High Dose Vitamins & Cataracts

Patients ask us all the time about ways to prevent or slow down cataract formation. Sometimes we hear that patients having been taking high doses of vitamins to prevent cataracts because they read about “megavitamins” helping cataracts. So, are vitamins good or bad for affecting your risk of developing cataracts?

Research on Cataracts & High Dose Vitamin Supplements
Researchers reporting in the American Journal of Epidemiology evaluated the risks and benefits of taking high dose supplements of vitamins C and E and low-dose multivitamins with the risk of developing age related cataract. Their study looked at any associations of high-dose supplements of vitamins C and E and low dose multivitamins with the risk of age related cataract in a group of 31,120 men who ranged in age from 45–79 years of age. Their results suggest that the use of high dose-but not low dose-single vitamin C or E supplements may increase the risk of age-related cataract. The risk may be even higher among older men, corticosteroid users, and long-term users.

If you or someone you know takes high doses of vitamins or is concerned about their risk of cataracts please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Vision Problems & ADHD

For any parent of a child with ADHD there is always the need to keep abreast of information that may be helpful in addressing how best to help your children. We are often asked about whether eye problems such as with visual acuity or eye movement problems might contribute to hyperactivity or ADHD type behaviors-and could in fact eye problems be a cause of ADHD?

Research on ADHD & Eye Problems
Researchers conducted a study and reported the results in the journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (AAPOS). They discussed the possibility that there was an association between ADHD/ADD, uncorrected refractive-errors such as nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism-and visual acuity. They performed a case matched controlled study that included ADD/ADHD children diagnosed according to criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR), along with an age-matched control group of non ADD/ADHD children and then examined both groups for uncorrected visual acuity for distance and near, cycloplegic refraction-an eye test to measure uncorrected refractive error with eye drops, ocular motility or eye movements and binocular function-how well the children used their eyes together. Their results showed that ADD/ADHD children had similar visual acuity at distance and near and refractive errors as normal subjects. Eye movement and the ability to use both eyes together as well as focusing ability were also found to be similar in both groups and thus might not contribute to ADD/ADHD. Thus, from this study there does not appear to be an association between ADHD/ADD and vision problems nor do children with ADHD/ADD seem to have a greater incidence of eye problems.

If you or someone you know has ADHD and is concerned about any effects of vision problems, refractive errors or decreased visual acuity please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.





Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.

Estrogen Therapy Reduces Glaucoma Risk

There are many well known factors that increase your risk of glaucoma including diabetes, family history and smoking. Some other less familiar glaucoma risk factors include having sleep apnea and the early onset of menopause. But, the role of estrogen may be more important than was recognized in that it appears that estrogen postmenopausal hormone therapy may actually reduce your risk of glaucoma.

Research on Glaucoma & Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy
According to researchers publishing in JAMA Ophthalmology taking estrogen only postmenopausal hormone (PMH) treatment may help reduce the risk for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). By reviewing data from 152,163 women 50 years or older the researchers found that 1.9 percent of enrollees developed POAG. Each additional month of use of PMH containing estrogen only was associated with a 0.4 percent reduced risk for POAG whereas each additional month of use of estrogen + progesterone or estrogen + androgen hormones did not affect risk for POAG. This is interesting information and will require further prospective clinical studies to understand fully but may offer some novel treatments for primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), an insidious sight threatening eye diseases and the most common type of glaucoma.

If you or someone you know has a question about glaucoma risk factors and postmenopausal hormone therapy or needs an eye exam with glaucoma testing please call Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center at 219-464-8223, or visit Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center, Google+ or facebook.com/nwindianaeyeandlaser.

Northwest Indiana Eye & Laser Center offices are located at 502 Marquette Street, Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 and 1001 South Edgewood Drive, Knox, Indiana 46354.