I"m never satisfied. Growing up, my mom"s mantra was, "You have to set goals, Amy." So that"s what I did. And, as a teenager and young adult, it certainly served me well. I was always working toward accomplishing something. In fact, in college, I had an Oscar Hammerstein poster on my wall that read, "If you don"t have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true?"
It may seem like a good idea to always set your sights on bigger and better things, and to maintain a forward-thinking approach to life. But, in truth (at least in my case), I"ve expended so much energy on the future that I completely overlooked the here-and-now.
When I had my first child, I learned the valueno, the necessity of living in the moment. With babies, you really have no choice. Their needs are immediate. Kind of like your patients" needs.
Every year, Review of Optometry brings you its annual report on the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. The research presented there is truly awe-inspiring. The technology that scientists are working on will completely change our world. Without a doubt, by the time my children head off to college, countless diseases will be easily curedif not prevented altogether.
It"s exciting. So, year after year, Review"s editors can"t help but share it with you. But, as nice as it is to sit and daydream about the future, can this research really do anything to help your patients now? Can you use the technology of the future to help inform you in the present? That was our goal when we put this year"s report together.
In the Cornea section, Dr. Shovlin reports on dry eye research that allows for more effective treatment of patients. Researchers have identified some age- and gender-specific dry eye therapies (e.g., transdermal testosterone for women between the ages of 40 and 60) and dry eye indicators (e.g., lid wiper epitheliopathy, high cytokine concentrations and inflammation) that will aid in earlier identification and management.
In Retina, Dr. Dunbar presents findings on the management of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with combination therapy: Patients demonstrate less leakage, decreased central retinal thickness and a strong increase in visual acuity.
In Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Dr. Karpecki discusses the possibility of nutritional prevention of cataractogenesis. Quercetin, a nutrient found in oranges and onions, up-regulates genes that can prevent cataract. Also, caffeine and other xanthine alkaloids demonstrate a protective effect against cataract formation on the cellular level.
In the Glaucoma section, Dr. Cole reaffirms the "wait and see" method of glaucoma monitoring. Researchers found that esting patients at regular intervals was not as effective as testing at baseline and a more distant date. Also, findings from the International Collaborative Exfoliation Syndrome Treatment Study demonstrate that a combination of latanoprost and pilocarpine result in lower IOP, improved outflow facility and decreased trabecular meshwork pigmentation.
This year"s ARVO report is a bit of a departure from previous years" reports, but it is every bit as compelling, and we hope, infinitely more useful to you today.
