IOL-Vip restores vision in macular degeneration patients

This implant has been in the news for several years now and the development is highly encouraging. We first reported on it in 2008 and the seven years later, it is going from strength to strength. That is good news for macular degeneration patients! 

Patients benefit from the use of a prismatic IOL system, which redirects light away from diseased tissue and toward a peripheral portion of healthy retina.

Click here to read more.

You can also click here to read another earlier story we posted on the IOL-Vip lens in 2013. 

Sharing Session: The World of Vitamins

Dear MDS members, 

We are holding our first event in 2016. Please see below for the details. 

Sharing Session: The World of Vitamins

It has been well documented that vitamins are critical to patients of macular degeneration. But in the big colourful world of supplements, which ones work and which ones don't? How do vitamins from the West compare to those imported from Japan?

Bring along your vitamins. Tell us what you are taking and share with us the results. Let's exchange tips and share secrets! Find out what other macular degeneration patients are taking.

MDS President Dr Sharon Siddique will lead the sharing session, offering her years of knowledge on not only the usefulness of vitamins, but also the pitfalls to avoid.

Date: Jan 23, 2016 (Sat)

Time: 2pm to 4pm

Venue: Fifth Avenue Condominium's Function Room, 2 Fifth Avenue, Singapore 268800.

Directions: Fifth Ave Condo is located off Sixth Avenue, which is off Bukit Timah Road. The condo is a very short walk from the Sixth Avenue MRT Station along Downtown Line. The station will open on Dec 27, 2015.

Please sign up by calling Anne at 6238-7387, or sending an email to alleyes@singnet.com.sg.

We will be collecting the MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2016-2017 at the door. Thanks.

See you!

Pioneer stem cell trials in London

Surgeons in London have carried out a pioneering human embryonic stem cell operation in an ongoing trial to find a cure for blindness for many patients.

The procedure was performed on a woman aged 60 at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

It involved "seeding" a tiny patch with specialised eye cells and implanting it at the back of the retina.

Read this BBC story to find out more about this exciting development!

Search for a new venue

MDS held its annual general meeting yesterday, in conjunction with the national AMD Awareness Week at the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. 

Members discussed possible new venues for events and sharing sessions in light of the closure of our regular site at Alexandra Hospital. The key problem for MDS remains funding. Most convenient sites require payment and the society lacks the funds for that. 

But it is agreed that it is important to find a regular venue in a convenient location. This is because most of the MDS members are older and have vision impairment. Frequent changes of locations would discourage them from attending the events. Accessibility is also critical. Ideally, the venue should be within short walking distance of a MRT station. The Exco will continue to look for a suitable place. 

The lack of venues has hampered MDS' organisation of more events. But instead of quantity, the focus has been on quality. The talk on a recipe book held last year was popular and well-received. So was the recent talk by Apple on iPhones for the visually impaired. We will seek to do more, offering members not only knowledge and information, but also support and camaraderie. 

MDS is once again proud to be a partner of the  annual AMD Awareness Week.

AMD Awareness Week and MDS' AGM

Dear MDS members,

We have a full program on Saturday, 5 September 2015. This year we will be holding our AGM in conjunction with the AMD Awareness Week at KTPH. Register and you are invited to attend the launch from 9am to 11am. 

Then from 12pm to 1pm MDS will be presenting a talk. We will cover important ways to cope with macular degeneration, based on our own experiences. So we will do a chat on the following:

o The importance of vitamins

o Sunglasses are critical

o Technology can help you

o What should you avoid - strenuous exercises, roller coasters?

o Support groups can offer support - learn and try

The session will be casual and relaxed. For every topic, an MDS Exco member will lead the discussion but others should jump in to give their views and ask questions. It is not a lecture. It is a discussion. We will spend around 10 minutes on each of the 5 topics, and the session should be around 1 hour.

The talk will be followed by our MDS AGM 2015. (For members who have not yet renewed their membership, an MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door.)

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE

8th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM)

MACULAR DEGENERATION SOCIETY (MDS) SINGAPORE

Date: Saturday, 5 September 2015

Time: 1pm – 2pm

Venue: Kaizen Room 1, Tower B, Learning Centre, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, S768828

Please indicate your attendance by either telephoning Anne (62387387), or sending an email toalleyes@singnet.com.sg.

We hope to see you on Saturday, 5 September 2015!

MDS EXCO

Bionic eye breakthrough

Bionic Eyes have made its first major breakthrough with its first human trial declared a success in the United Kingdom. 

Click on this link to see a video on the BBC about the trial. Click here to read more about how the bionic eye has helped Ray Flynn, beneficiary of the first human trial. 

New five categories of MMD

Interesting new look at myopic macular degeneration. Click here to read more. 

Myopic Macular Degeneration (MMD)

MMD is also known as myopic maculopathy and myopic choroidal neovascularisation but to help with public awareness, the term MMD is preferred because of the widespread use of age related macular degeneration being the age related form while MMD is the myopic related form. 

MMD is the most common cause of vision impairment in patients with myopia with 10 per cent of those with pathologic myopia developing myopic macular degeneration (via choroidal neovascularisation (CNV)). 

Signs of MMD include chorioretinal atrophy, patchy chorioretinal atrophy, lacquer cracks, choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) and CNV-related macular atrophy in the presence of higher levels of myopia. 

Early signs of a tessellated fundus are likely to develop into diffuse atrophy or lacquer cracks, patchy atrophy or choroidal neovascularisation and finally into MMD. Until recently this condition was rarely separated from age related macular degeneration and in official WHO reports it is classified in the “other” category.

In response to the need to recognise and record cases of MMD, Ohno-Matsui et al.19in 2015 developed and recommended a five category grading scale. They noted that the definition of MMD had not changed since it was first identified in 1970 nor was there a generally accepted grading scale. 

The scale developed by Ohno-Matsui et al. has, “five categories of myopic maculopathy including “no myopic retinal degenerative lesion” (category 0), “tessellated fundus” (category one), “diffuse chorioretinal atrophy” (category two), “patchy chorioretinal atrophy” (category three), and “macular atrophy” (category four).”

They also identified lacquer cracks, myopic choroidal neovascularisation and Fuchs spots as “plus” lesions to supplement their categories.19 Adoption of such a system will allow for comparisons between studies to be made more accurately and enable better recording and reporting of this blinding condition.

The public already has an awareness of the term “age related macular degeneration” and so the concept of myopia macular degeneration is likely to be understood as macular degeneration that happens in people with higher amounts of myopia. 

Second, there is also a significant distinguishing feature of myopic macular degeneration; as Ohno-Matsui points out, it often affects individuals in their productive years, while age related macular degeneration usually affects individuals who are no longer in the workforce. Thus the economic burden is likely to be significantly higher for MMD than for AMD. In addition to the treatment costs and cost of care there will also be a loss of productivity.

Dark shadows of blue light?

The "blue light" emitted from computers, smartphones and tablets could be putting users at risk of early onset of macular degeneration. This is warning of a New Zealand optometrist. 

Click here to read more. 

Nominations for Eye and Vision Awards 2015

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I am pleased to invite you to nominate deserving optometrists, opticians or ophthalmologists and a corporate company for the following awards. Please send your nomination/s by Tuesday, 28 July 2015 to the secretariat of the Award Selection Committee for Eye and Vision Health Awards 2015. Please photocopy the nomination forms if you intend to nominate for more than one award.

Awardees should be closely associated with eye and vision health, with contributions that are major, durable in impact, and should generally entail going beyond the call of duty. Achievements and contributions may be in one or more of the following areas:

- Achievements and contributions that have improved eye and vision health in their institutions or in Singapore.

- Achievements in their respective field of expertise.

- Exemplary spirit of public service through involvement in community, welfare and civic activities.

- Contributions to the education and training of succeeding generations of eye care workers in their areas of expertise.

The 6 categories of the Eye and Vision Health Awards are

· Visionary Award

· Lifetime Achievement Award

· Distinguished Service Award

· Meritorious Service Award

· Young Eye Care Ambassador Award

· Corporate Social Responsibility Award

This year’s awards will be handed out at the opening ceremony of the launch of AMD Awareness Week 2015 to be held on 05 September 2015 at KTPH Auditorium.

We look forward to your nomination/s.

Yours sincerely

(on Behalf of)

Adj A/Prof Yip Chee Chew

Chairman, Award Selection Committee

Eye & Vision Health Awards 2015

Reply to: The Organising Secretariat,

Award Selection Committee for Eye and Vision Health Awards 2015

(Attn: Ms Alice How)

c/o Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, 90 Yishun Central, Singapore 768828

Tel: (65) 6602 2177 Fax: (65) 6602 3648/3649

Email: how.alice.sh@alexandrahealth.com.sg

Eat right for your sight

A cook book by the American Macular Degeneration Foundation has been launched recently, providing readers with recipes for dishes which are good for the eyes. Click here to read more.

Many of you might remember a similar cook book written by ophthalmologist Ken Fong and his wife - Food for Your Eyes. Dr Fong gave MDS members a talk last year. You can read the report here.

Heard of Pinguecula?

Have you heard of pinguecula? No? Well, it is a degenerative eye condition where there is a thickening of the membrane on the white part of the eye close to the cornea. And it is caused by sun damage. 

People who live near the equator, like us, are particularly vulnerable. Read on to find out more. Click here to read more about the condition and how you can protect yourself against it. One clue: sunglasses. 

Dry Eyes 101

Do you have dry eyes? How to find out if you are suffering from dry eyes? And how to manage it? 

Read this informative piece. Click here. 

IPL treatment for dry eyes

The power of Siri

By Kym Ong

MDS Treasurer

The first MDS event for 2015, though somewhat belated, kicked the year off to a resounding start. We were grateful to have Apple host us and provide us with 30 brand new iPhone 6 and 6+ during this training session which was conducted by Junior Tan. 

We have all heard of the prowess of the Siri function, and what better way than to learn from the Apple experts how Siri can help the vision-impaired in our everyday lives. The 90 minute session which overran was interactive as members diligently took notes and tried their hand at asking Siri for the date, time, and advice for the best dim sum in town.

Junior shared with members how Siri can send messages, call loved ones without needing to view the screen. Junior also taught us how a simple Settings function can enlarge the text on the screen so it’s easier on our less than perfect vision. Reader Mode, Speak Screen, VoiceOver, these were all functions we dreamt off, but do actually exist in this age of advanced technology, all packed into a small device, the iPhone. 

Here are notes taken during the session. Steps may vary slightly depending on the iphone version. Please also refer to tinyurl.com/siriug, which is what Junior refers to as the Ultimate Guide to Siri.

Once again, we would like to thank Apple for their precious time and generosity. In a fast paced society like ours, we are heartened that we are not left behind and reminded we should embrace the opportunities that technology presents us to help us lead a more fulfilling life.

SIRI

1) Activate Siri: Settings è General è Siri

- Press Home button and hold to activate Siri. If you do not wish to press the home button, you can activate “Hey Siri” but use it when the phone is charging.

- Remember to setup “My Info” by setting yourself up as a contact.

- Under Contacts, search for yourself è Editè scroll through and add as much information as possible, include loved ones and friends under “add related name” so Siri can call them easily.

2) Siri is akin to a personal assistant, and you can use Siri to minimize needing to look at the phone.

- To send a message, the keyword to Siri is “Tell”. E.g. “Tell Mum I love her”.

- To call a loved one, the keyword to Siri is “Call”. E.g. “Call Mum”.

- Siri can check new emails “Do I have any new emails?” and read your emails “Read me the last email”

- Siri can set a reminder, keyword is “Remind” E.g. Remind me to buy milk when I’m near home”. You can share Reminders using iCloud with other iCloud users.

- Check your calendar “What do I have on my calendar today?”

3) You can teach Siri how to pronounce certain names “Learn how to say this name”.

Other Settings

1) Zoom, Enlarge Text and Bold: Settings è General è Accessibility

2) On any specific news link, click on the horizontal stripes icon that is on the top left hand corner next to the website address. This will activate Reader Mode.

3) For Speak Screen, go to Settings è General è Accessibility è Speech è Speak Screen

MDS Event: iPhone and iPad Lessons by Apple

Dear MDS members, 

Apologies for the lull in recent months. We have been trying to organise events but had several roadblocks. Now, we are elated to announce an incredible event. 

For the first time, experts from Apple will host a class to teach our members how to make iPhone and iPad work for our limited vision. Yes, Apple experts will host and teach us! 

We took many months before Apple agreed and this will be an amazing opportunity. In fact, we have never heard of Apple doing this for anyone! You can learn how to magnify your phone, use voice commands for your iPad and many other functions which we may not even know exist! 

Apple will provide the iPhones and iPads for the class. So even if you do not have one, just come and play with the devices! 

Date: May 16 (Sat), 2014

Time: 4pm - 6pm

Venue: Seminar Room, Old Alexandra Hospital

MDS subscription fee of $20 for 2014-2015 will be collected at the door for those who have not renewed their membership.

Call Anne at 6238-7387 or send an e-mail to alleyes@singnet.com.sg to register. Limited places. Book your seat now!

Good for the heart, bad for the eyes

Feb 24, 2015

The Straits Times

By Salma Khalik

A GENE mutation in some Chinese is proving to be a double- edged sword. It gives them added protection against heart attacks, but also significantly increases their risk of going blind, a Singapore-led team of researchers has discovered.

A mutation is a change in the structure of the gene that makes it work slightly or totally different from the norm. This particular mutation, found almost exclusively in East Asians, raises the level of HDL or good cholesterol, which protects the heart. About 2 per cent to 3 per cent of the Chinese in Singapore have it.

But it also puts them at 70 per cent higher risk of getting age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the top cause of irreversible blindness here, affecting one in 20 people over the age of 40. Among Chinese with AMD, 5 per cent to 7 per cent had the gene mutation - or more than double that found in the population.

This discovery comes from a huge study led by Singapore clinicians and researchers. In it, they looked at over a million genetic markers in the DNA of more than 22,000 people in Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong.

The findings of the year-long study were published last month in Nature Communications, one of the most prestigious research journals in the world. Associate Professor Cheng Ching-Yu, a clinician scientist at the Singapore Eye Research Institute and the study's principal investigator, said the findings do not show if the eye condition is due to the mutation or higher levels of HDL these people have.

But an earlier study of 10,000 Asians had shown that those with AMD generally have higher levels of HDL, so there might be a connection. There is no similar link between high HDL levels and AMD in Caucasians.

Associate Professor Gemmy Cheung, a senior consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC), said there is no treatment for early AMD, aside from providing patients with nutrients including vitamins B, C and E.

Treatment for late-stage AMD is monthly or bimonthly injections that cost over $1,000 a jab. Doctors at the SNEC give more than 4,000 such jabs a year, she said, adding that the number has been going up over the years. The SNEC said 145,000 people here suffer from AMD, with 14,000 in the late stage.

In the early stage, vision might be a little hazy with blank spots. In severe cases, a black spot appears in the centre of the vision. If not treated, it can spread, in a matter of weeks or months, to block out all but peripheral sight.

Associate Professor Tai E Shyong, head of endocrinology at the National University Health System (NUHS) and a member of the team, suspects it is "a subset of those with high HDL" who are prone to AMD, as there are different types of HDL.

His gut feel is that the risk of AMD is linked to the type of HDL caused by the mutation. If that is true, then other people with a similar type of HDL, even if they lack the mutation, could also be at higher risk of AMD.

At the very least, he said, knowing the link between the mutation and AMD could help drug companies produce more targeted treatment.

Dr Sharon Siddique, president of the Macular Degeneration Society, Singapore, said: "Those of us with AMD can take heart from new discoveries in prevention and cure. We are lucky to be living in Singapore, where our eye specialists are in the vanguard of global research."

Retina - Highest Oxygen Consuming Tissue of the Body

Did you know that the retina is the highest oxygen-consuming tissue of the body?

According to the January 17, 2003 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry "... the relative oxygen consumption of the mammalian retina is higher than that of the brain and other tissues. It is assumed that, on a per gram basis, the retina is one of the highest oxygen demanding tissues of the human body."

Because the many visual functions of the retina require large amounts of oxygen there is also a high degree of oxidation which means that the retina is very vulnerable to free radical damage.

Prevent and Repair Retinal Degeneration

And free radicals cause damage to our eyes resulting in eye conditions like cataracts and macular degeneration. Foods high in antioxidants fight to prevent and repair the damage caused by these rogue electrons. 

Perhaps like me you need a reminder on how important it is to include antioxidant rich foods in your diet. From fruits and vegetables to green tea and raw cacao, get a list of foods that are most able to fight oxidative damage going on in your eyes:

Children Warned Off 3D Viewing

Optometry Australia has warned that 3D movies may have dangerous effects on the vision of young children and people with impaired vision.

Luke Arundel, Optometry Australia's senior resident optometrist, said glasses required to screen movies in 3D can cause fatigue or irritation. 

3D glasses work by filtering images so the left eye sees one image and the right eye sees a slightly different one. The brain then fuses them together to perceive a 3D image. 

However for this to happen, the viewer's eyes must work well together. Where vision is underdeveloped or damaged, 3D glasses may cause fatigue or irritation.

Click here to read more.