What does the body of evidence say on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and how to treat the #1 cause of blindness in North America? Plus: which vaccines are available this fall to prevent respiratory tract infections, and a look at whether blue-light-blocking glasses will make a difference in your life!

Block 1:

(2:15) AMD: how common it is, what happens in the eye, risk factors

Block 2:

(9:20) AMD: dry AMD versus wet AMD, how to diagnose it, how to prevent it, AREDS supplements, VEGF inhibitors, lasers, rehabilitation

Block 3:

(25:54) Fall vaccines: COVID, influenza, and RSV

Block 4:

(40:19) Blue-blocking glasses

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl

* Assistant researchers: Aigul Zaripova and Ali Baghirov

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References:

1) General background on AMD: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration & https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/amd-macular-degeneration

2) Prevalence of AMD by age: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0161642000005807

3) Rotterdam study: https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.294.24.3101

4) EYE-RISK consortium about the Mediterranean diet: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2018.08.006

5) The Beaver Dam Eye Study on smoking and AMD: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2014.04.040

6) A Prospective Study of Cigarette Smoking and AMD in Women: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/409082

7) AREDS study: https://doi.org/10.1001%2Farchopht.119.10.1417

8) AREDS 2 study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1684847

9) Study linking beta-carotene to cancer in smokers: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/62.6.1427s

10) Omega-3s in the VITAL study: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2772366

11) Background on anti-VEGF therapies: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/anti-vegf-treatment-of-macular-degeneration-science-based-success/

12) NEJM paper comparing ranibizumab to bevacizumab: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1102673

13) 10-year outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy in AMD: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjophth-2023-001328

14) Cochrane review of monthly versus as-needed treatment: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012208.pub2

15) Cochrane review on complement inhibitors for AMD: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd009300.pub3

16) Pegcetacoplan for AMD: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/pegcetacoplan-a-new-treatment-for-macular-degeneration/

17) Cochrane review on photodynamic therapy for AMD: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD002030.pub3

18) Stem cells for AMD: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1609583 & https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/this-clinics-experimental-stem-cell-treatment-blinded-patients-four-years-later-the-government-is-still-trying-to-shut-it-down/2019/04/03/432d6d04-ff2f-11e8-83c0-b06139e540e5_story.html & https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/patients-blinded-by-stem-cells-update/

19) Jonathan’s article on blue-blocking glasses: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking/feeling-blue-about-evidence-blue-blocking-glasses

It’s Not Twitter, But It’ll Do:

1) Jonathan’s article on current trends in pseudoscience: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking-pseudoscience/whats-trending-world-pseudoscience

2) Jonathan quoted in the New York Times about RFK Jr.: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/technology/rfk-jr-campaign-vaccines.html

3) Annual meeting of the Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec: https://www.acs.qc.ca/activite/2171-.html?month=&year=&tri=H&page=1

4) Chris’ book, on sale now: http://doescoffeecausecancer.com/

5) Chris’ upcoming panel at Concordia University: https://icare.mbmc-cmcm.ca/events-media-coverage/cafe-scientifique/