HydroEye(R) benefits post-menopausal dry eye sufferers in new clinical research

One of the only controlled trials to show significant impact on dry eye with a nutritional product

2013-10-03

(Press-News.org) HOUSTON, TX—October 2, 2013—Study findings published in the October issue of Cornea show that daily dietary supplementation with a unique combination of omega fatty acids (GLA, EPA and DHA) for six months is effective in improving ocular irritation symptoms and halting the progression of inflammation that characterizes moderate to severe dry eye.

The multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated 38 post-menopausal women with tear dysfunction in both eyes. HydroEye® (ScienceBased Health®) was found to improve ocular irritation symptoms, suppress ocular surface inflammation, and maintain corneal surface smoothness. An irregular corneal surface contributes to both irritation and problematic visual symptoms.

More than half of peri and post-menopausal women are estimated to suffer from dry eye. The impact of dry eye on quality of life can be significant, and was rated as equivalent to that of heart disease (unstable angina) in one study.

The trial was conducted at Baylor College of Medicine and Virginia Eye Consultants by dry eye researchers John D. Sheppard, MD, MMSc, President, Virginia Eye Consultants, Professor of Ophthalmology, Clinical Director of the Lee Laboratory for Ocular Pharmacology at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and co-principal investigator who initiated this research project, and Stephen C. Pflugfelder, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, James and Margaret Elkins chair, Director of The Ocular Surface Center, Baylor College of Medicine-Cullen Eye Institute and co-principal investigator of the trial.

"Within three months, the group treated with HydroEye showed statistically significant improvements in irritation symptoms of dry eye, and no progression of ocular surface inflammation or corneal irregularity. The placebo group's dry eye symptoms actually worsened over the six-month testing period" said Pflugfelder. "HydroEye clearly had a positive impact on these patients with moderate to severe dry eye."

While there are other dry eye treatment options available, most have unpleasant side effects, provide only transient relief, or have high costs, and/or compliance issues. "Given these parameters, HydroEye is among the safest, best tolerated, efficacious, and most cost-effective of all dry eye therapies," said Dr. Sheppard. "I recommend HydroEye to all of my dry eye patients."

INFORMATION:

About HydroEye®

HydroEye® is a patented nutritional formulation that works from the inside out to provide continuous dry eye relief. HydroEye® delivers a proprietary blend of omega fatty acids: gamma linolenic acid (GLA) from black currant seed oil, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from USP-verified fish oil, antioxidants and other key nutrients that work together to support a healthy tear film and dampen inflammation. Much more potent than flaxseed oil or fish oil alone, HydroEye® provides the unique omega fatty acid, GLA, which has been found to play a key role in dampening dry eye symptoms in six other clinical studies. GLA is not found in flaxseed or fish oil, and is not present at meaningful levels in the diet. HydroEye® is widely recommended by ophthalmologists, optometrists and leading eye care centers nationwide.

About ScienceBased Health®

ScienceBased Health®, a privately held company founded in 1997, develops and markets evidence-based nutraceuticals for eye health. Featured formulations include: HydroEye®, a patented oral formulation for dry eyes; OcularProtect®, a robust multi-nutrient for eye and body health; MacularProtect Complete®-S, an AREDS2-based formula to preserve macular and whole body health; Optic Nerve Formula®, a powerful formulation to protect optic nerve health; and other high quality products. The formulations are based on the latest science, made from premium ingredients and manufactured to the highest quality standards in NSF®-certified facilities.

For more information about HydroEye® and this clinical trial, contact SBH at (888) 433-4726 or visit: http://www.SBH.com/HydroEyeTrial

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Why blame feels hard to take

2013-10-03

When something we do produces a positive result, we actually perceive it differently than we would if that same action yielded a negative result. In particular, people feel a greater connection between voluntary actions and their outcomes if those outcomes are good than if they are bad. The discovery, reported on October 3 in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, yields important insight into notions about personal responsibility. "Our result suggests that people may really experience less responsibility for negative than for positive outcomes," says Patrick Haggard ...

A metabolic means to preserving egg supply and fertility

2013-10-03

The stresses that come with aging, chemotherapy treatments, and environmental exposures all threaten fertility. But what if there were a way to preserve women's limited egg supply? Researchers reporting on studies conducted in frog and mouse eggs in the Cell Press journal Molecular Cell on October 3rd may have found a way. The findings come at an important time when many women are waiting longer and longer to have children, renewing interest in the development of strategies to preserve oocytes—immature egg cells. "Our work provides insight into how oocyte viability ...

Leading experts offer advice on generating human induced pluripotent stem cell banks

2013-10-03

The ability to make induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from mature cells in the body holds great potential for improved drug screening, disease modeling, and medical treatments for numerous conditions. Establishing well-characterized panels of iPSC lines that reflect the diversity of the human population and include samples from patients with a wide range of diseases will be key to tapping into the potential of iPSCs. In the October 3 issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell, leading experts in the field publish several opinion pieces on emerging issues related ...

Key cellular auto-cleaning mechanism mediates the formation of plaques in Alzheimer's brain

2013-10-03

Autophagy, a key cellular auto-cleaning mechanism, mediates the formation of amyloid beta plaques, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. It might be a potential drug target for the treatment of the disease, concludes new research from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute in Japan. The study sheds light on the metabolism of amyloid beta, and its role in neurodegeneration and memory loss. In a study published today in the journal Cell Reports, Drs. Per Nilsson, Takaomi Saido and their team show for the first time using transgenic mice that a lack of autophagy in neurons ...

Wealth inequality can promote cooperation

2013-10-03

Wealth inequality can encourage people to cooperate when they would otherwise have no incentive to do so, according to a new study published in Nature Communications. "In many groups and societies, the temptation to defect is high, which means that cheaters are much better off than cooperators," says IIASA researcher Ulf Dieckmann, who worked on the study along with IIASA researcher Ádám Kun. For example, he says, if a train ticket is very expensive and the probability that cheaters are caught is low, people will be tempted to free-ride without purchasing a ticket. Likewise, ...

Power of precision medicine shown in successful treatment of patient with disabling OCD

2013-10-03

Cold Spring Harbor, NY -- A multidisciplinary team led by a geneticist and psychiatrist from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's (CSHL) Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics today publish a paper providing a glimpse of both the tremendous power and the current limitations of what is sometimes called "precision medicine." Precision medicine is an approach to diagnosis and treatment that tailors therapeutic care to individuals in a highly specific manner, and which brings to bear powerful new technologies that have not yet made it into the mainstream of clinical medicine, ...

Diesel exhaust stops honeybees from finding the flowers they want to forage

2013-10-03

Exposure to common air pollutants found in diesel exhaust pollution can affect the ability of honeybees to recognise floral odours, new University of Southampton research shows. Honeybees use floral odours to help locate, identify and recognise the flowers from which they forage. The Southampton team, led by Dr Tracey Newman and Professor Guy Poppy, found that diesel exhaust fumes change the profile of flora odour. They say that these changes may affect honeybees' foraging efficiency and, ultimately, could affect pollination and thus global food security. Published ...

High rates of unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics observed across the US

2013-10-03

Boston, MA – For decades, there has been a significant effort led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Despite this work, new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) finds only incremental improvement in antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute bronchitis and sore throat. These findings were presented at IDWeek on October 3, 2013 and the sore throat data was published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. "We know that antibiotic prescribing, particularly to patients who are not likely ...

Rett syndrome gene dysfunction redefined

2013-10-03

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (October 3, 2013) – Whitehead Institute researchers have redefined the function of a gene whose mutation causes Rett syndrome, a neurodevelopmental autism spectrum disorder. This new research offers an improved understanding of the defects found in the neurons of Rett syndrome patients and could lead to novel therapies for the disease. "The action of the MECP2 protein is just the opposite of how it was held for the past 15 years," says Whitehead Founding Member Rudolf Jaenisch, who is also a professor of biology at MIT. "It was thought that this protein ...

How a 'mistake' in a single-cell organism is actually a rewrite essential to life

2013-10-03

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A tiny but unexpected change to a segment of RNA in a single-cell organism looks a lot like a mistake, but is instead a change to the genetic information that is essential to the organism's survival. Scientists have discovered this RNA "edit" in Trypanosoma brucei, a parasite that causes sleeping sickness in Africa and Chagas disease in Latin America. Though the organism is a model system for this work, the finding could lead to a new drug target to fight the parasite if higher species don't share this genetic behavior. Some of the organism's genetic ...

The Lundquist Institute and its start-up company Vitalex Biosciences Announces Strategic Advancement of Second-Generation fungal Vaccine VXV-01 through Phase 1 Trials under $40 Million Competitive Con

HydroEye(R) benefits post-menopausal dry eye sufferers in new clinical research

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES: