OLED screens.

Fine Eyewear and Eyecare offer many fine sunglasses options to protect against harmful blue light including Oakley and Maui Jim. Our eye doctors also provide advanced vision care to the families of Austin, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Round Rock and surrounding communities.  Visit our main website for a preview of Oakley and Maui Jim and read more about our sunglasses collections : Fine Eyewear Sunglasses Collection
Industry News

Tobii Eye-Tracking Study Reveals What Earns Student Attention in Classroom

Tobii Technology has released the findings of a new research study that reveals the attention patterns of students in the classroom. Conducted by Kennesaw State University associate professor of physics education David Rosengrant, the study provides new insight into effective teaching techniques that aim to keep students engaged and motivated to learn during lectures.

Conducted using Tobii Glasses, a portable, wearable eye-tracking device that allows for unobtrusive eye tracking for research in real-world environments, the study contradicts the widely accepted belief that classroom attention peaks during the first 15 minutes of class and then generally tapers off.

Industry News

Positive Attitudes May Help People Live Longer

If you hope to live a long time, a new study out today in the journal ‘Aging’ says a positive outlook on life will help.”  Dr. Nir Barzilai of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine” and colleagues “discovered people who live to be 100 are more than twice as likely to have a certain variant of a gene called CETP. It helps control cholesterol and protects against heart disease and dementia.”

Eye glasses lens technology, Industry News

AOA Study Cites Safety and Compliance Issues for Rx Eyeglasses Ordered Online

Make no mistake, Glasses are not TV’s or Cell phones or other things you might order online. When you receive your glasses in the mail, you can’t just turn it on to verify if the prescription is working and accurate. Glasses are medical device’s used to help organ’s in your body function better. A good pair of glasses help your visual/brain and hand eye coordination perform better. A bad Rx or cheap lenses can cause headaches and other problems. A cheap pair of Sunglasses may cause even more harmful UV rays to enter into and cause permanent to damage your eyes. Manufacturing a great pair of glasses to specific tolerances is a difficult thing to do and requires highly experienced, trained personal. We don’t take your vision lightly and neither should you – FE.

Consumers who order prescription eyeglasses online often receive glasses that fail to comply with optical tolerance and impact resistance requirements, according to a newly released study conducted by the American Optometric Association in conjunction with the Optical Laboratories Association and The Vision Council.

The study, which was published in the September issue of Optometry: Journal of the American Optometric Association, found that nearly half of the prescription eyewear ordered online in the U.S.—44.8 percent—had incorrect prescriptions or did not meet physical parameters to provide sufficient protection to the wearer.

 

Industry News

FDA Cracks Down On False LASIK Claims

HealthDay (9/30, Mann) reports, “The US Food and Drug Administration is once again cracking down on eye care professionals who make false safety claims and promises about the popular LASIK eye surgery.”

Questions to research when considering LASIK:

1. What are the risks of LASIK. (dry-eye, star/halo night vision, ability to properly heal after surgery)
2. Will LASIK make the need for eye glasses go away 100%? (in many cases no)
3. Will LASIK make the need for reading glasses come at an earlier age (in many cases yes)
4. Is there an age window to get LASIK?
5. Does my eyeball structure make me a good LASIK candidate?
6. Ask your surgeon if he/she has had LASIK performed on their own eyes.

Further reading can be found by clicking this FDA website: MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/LASIK