The Lens Pod

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss... Trauma-related enucleation and evisceration were associated with higher rates of post-operative depression and anxiety A personalized glaucoma coaching program significantly improved medication adherence and reduced related distress compared with standard written education. Modified chitosan medical membrane may decrease post-operative inflammation in pterygium excision.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode, we discuss: In high-risk individuals, an unhealthy lifestyle, including smoking, significantly increases progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration. In older Asian adults, undiagnosed age-related eye diseases were common and associated with worse vision, quality of life, and higher healthcare costs. Tirzepatide was linked to lower risks of developing POAG, OHTN, and needing glaucoma treatment compared with selective GLP-1 receptor agonists. Gut microbiome changes were linked to retinitis pigmentosa, with antibiotics slowing degeneration in a mouse model.

In this episode, Dr. Mohammad Soleimani, MD, FICO, joins us to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the diagnosis and management of infectious keratitis, a leading cause of preventable corneal blindness worldwide. We discuss challenges in differentiating bacterial from fungal infections, real-world AI performance, smartphone-based diagnostics for underserved regions, and persistent global equity gaps. Dr. Soleimani shares insights from his pioneering work at the intersection of technological innovation, global health, and ocular surface disease.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: Glaucoma patients who sleep with 2 pillows at night may have increased nocturnal IOP, worse IOP fluctuations, and lower ocular perfusion pressure. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, commonly used for weight loss and type 2 diabetes treatment, may be associated with increased risk of developing non-arteritic ischemic optic neuropathy. Radiomics analysis of optical coherence tomography imaging with machine learning demonstrates accuracy in identifying microscopic corneal texture features in the early stages of keratoconus with potential to serve as an image biomarker for disease detection.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… OCT thinning predicts glaucoma progression, with the circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer more informative in early disease and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer becoming more useful in later stages. Some red-light therapy devices for myopia may exceed safety limits within standard treatment times, highlighting the need for independent validation. Adults with migraine had a significantly higher risk of developing central serous chorioretinopathy over five years compared with matched controls.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… Associations have been noted between primary open angle/normal tension glaucoma and dementia but do not seem to be correlated with the APOE genotype, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s.  Retinal imaging may be an important player in the future diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension in neonates. Perimenopause is associated with a clear second peak of uveitis activity after pubertal peak.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… When the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s classification for uveal melanoma is challenged, a new staging system is proposed that incorporates tumor volume, clinical risk factors, and genetic alterations. GLP-1 receptor agonists are linked to a >90% reduced risk over 10 years of developing nonexudative age-related macular degeneration when compared to other weight-loss drugs in obese, non-diabetic individuals. Migraines are independently associated with higher rates of central serous chorioretinopathy when compared to controls. Eye drops containing siRNA (GalNAc-modified siHOTAIR) are comparable to anti-VEGF injections, suppressing inflammation, vascular mediators, endothelial permeability, and angiogenesis in diabetic rats.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer predicts visual field loss early in glaucoma, while macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer becomes more informative with advancing disease. Although intraocular pressure has been proven as a continuous risk factor when treating glaucoma, the historic intraocular pressure cutoff of 22 millimeters of mercury is used by many clinicians as an inflection point for initiating or escalating intraocular pressure-lowering therapies in glaucoma patients.  Elevated aqueous humor L-lactate in uveal melanoma may reflect tumor metabolism, offering a potential noninvasive biomarker for early lesion detection.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients were more likely to have delays in initiation of treatment of nAMD. Patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists had a 51.7% reduced risk of developing non-infectious uveitis. Implanting multifocal intraocular lenses in children showed improved visual acuity and stereopsis compared to a standard intraocular lens.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… Impaired fasting glucose and diabetes are linked to significantly increased risk of third, fourth, and sixth cranial-nerve palsies. Experts created standardized grading scales to improve detection and management of ocular toxicities from emerging cancer therapies. ChatGPT o1 Pro performed comparably to glaucoma specialists in diagnosing glaucoma from visual field and OCT-RNFL data.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss... Antiviral therapy can significantly reduce the high recurrence rates of cytomegalovirus-associated anterior uveitis Rates of undiagnosed age-related eye diseases are relatively high among the elderly population in Singapore and associated with poorer outcomes A new study shows that antidepressants are associated with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration onset and progression SPP1+ cells’ interaction with macrophages may reveal a key to understanding uveal melanoma metastasis Social determinants of health impact the likelihood of obtaining a yearly eye examination in the United States

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss... Nearly half of childhood glaucoma surgeries in a new IRIS analysis failed, with younger age, higher IOP, poorer visual acuity, active uveitis, and heavier medication use as predictors for failure. Diabetes does not impair endothelial outcomes at one year, supporting greater inclusion of transplant donors with diabetes and widening the pool of corneal tissue availability. Statins may be beneficial in slowing age related macular degeneration progression in type 2 diabetics with dyslipidemia. Anti-mRNA-184 in vivo and vitro models reveal significantly faster corneal epithelial wound healing, turnover, and migration.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: The risk of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is significantly greater in eyes with uveitis, corticosteroid use, and immunosuppressant use. Pediatric patients who undergo lensectomy for traumatic cataracts have low likelihood of achieving age-normal visual acuity, with nearly 50% requiring a secondary surgery for visual axis opacification.  Fishing-related ocular injuries are on the decline, however they continue to be a large cause of corneal abrasions, contusions, and intraocular foreign bodies. Fishhooks and lures are the most common culprits.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: The incidence of sports-related orbital fractures in the U.S. has remained stable over the past decade, with baseball, cycling, and softball as leading causes. GLP-1 receptor agonist use in non-diabetic patients who are overweight or obese reduces risk of developing dry AMD. Changes in cup-to-disc ratio alone are unreliable for predicting glaucoma progression. Metformin protects against developing primary open-angle glaucoma in adults aged 40 years and older with diabetes.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: Pre-exposure prophylaxis nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors found to be associated with an increased risk of primary open angle glaucoma. New study finds additional systemic drugs that could increase patient risk of macular toxicity. Retinopathy of prematurity is found to have a place-based association with a child’s neighborhood as measured by the childhood opportunity index.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… Corticosteroids and DMARDs together were found to be superior to corticosteroids alone in treating non-anterior sarcoid uveitis.  Thousands of Americans have come to the ED over the past few years for pickleball-related ocular traumas, suggesting eye protection could be beneficial in this sport.  Glaucoma is associated with sleep-wake and Circadian rhythm disorders, likely secondary to damage to the RGCs and optic nerve causing irregular regulation of sleep-wake physiology. Novel statin nanoparticles injected intravenously can preserve and even double cone photoreceptors in retinitis pigmentosa mouse models by reducing inflammation.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss… A cohort study of NASA astronauts found that those who developed spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome during one long-duration mission were highly likely to develop it again on subsequent missions. Strabismus surgery is undervalued by Medicare, as evidenced by a surgical cost analysis underscoring the need for fair compensation to address the growing shortage of strabismus surgeons and ensure patient access to care. For acute acquired comitant esotropia, augmented medial rectus recession surgery achieved significantly better long-term eye alignment, fusion, and quality-of-life outcomes than botulinum toxin A injection.

In this episode, Dr. Sandra Lora Cremers joins us to explore the rising prevalence of dry eye disease and its impact on patients. We discuss how modern lifestyles and screen use are changing ocular surface health, the early warning signs not to overlook, simple and effective prevention strategies, and the innovative treatments shaping the future of dry eye care.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss: Cultured corneal endothelial cell transplants maintained clear corneas and vision for up to 10 years, offering a scalable alternative to donor tissue. Long-term atropine use for myopia control showed no increased risk of cataract, glaucoma, or maculopathy in a nationwide cohort. Patients with giant cell arteritis had higher 5-year risks of aortic aneurysm and carotid stenosis, especially those with visual symptoms. Higher omega-3 fatty acid levels were linked to a significantly lower risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma.

In this episode, Dr. David J Palmer, MD joins us as we dive into the topic of sustainability in ophthalmology. We explore three of the most environmentally pressing issues in ophthalmology today and hear about various studies, organizations, and resources that support efforts to make ophthalmology greener.