It occurs when there is damage to the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to see fine detail. ARMD does not affect peripheral vision. Although people rarely go totally blind from the disease, ARMD can make it difficult to read, write, drive, or perform other normal daily tasks.
There are two kinds of ARMD, "dry" and "wet." Dry ARMD affects about 90% of patients with ARMD. People with dry ARMD may notice blurred or distorted vision and may need more light when reading. Dry ARMD can sometimes turn into wet ARMD. Wet ARMD only affects 10% of ARMD patients, but it is responsible for 90% of all severe vision loss from the disease. It occurs when abnormal blood vessels develop and leak blood and fluid under the macula, causing damage that leads to rapid loss of central vision.
Risk factors for ARMD are being over 60 years old, having a family history of ARMD, being Caucasian, smoking, being obese, and having heart disease or hypertension.
A clinical trial, called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), was sponsored by the National Eye Institute, one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health. It was found that high levels of antioxidants and zinc significantly reduce the risk of advanced ARMD and its associated vision loss. Scientists found that people at high risk of developing advanced stages of ARMD lowered their risk by about 25% when treated with a high dose combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc. The benefit was not seen in people without ARMD or early ARMD.
According to Paul A. Sieving, MD, PhD, director of the National Eye Institute, "This is an exciting discovery because, for people at high risk for developing advanced ARMD, these nutrients are the first effective treatment to slow the progression of the disease." Dr. Sieving also notes that the nutrients are not a cure for ARMD, nor will they restore vision already lost from the disease, but they will play a key role in helping people at high risk for developing advanced ARMD keep their vision.
The best defense against ARMD or any other loss of sight is an annual eye health evaluation, including a check of the back of your eyes through dilated pupils.
The National Society to Prevent Blindness estimates that 50% of all blindness could be prevented if everyone would get an annual eye health examination.
Stem cells are found in the baby teeth of children. These special cells have enough therapeutic potential to address many medical conditions.
There is a difference between umbilical cord blood which is a source of hematopoetic stem cells and the mesechymal stem cells in baby teeth. Different types of stem cells can be used to treat different types of diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells, found in baby teeth, can treat heart disease, juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, paralysis from spinal cord injury, and to grow replacement bone, cartilage and teeth.
In 2003, Dr. Songtao Shi, a pediatric dentist at the US National Institute of Health, discovered that baby teeth had several discernible stem cell populations. These cells were found to grow in abundance in a laboratory setting. With so much interest in regenerative medicine, Dr. Shi developed a way to cryogenically preserve teeth to be available for future needs. These teeth can be used to treat parents, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren. The bonus in using baby teeth to get adult stem cells is that it requires no surgery unlike a traditional bone marrow transplant. Teeth are shed naturally after which they are packaged and sent to a company for harvesting and storage of stem cells.
Not all baby teeth are equal, but fortunately the baby teeth in the front of the mouth have the most potential in generating stem cells. These teeth are usually the first teeth lost and easy to process. Baby molars, those teeth in the back, are harder to process, requiring special treatment. Eighteen year molars, commonly called "wisdom teeth" are showing some potential for the future but currently cannot achieve the success in growing the types of tissue that baby teeth can.
The process is simple for banking baby teeth. You order a kit from the company and, when the tooth falls out, you package it up and send to the company within 48 hours. They charge to initially process the tooth and a yearly storage fee. For more questions or help with enrolling, call BioEDEN toll free at 1-888-315-3843 or visit www.bioeden.com. The only problem is the Tooth Fairy might have to find a different job!