CONTACT LENSES TODAY

June 16, 2002

Contact Lenses Today® is edited by Dr. Joseph T. Barr and the staff of Contact Lens Spectrum. This week CLToday® reaches 8,505 readers in 74 countries.

IOP-Lowering Meds Prevent or Delay Glaucoma Onset
Treating patients who have ocular hypertension prevents or delays the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma, according to the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Researchers reported that 4.4% of the study participants who received medication developed glaucoma, while 9.5% of untreated patients developed glaucoma. What’s more, pachymetry seems to be an important factor in determining who may develop glaucoma. Study participants with thinner corneas had a three times greater risk of developing glaucoma. Details are in the June issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Study: Corneal Staining in Hydrogel Lens Wearers
Contact lens wearers are more susceptible to abrasions if they’re not vigilant about cleaning and replacing their lenses regularly, according to a multicenter study by optometric clinical researchers. Clinicians used fluorescein staining to evaluate 500 full-time hydrogel lens wearers at 20 sites. The most common replacement schedule was every 2 weeks. Not surprisingly, patients who admitted noncompliance with lens care had significantly more corneal staining. Results of the study were published in the January 2002 issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

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Retinal Abnormalities Linked to Mental Decline
Middle-aged adults with retinal microvascular abnormalities may develop cognitive impairment, according to a study published in the June issue of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers studied 8,734 participants over 10 years and found that those with retinopathy had lower scores on tests of memory and other mental abilities. This link remained even when researchers controlled diabetes, blood pressure and other risk factors.

SH Lenses Hot Topic at Educator Meeting
Silicone hydrogel (SH) lenses were a hot topic at a 2-day meeting of optometric educators sponsored by CIBA Vision and Novartis Ophthalmics. Points to ponder:

About 90% of practitioners in the United Kingdom are recommending high Dk/t SH lenses for continuous wear instead of LASIK.
In a Sydney, Australia study, two-thirds of patients initially interested in LASIK were no longer interested in refractive surgery after wearing high Dk/t SH lenses for 12 months.

REGISTER NOW FOR GLOBAL ORTHO-K SYMPOSIUM
The first annual Global Orthokeratology Symposium will take place in Toronto, Canada, from Aug. 9 to 11, 2002. Hosted by Contact Lens Spectrum and the BCI Health Care Conference Group, the symposium will focus on fitting concepts, lens designs and patient management techniques. Sessions will feature clinical outcomes, patient selection, on-eye fittings and an international free paper section. For more information, call (800) 549-3656; e-mail info@healthcareconferencegroup.com; or log on to http://www.healthcareconferencegroup.com. --ADVERTISING

Editor's Commentary: Take-Home from Corneal Staining Study
My colleague Kelly Nichols, O.D., M.S., Ph.D., M.P.H., was the first author of the corneal staining article we describe above. No one expected the lay press to pick up the article but it did, and that’s why we told you about it. It’s a great reference article for contact lens practitioners and clinical researchers, but quite frankly, it has little to offer the general public. Replace your lenses more frequently and keep them clean, and you have less staining. Probably the most important take-home for the practitioner is that using fluorescein to monitor soft contact lens wearers is important.

Fitting Tip: Don’t Overlook Toric Options
Soft toric contact lenses are better than ever. Whether you order from Ks and refraction or trial fit and use LARS (rotation to the practitioner’s Left means Add to the cylinder axis and rotation to the Right means Subtract from the cylinder axis) or use a trial lens and over-refract and use a cross cylinder calculator (see your favorite manufacturer’s Web site), these lenses are more successful than ever and still underutilized. --The Editor

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