Week in review: Firearms-related ocular injuries, AMD and heart disease, new dry eye treatment

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Long-term trauma care rates for firearms-related ocular injuries vary by race and age. A retrospective analysis of 2008–2014 data found that of the more than 235,000 patients admitted to US hospitals and trauma centers with firearms injuries, about 4% had associated ocular injuries. Patients with orbital injuries were more likely to be transferred to an advanced care facility (ACF) than patients with other ocular injuries, with the odds of ACF placement increasing with the severity of the injury (particularly traumatic brain injury). White patients and Medicare recipients had the highest rates of ACF placement. The authors note that additional research may be needed to confirm these findings and determine why non-White and younger patients were less likely to receive advanced care. JAMA Ophthalmology

Visual disability on top of AMD may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular issues. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with visual disability (visual loss or visual field defect) led to a 17% greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), an 18% greater risk of myocardial infarction (MI), and a 12% risk of ischemic stroke, according to an analysis of data from 3.8 million enrollees in the Korean National Health Insurance database. Having an underlying cardiometabolic comorbidity only strengthened these correlations. In contrast, AMD without visual disability increased the risk of MI by only 4%, and CVD or stroke risk did not increase at all in this population. Journal of the American Heart Association

A novel therapy for dry eye disease is approved, one that specifically targets tear evaporation. On May 18, 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved MIEBO (perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution; NOV03) for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED). Jointly developed by Bausch + Lomb and Novaliq, MIEBO has been shown to inhibit tear evaporation at the ocular surface, improving DED signs and symptoms in two phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trials. Ophthalmology Times