CDC Adds New Zika Warning for Pregnant Women and Their Sex Partners

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women with a male sexual partner who has traveled to, or lives in, an area affected by active Zika virus transmission should refrain from sex or use condoms during sex until the pregnancy is over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised on Thursday.

The CDC said the precaution is in place “until we know more” about the dangers of sexual transmission of the mosquito-borne virus, which is linked to thousands of cases of microcephaly in newborns in Brazil.

“The potential hazard to the fetus is so substantial and so tragic that this looks like a very prudent recommendation until we learn more,” Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist from Vanderbilt University Medical School, told The New York Times.

In the same advisory, the CDC added two new countries, Jamaica and Tonga, to its travel alert list of nations that pregnant women should avoid due to ongoing Zika virus transmission.

While the Zika epidemic first surfaced in Brazil last spring, Zika virus has since spread to 30 countries and territories in South and Central America and the Caribbean. Though a cause-and-effect link has not been proven, many public health experts fear the virus can cause microcephaly, a condition that causes babies to be born with permanent brain damage and very small heads.

On Tuesday, local health officials in Texas confirmed a case of Zika virus infection that was transmitted by sex, and not by the bite of a mosquito.

The Dallas County Health and Human Services Department said that an unidentified patient had become infected with the Zika virus after having sex with an individual who had returned from Venezuela, one of the Latin American countries where Zika is circulating.

Scientists have suspected that Zika could be transmitted sexually, and there have been scattered reports of similar occurrences in recent years.

If research proves that the virus can be spread through sex, it could complicate efforts to contain infections from the virus, which health officials have said is “spreading explosively” across South and Central America.

Ashley Thomas Martino is an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences at St. John’s University, in New York City, who teaches infectious disease.

“We are dealing with an emerging strain of this virus. Zika is not new — it has been around since the 1950s — but this strain is showing that it can be transmitted from the mother to the developing fetus,” he said. “So, the occurrence of sexual transmission may be new, but it’s not that surprising given that we’re dealing with a new strain of this virus.”

Martino added that “most cases will be transmitted via mosquito, and this form of sexual transmission is likely to be a rare occurrence of infection.”

The blood supply is also being monitored closely. The American Red Cross on Wednesday asked potential blood donors who have traveled to areas where Zika infection is active to wait 28 days before giving blood.

The chances of Zika-infected blood donations remain extremely low in the United States, Dr. Susan Stramer, vice president of scientific affairs at the American Red Cross, said in a statement

“The Red Cross continues to use safety measures to protect the blood supply from Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses,” she said.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a global health threat, based on the suspicion that the virus may be to blame for thousands of birth defects in Brazil in the past year.

Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, said Monday that the explosive growth of microcephaly cases in Brazil constitutes an “extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world.”

Chan made her remarks during an emergency meeting at the U.N. health agency’s headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to assess what is known about the Zika virus and its potential relation to the surge of birth defects in Brazil.

The WHO estimates there could be up to 4 million cases of Zika in the Americas in the next year. However, no recommendations were made Monday to restrict travel or trade, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. health officials have said it’s unlikely that the Zika virus will cause a widespread threat here, but some infections are likely to occur.

The Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947, and until last year was not thought to pose serious health risks. In fact, approximately 80 percent of people who become infected never experience symptoms.

But the increase of cases and birth defects in Brazil in the past year — suspected to exceed more than 4,100 — has prompted health officials to warn pregnant women or those thinking of becoming pregnant to take precautions or consider delaying pregnancy.

“It is important to understand, there are several measures pregnant women can take,” Chan said, the AP reported. “If you can delay travel and it does not affect your other family commitments, it is something they can consider.

“If they need to travel, they can get advice from their physician and take personal protective measures, like wearing long sleeves and shirts and pants and use mosquito repellent,” she said.

There have been no outbreaks of Zika virus in the United States so far. But, limited U.S. outbreaks are “possible” and “even likely” given that the same sort of aggressive, day-biting mosquito that spreads Zika is present in the southern United States, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC.

However, Schuchat emphasized that the main health concern at this time is for pregnant women who are exposed to the virus.

Although health officials view some U.S. cases of Zika infection as likely, particularly in southern states, the United States enjoys certain advantages that should keep such an outbreak limited to a small area, Schuchat said.

Urban areas in the United States are less congested than they are in other countries of the Americas, making it more difficult for mosquitoes to spread disease hopping from one person to the next, she said.

Also, people in the United States are more likely to have their windows shut, thanks to air conditioning, or to have screens on open windows, which keep mosquitoes from invading their homes, she added.

More information

For more on Zika virus, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

To see the CDC list of sites where Zika virus is active and may pose a threat to pregnant women, click here.

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Super Bowl Foods Can Be a Win, Win: Healthy and Delicious

FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Super Bowl Sunday is as much about eating as it is about whether the Panthers or the Broncos score the first touchdown.

Commonly served Super Bowl snacks, however, are often loaded with calories, fat and salt, cautioned Dana Angelo White, a clinical assistant professor of athletic training and sports medicine at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Conn.

But there are some easy ways to make game-day foods delicious and healthy, noted White. She offered the following tips:

• Drink water. If you’re drinking alcohol, stay hydrated. Drink one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume. Opting for other sugar-free drinks, like seltzer, can also slash calories.
• Pace yourself. Eat normally before kick-off so you aren’t overdoing it even before higher-calorie foods are served.
• Keep things simple. When choosing a Super Bowl party menu, stick with a few key dishes. This way you won’t be tempted to sample many different foods.
• Fill up. High-calorie appetizers may not be satisfying, causing you to eat more. Instead, prepare satisfying main dishes, such as a batch of healthy chili.
• Lighten up. Replace ingredients that are high in calories and fat with healthier alternatives. For example, swap out high-fat cheese or mayonnaise with low-fat cheese or plain Greek yogurt.
• Limit portions. Exercise restraint at the buffet table. You can enjoy a variety of foods but don’t overdo the size of your portions.
• Cut the chips. Replace salty chips with a variety of fresh veggies.
• Be prepared. If you are a guest, bring along a healthy dish.
• Try healthier crowd pleasers. Rather than ordering greasy pizza, make a healthier homemade version with flatbread, chicken, sausage or peppers.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more on game-day food safety.

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NFL Linemen Keep Growing, Putting Their Health at Risk, Experts Say

By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — As the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers gear up for Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 showdown, many may be focused on the potential dangers of concussion, but that’s not the only health risk football players face.

Concern about the size of players — especially linemen — has been growing along with the players’ waistlines. And some researchers are now suggesting that these athletes should be monitored for health problems.

Physicians who work with overweight National Football League and college-level football players “should be aware of the potential for elevated blood pressure, diabetes and abnormal cholesterol levels,” said Jeffrey Potteiger, co-author of a commentary reviewing the possible risks facing these young men. And the risk is especially high in athletes who pack plenty of fat around the abdomen, he added.

Potteiger, a physical education specialist and dean of the graduate school at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich., said these players may face even greater risks once their playing days are finished.

For years, researchers have tracked the ever-widening bodies of football players. The average weight of offensive and defensive linemen in American college football ballooned from around 190 pounds in the 1950s to 290 pounds in 2010, previous research has shown.

At the end of the 2014 college football season, an analysis of most teams found that the average offensive lineman weighed more than 300 pounds; the average weight on the University of Mississippi’s offensive line was a stunning 334 pounds. On the pro level, the Buffalo Bills offensive line was about as heavy at an average of 332 pounds in 2014, background information in the study said.

“In general, bigger athletes have more success in sports where size is a determining factor for success. This is especially true in American football,” Potteiger said.

“Bigger athletes are usually more powerful, harder to move, more difficult to tackle and better blockers. And if the defensive linemen are bigger, they are harder to block or move. So there is a need for bigger offensive linemen to move the defensive linemen out of the way,” he said.

Higher levels of weight and more fat in the abdomen, in particular, boost the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, Potteiger said. They also raise the risk of metabolic syndrome, which refers to a group of related problems — such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol — that increase the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke, the researchers said.

While heightened fitness may protect the athletes from health problems when they’re young and active, they could fall victim to disease after their athletic careers are over, Potteiger suggested.

Dr. James Borchers agreed. He’s a team physician and director of sports medicine at Ohio State University in Columbus. “The biggest issue for the football athlete comes after they’re finished,” he said.

Some professional football players may finish their careers by the age of 26, “when you’ve got a lot of life to lead,” Borchers said.

When they’re on the field, he said, fitness may indeed protect heavy football players, even if their movements on the field during plays only last seconds.

“In many places today, especially professional athletics and collegiate athletics, there’s so much emphasis placed on fitness and nutrition. Players are better off even if they’re carrying extra weight than they were 20 to 25 years ago,” Borchers said.

Still, Borchers said he doesn’t see any end to continuing weight gain in football linemen. “It’s amazing,” he said, pointing to news about a Baylor University player who’s 6 feet, 8 inches tall, and reportedly weighs 403 pounds. And 7-foot high school player from California has topped him at 440 pounds, according to news reports.

As for the idea of instituting rules about how heavy players can be, Borchers said it would be difficult to set limits based on something such as body mass index, a common measurement that doesn’t separate fat from muscle.

Borchers believes physicians must pay more attention to the issue of body weight in football players. And he acknowledged that “it’s not one of the classic things we think about in sports medicine, like concussion, and muscle and skeletal injuries.”

The study was published recently in the Strength and Conditioning Journal.

More information

For the NFL’s perspective about player health, check its health and safety page.

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Waning Whooping Cough Immunity Blamed in Outbreaks

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 5, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The booster shot given to pre-teens to ward off whooping cough only works for a short time — a fact that has played a big role in recent outbreaks in California, a new study finds.

The study, of children in one large California health plan, found that the whooping cough booster shot offered “moderate” protection for about a year. But that immunity waned so quickly that little protection remained after two or three years.

Experts said the findings, reported online Feb. 5 and in the March print issue of Pediatrics, underscore the limits of today’s whooping cough vaccines.

It’s been clear for years that cases of whooping cough, or pertussis, are rising in the United States. In 2012, more than 48,000 cases were reported nationwide — the highest number since 1955, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What’s more, the agency says, older children and teenagers are accounting for a growing proportion of cases.

A major reason, experts believe, is that in the 1990s, U.S. health officials switched from the traditional whooping cough vaccine to a new one known as DTaP — which also protects against diphtheria and tetanus. DTaP works well in the short term, the CDC says, but slowly wanes each year after a child’s final dose, which is given around age 5.

So a booster shot, called Tdap, is routinely given to kids at age 11 or 12. But that shot doesn’t last long either.

“The issue is, the old vaccine against whooping cough had a difficult safety profile,” explained Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and a professor of infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

It could cause high fevers and seizures in young children, he said — which understandably worried parents. There were also concerns about possible, albeit rare, neurological effects, Offit added.

That led to the development of DTaP, which has far fewer antigens than the old vaccine, Offit said. Antigens are proteins that trigger an immune system response; with fewer antigens, DTaP is much less likely to cause side effects. But it also offers shorter-lived immunity.

“Basically, we traded effectiveness for safety,” Offit said.

For the new study, researchers with Kaiser Permanente Northern California used information on all kids in their health system, aged 10 and up, who’d received DTaP vaccination. Nearly all — over 96 percent — also had the Tdap by their 14th birthday.

Just over 1,200 children and teens were diagnosed with whooping cough between 2006 and 2015. Most fell ill during two statewide epidemics, in 2010 and 2014, the research found.

Based on those cases, the researchers estimated that the Tdap vaccine was about 69 percent effective in the first year after it was given. After that, immunity faded fast — so that by year three, little protection remained, the study authors said.

The fact that Tdap immunity wanes is nothing new, said lead researcher Dr. Nicola Klein, co-director of Kaiser’s Vaccine Study Center, in Oakland, Calif.

“But,” she said, “I was surprised to see how much disease occurred, even in this vaccinated group.”

The bottom line, according to Klein, is that the current vaccines are not enough to prevent epidemics.

“I think waning immunity — primarily from the DTaP but also Tdap — are the main drivers of these outbreaks,” Klein said.

Offit agreed. “These vaccines are not as good as they should be,” he said.

There’s probably no chance that health officials would go back to the old whooping cough shot, according to Offit. But, he said, manufacturers could make a better one.

For now, he and Klein both said that the current vaccines provide fairly good shorter-term protection.

And they stressed that it’s essential for pregnant women to get a Tdap booster during each pregnancy. That way, babies are born with some of their mom’s immune system antibodies against whooping cough.

That’s critical, Offit explained, because young infants are most at risk of becoming severely ill with whooping cough.

Whooping cough typically causes cold-like symptoms, followed by bouts of coughing that can go on for weeks. For infants, that can lead to dangerous breathing problems, lung infection or convulsions. Of babies younger than 1 year who get whooping cough, half end up in the hospital, according to the CDC.

Short of more effective vaccines, Klein said health officials may want to think about how the Tdap is given. Instead of routinely giving it to preteens, for example, it might be more effective to give it in “anticipation” of an outbreak, she said.

“I think we need to open the discussion on how to best utilize the vaccine,” Klein said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on whooping cough.

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Racial Disparity in Kidney Transplant Outcomes Narrows: Study

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Racial disparities in kidney transplant outcomes are shrinking, new research indicates.

Previous studies had shown that black patients who received kidney transplants had worse outcomes compared with white patients. But a new analysis of roughly 200,000 kidney transplants revealed that the success of surgeries involving black people improved between 1990 and 2012, with fewer organ rejections and deaths among these patients.

The study authors compared information on almost 64,000 black and more than 145,400 white adults who received a kidney from a living or deceased donor.

The findings were published online Feb. 4 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

“We hypothesized that advances in immunosuppression and post-transplant management might differentially benefit black kidney transplant recipients, who were disproportionately burdened by immunological barriers, and contribute to reduced racial disparities in kidney transplant outcomes,” study author Tanjala Purnell said in a journal news release.

Over the course of the study, five-year failure rates of the kidneys transplanted from deceased donors fell from just over 51 percent to slightly less than 31 percent for blacks. Failure rates also dropped among white patients from slightly more than 37 percent to 25 percent, the findings showed.

Meanwhile, five-year failure of kidneys transplanted from living donors fell from over 37 percent to 22 percent among blacks, and from almost 21 percent to about 14 percent among whites, the investigators found.

Around two decades ago, blacks who underwent a deceased-donor kidney transplant were 39 percent more likely than whites to experience five-year failure. The researchers found, however, this gap had narrowed to 10 percent by 2012.

In addition, blacks who received a living-donor kidney transplant in 1990 were 53 percent more likely than whites to experience five-year failure. By 2012, this disparity had fallen to 37 percent.

“Our research demonstrates a dramatic improvement in kidney transplant outcomes for black patients and a significant reduction in the disparity in kidney transplant outcomes between black and white patients,” said Purnell, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about kidney transplants.

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3 Ways to Sculpt Your Body With Your Foam Roller

You know you can use your foam roller to loosen up tight muscles after a workout. But did you know you can also use it to sculpt your entire body? Yep, that’s the premise of Taller, Slimmer, Younger: 21 Days To A Foam Roller Physique ($14, amazon.com) by fitness and alignment expert Lauren Roxburgh, who has worked with star clients like Gwyneth Paltrow and Gabrielle Reece. Here, a sneak peek at three moves from Roxburgh’s all-over toning routine.

Roller Twist on Hip

Targets: Triceps, thighs, core, and lats

Lie on your left hip with your spine running parallel to the side of your mat and your legs hinged at a 45-degree angle toward the left front corner of the mat. Place the roller slightly below your left elbow joint.

Inhale and gently press down into the roller to start rolling it to just above your wrist (this will tone your triceps and lats), while simultaneously lifting both legs up and rolling slightly to the right while balancing on your left tush and hip.

Exhale at the top and hold while continuing to balance with the roller above your wrist.

Inhale slowly to start reaching long as you come down, and exhale all the way down to the mat as the roller returns to its starting position right below your elbow joint.

Repeat this movement eight times, then repeat on the other side.

RELATED: 8 Best Foam Rollers to Ease Your Aches

Rolling Bridge Heel Pulls

Targets: Glutes, hamstrings, and calves

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and place the roller under the balls of your feet. Reach your arms long by your sides.

Inhale as you start to roll your spine up one vertebra at a time and exhale all the way up until you’re in a bridge position.

Inhale again as you pull the roller an inch toward you and then exhale as you push the roller back one inch. Repeat this movement as a pulsation eight times.

Exhale as you roll your spine down one vertebra at a time and extend your legs in front of you.

RELATED: 7 Running Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Grasshopper

Targets: Upper back, arms, core, hamstrings, and glutes

Place your lower thighs (right above your kneecaps) on the roller and your hands directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Inhale to bring your spine into extension, looking straight ahead.

Exhale and bend your elbows to lower down, hovering over the mat.

Inhale to return to your starting position. 


Repeat this movement eight to ten times.

Roller Pro Tip: As you inhale and lift in this pose, be sure to engage your hamstrings to keep pressure out of your lower back. Think of your body as a teeter-totter: You want to keep your weight equal as you go up and down.

From the book Taller, Slimmer, Younger: 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique by Lauren Roxburgh. Copyright © 2016 by Lauren Roxburgh. Reprinted by arrangement with Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

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Florida Gov. Declares Zika Virus Health Emergency

Photo: Getty Images

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a health emergency Wednesday after nine cases of Zika virus were detected in the state.

Health officials believe that each Florida case of the mosquito-borne virus was contracted while traveling overseas in effected countries, according to the Associated Press. Florida’s emergency extends to four counties—Miami-Dade, Lee, Hillsborough, and Santa Rosa. Southern Florida, especially Miami, has a close connection with South America, where the virus is prevalent.

The Zika virus has become a global health scare after it was linked to brain deformities in babies. The virus is spread by mosquito bites and has mainly been contained to South America, but cases have appeared in the U.S. and health officials in Dallas, Texas confirmed one person became infected by Zika after sexual contact. That incident is the first case of the virus being transmitted in the United States.

This article originally appeared on Time.com.

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These Hair Tutorials Will Give You the Warm Fuzzies

Photo: YouTube

You may feel like if you’ve seen every hair tutorial around, but the how-to video Pantene just released as part of their “Strong is Beautiful” initiative is one for the record, errr, play books.

RELATED: Khloe Kardashian Doesn’t Have a Lob Anymore

NFL Dads like New Orleans Saints’ Benjamin Watson, Pittsburg Steelers’ DeAngelo Williams, and Dallas Cowboys’ Jason Witten try their hands at doing their daughters’ hair and it’s pretty much the sweetest thing we’ve ever seen. The little girls are very encouraging as dad tries to braid and wrangle their strands. And we get to see a much softer side of the athletes as they tend to their kiddos.

According to Pantene, research shows that quality time spent with dads plays a major role in helping the girls feel more self-confident, self-reliant, and successful in school and career. That’s why the brand is encourage proud papas to try the #DadDo, even providing tutorials as the big guys in the videos create adorable looks for their littles.

RELATED: Selena Gomez Posts the Most Hypnotizing Video of Her Hair

Personally, we think Williams may have the most skilled hands when it comes to doing hair, perfecting not one but two styles on his daughters. But all of the dads are MVPs in our book.

This article originally appeared on MIMIchatter.com.

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Depression May Boost Seniors’ Risk for Heart Disease, Stroke

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Depression increases the risk of heart disease and stroke in older adults, a new study indicates.

The researchers looked at more than 7,300 seniors in France with no history of heart disease, stroke or dementia at the start of the study period. Participants were assessed again two, four and seven years later.

Initially, about 30 percent of the women and 15 percent of the men had high levels of depression symptoms. At each follow-up visit, about 40 percent of those with high levels of depression symptoms had recovered, while the same percentage had new depression symptoms, the study authors said.

At all assessments during the study, less than 10 percent of participants were taking antidepressant medications, according to the report published online recently in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Study participants who had high levels of depression symptoms at any visit had an increased risk of heart disease or stroke over 10 years. But risk rose with depression duration — from 15 percent if depression symptoms were evident at just one visit to 75 percent if apparent at all four visits, the investigators found.

The findings suggest that depression could be a risk factor for heart disease or stroke. But because this was an observational study, the findings cannot prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

However, based on the findings, study author Dr. Renaud Pequignot, of INSERM in Paris, and colleagues suggested in a journal news release that doctors should closely monitor adults aged 65 and older for symptoms of depression.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about depression.

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High-Dose Statins May Ease Macular Degeneration for Some

THURSDAY, Feb. 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — High doses of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs — medicines such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor — may help people with a common eye disease called macular degeneration, a small study suggests.

In the early stage clinical trial, a team from Harvard Medical School assessed the effects of statin treatment in people with the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD affects more than 150 million people worldwide. The dry form is much more common and accounts for about 85 percent of cases, according to the researchers.

Effective treatments are available for the wet form of AMD, but not the dry form, so dry-form AMD remains the leading cause of blindness in the developed world.

In AMD, fat deposits form under the retina, so that patients develop blurring or blindness in the center of their vision.

In the study, 23 patients with dry-form AMD were given a high dose (80 milligrams) of atorvastatin (Lipitor).

In 10 of the patients, the fat deposits under the retina disappeared and they had a slight improvement in vision clarity, according to the study published online Feb. 4 in the journal EBioMedicine.

It typically took a year to 18 months of treatment for these positive results to arise, the researchers reported.

They noted that prior attempts to find ways to eliminate the fat deposits under the retina have failed.

However, “we found that intensive doses of statins carry the potential for clearing up the lipid [fat] debris that can lead to vision impairment in a subset of patients with macular degeneration,” said study co-author Dr. Joan Miller. She is chair of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and chief of ophthalmology at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Massachusetts General Hospital, both in Boston.

“We hope that this promising preliminary clinical trial will be the foundation for an effective treatment for millions of patients afflicted with AMD,” she said in an infirmary news release.

Study co-author Dr. Demetrios Vavvas is a clinician scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and co-director of the Ocular Regenerative Medicine Institute at Harvard Medical School. He said in the news release: “Not all cases of dry AMD are the exactly the same, and our findings suggest that if statins are going to help, they will be most effective when prescribed at high dosages in patients with an accumulation of soft, lipid material.”

However, he believes that, based on the new findings, “it may be possible to eventually have a treatment that not only arrests the disease but also reverses its damage and improves the visual acuity in some patients.”

The next step is to conduct a larger study of statin treatment in patients with dry AMD.

“This is a very accessible, FDA-approved drug that we have tremendous experience with,” Vavvas said. “Millions of patients take it for high cholesterol and heart disease, and based on our early results, we believe it offers the potential to halt progression of this disease, but possibly even to restore function in some patients with dry AMD.”

Two eye experts were cautiously optimistic about the new findings.

“Although the study is relatively small, the positive outcomes certainly warrant a larger clinical trial,” said Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “This may benefit millions of patients with macular degeneration and slow their progression to more serious disease.”

Dr. Nazanin Barzideh is chief of vitreoretinal surgery at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. She called the research “exciting,” and noted that heart disease treatments have long shown some secondary effects in easing AMD.

Now, Barzideh said, “we also can finally tell our patients controlling their lipid [cholesterol] levels can also be helpful in maintaining their vision. I, for one, am very excited about this study and to share the results with my macular degeneration patients.”

More information

The U.S. National Eye Institute has more about age-related macular degeneration.

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