Week in review: Diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, ocular biomarkers for Alzheimer’s, preservative-free latanoprost

A weekly roundup of ophthalmic news from around the web.

Diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and ocular hypertension may be interconnected. Using longitudinal data from 1.2 million patients enrolled in the Danish Registry of Diabetic Retinopathy and matched controls without diabetic retinopathy (DR), investigators evaluated the potential links between DR, glaucoma, and ocular hypertension (OHT). During the 5-year study period, patients with DR had a greater risk of developing glaucoma and/or OHT than the matched controls (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.11). Conversely, among all patients with diabetes but not DR, those who had glaucoma and/or OHT at the index date were more likely to develop incident DR during the 5-year period (adjusted HR 1.12). The investigators were unable to provide a conclusive explanation for these findings, including possible shared pathophysiologic pathways. Acta Ophthalmologica

Can ocular biomarkers predict Alzheimer’s disease? Researchers conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews to study the diagnostic performance of ocular biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD), including measurements from OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA), saccadic eye movements, and fundus imaging. Fourteen studies were included in this analysis. The parameters with the best predictability/accuracy in detecting AD were OCT peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL), OCTA foveal avascular zone analysis, and saccadic eye movements. However, area-under-the-curve values were generally low, indicating limited usefulness of the findings. The authors recommend conducting longitudinal studies to investigate whether OCT and OCTA measurement changes over time can accurately predict AD onset. JAMA Ophthalmology

ARVO names the winners of its 2022 Advocacy Awards. The Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) has announced the winners of its annual Advocacy Awards. The Emerging Advocate Award, given to ARVO members who incorporate advocacy as part of their professional efforts at the beginning of their careers, was awarded to Dr. Shervonne Poleon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for her focus on the sociobehavioral factors that affect eye health. The Achievements in Eye and Vision Advocacy Award, given to ARVO members who have dedicated their careers to advocating for eye and vision research, was awarded to Dr. Sundaram Natarajan in Mumbai, India, for his work in vitreoretinal surgery. The Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology

Preservative-free latanoprost is approved for IOP reduction. On December 14, 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration approved IYUZEH (latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.005% for reduction of elevated IOP in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. Expected to be made available to clinicians in the second half of 2023, it is the only preservative-free formulation of latanoprost approved for use in the United States. Healio, Thea Pharma