SPRING - SUMMER 2001

Inside this issue
CAN-TV	AMD Inaugural Session – Senior Center
Bloomingdale CHARACTER COUNTS!	Eye Screening – ADA and ISPB
ISPB Lectureship, Year 2000 (IOA)	Research Updates
Fireworks Safety	Glaucoma Drug and Eyelash Regrowth
Steps for Putting in Eye Drops	Eye Tips for Joggers and Walkers
Cataracts and Body Size	CHC/IL and ISPB
Sunglasses for Outdoor Workers	Remembrances
ISPB Board of Directors; ISPB Financial	Quick Tips

Research Updates

Macular Degeneration (AMD) — WET

Positive results from a pilot study completed at The New England Eye Center at Tufts University has paved the way for a large, multi-center clinical trial for the new, experimental laser treatment for Wet AMD — Transpupillary Thermotherapy (TTT). Preliminary research has indicated that TTT may be the best suited treatment for a form of Wet AMD, called occult choroidal neovascularization (occult CNV), where blood vessel growth is hidden. When it is hidden, patients are not likely candidates for photo-dynamic therapy or high-intensity laser treatment.

TTT uses a low-intensity laser that seems able to treat hidden blood vessel growth by applying heat to the retina. This slightly raises the temperature of the retina to clot blood within these abnormal blood vessels. The blood clots seal the blood vessels, thus preventing any further leakage and subsequent damage to central vision. Clinical trials are being conducted in various states, among them Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Macular Degeneration (AMD) — DRY

In a recent research study at the University of Utah, the results suggested that certain patients with Dry AMD experienced improvement in their vision when they received apheresis treatments using an experimental blood filtration procedure — RheopheresisJ blood filtration. This study is designed to show that the removal of LDL cholesterol and other harmful substances from the blood will improve vision in people with Dry AMD. Clinical trials are being held in Indiana, North Carolina, California and Florida.

The Visionary, published as a service of the Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness,
is available upon request. The information contained in this issue,
taken from sources considered to be accurate,
does not replace the need for professional eye care consultations and treatments.

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