THE LATEST FROM MACULAR DEGENERATION PARTNERSHIP
JANUARY 2017 AMD UPDATE

February is 
Valentine's Day and
AMD Awareness month!

Here are ways to share your love: 
  • Encourage friends and family to visit their eye doctor.
  •  Learn to spot the early warning signs of AMD.
  •  Give an Amsler Grid to your Valentines!
  •  Get 10 free Amsler Grid refrigerator magnets from Macular Degeneration Partnership to share.    
(Magnets only available to addresses in the U.S. and Canada)  

 
Aspirin Use & AMD


 
While some studies have found a link between aspirin use and AMD, Dr. Mitul Mehta, MD of the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute does not recommend adjusting a patient's aspirin usage if they have been advised to take an aspirin for their cardiovascular disease.  "I would caution patients not to risk their heart health based on these studies because stopping the aspirin can do more harm than good."  

AMD TeleSupport

Are you a senior with AMD who wants to share your experiences with others, but there are no support groups nearby?  MD Support, a wonderful organization that provides information and encouragement to the AMD community has a program that may be just right for you.  

The International Low Vision Support Group offers monthly educational presentations that can be viewed live or on-line.  For those who have limited Internet access or no local support  group, you can call a toll-free number on the third Thursday of each month and participate in a live session.  You can just listen to others on the phone, or you can actively share your story.  To learn more about this program, visit the TeleSupport page on MD Support.  

We salute our colleague Dan Roberts who has been so devoted to assuring that that individuals with AMD have a voice and a community of support surrounding them.


Falling and Fear of Falling

Limiting your activities due to a fear of falling is common among seniors.  The result can be social isolation and subsequent disability.  In a research study that compared fear of falling in seniors with and without eye disease, they found that fear of falling led to a more sedentary lifestyle which, in turn, increased the chances of an actual fall.  Seniors with eye disease were 3x more likely to restrict their activities. Keeping active as safely possible is likely to help you avoid a fall.  Read more.

What is the one-legged stance?

In the Fear of Falling story above, scientists tested study participants' vision as well as their balance. Has your doctor ever asked you to stand on one leg? What is the purpose?  What is a good result?  

Here's some information you might find interesting.   Read more.

CLINICAL TRIALS:
WHERE PATIENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE




Allergan is a billion dollar pharmaceutical company that is heavily involved in eye health.  Among their portfolio are well known drugs for treatment of glaucoma and dry eye.   

The company is looking to enter the AMD treatment arena and there are clinical trials now underway. Allergan's product, Abicipar is an anti-VEGF treatment, and the hope is to lengthen the time between injections for the treatment of wet AMD.  Their goal is to develop a drug that requires less injections, but is as effective as Lucentis.  There may be a site seeking study participants near you: more than 200 practices worldwide are involved in this clinical trial.  Allergan's goal is to enroll 900 patients with AMD and follow them for two years.  

To learn more about this research study, visit clinicaltrials.gov. or talk to your retina specialist.

WEBSITES WE LOVE:   IntroEyes.com  




Do you ever wish you could 'rewind' your doctor and hear his or her description of your condition again? North Carolina optometrist Dr. Ryan Corte, OD, has launched a website, introeyes.com that features short videos.  There are disease descriptions, simulations of  vision loss due to different diseases, and ta lking heads - doctors who discuss vision conditions in a minute or less.  The website is new and growing and worth a visit.  

Ryan Corte OD


YOUR SUPPORT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. . . 
 
Your gift to UCI Foundation is used exclusively to support the programs of the Macular Degeneration Partnership.

In February, consider making a tax-deductible donation of $28, one dollar for each day of AMD Awareness Month. 


If you'd like to mail your check 
to the UCI Foundation, please send it to:
 
Macular Degeneration Partnership
850 Health Sciences Drive
Irvine, CA 92697
 
  Thank you for your generosity!  

Our Pledge . . .
 
The Macular Degeneration Partnership seeks to provide comprehensive and easily understood information about living with age-related macular degeneration for everyone who needs it.   Visit our website www.amd.org for more information, or call us at 888-430-9898 if you have a question. 
 
Good health to you,
 
Mary Prudden
Executive Program Director
Macular Degeneration Partnership


Founded in 1998, the Macular Degeneration Partnership is a program of the Discovery Retina Center, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute,
University of California, Irvine.

888-430-9898 | www.amd.org | [email protected]