In this episode, we kick off season 5 of the Lens Pod with an educational episode about Keratoconus: a corneal ectasia!

Resources for this episode include:

• https://eyewiki.org/Keratoconus
• https://www.aao.org/education/content/ophthalmology-okap-board-review
• American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2023). External Disease and Cornea (Section 8, Basic and Clinical Science Course). American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:

• Virtual reality-based infrared pupillometry differentiates long COVID from post-COVID and controls, a promising noninvasive long COVID screening tool.

• Pandemic-related lifestyle changes are associated with a significant rise in the prevalence and severity of pediatric astigmatism.

• TriNetX study finds no association between semaglutide and Non-arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (NAION) or Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (ION).

• Gut dysbiosis and altered microbial metabolites are associated with the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

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In this week's episode, we discuss:

• Orbital masses and red eyes are correlated with worse prognosis in retinoblastoma. 

• Comprehensive study suggests women in ACGME-accredited ophthalmology residencies attain lower surgical and procedural volumes than their male counterparts.

• Healthy lifestyle factors implicated in improved retinal health and reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week's issue we discuss:

• Epigenetic aging alone, as established by DNA methylation studies, correlates with faster glaucoma progression independent of IOP. 
• Repeated low-level red light (RLRL) therapy can delay myopia progression and axial elongation in children, but new research shows it can lead to ganglion cell damage and cone photoreceptor loss.
• Pegcetocoplan treatment reduces vision loss in the fovea and junctional zone in patients with geographic atrophy, per microperimetry analysis.

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In this week's issue:

• Children from lower socioeconomic public school districts have higher rates vision screening failure.
• Heterozygous Tcf4 loss confers protection against disease progression in a Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy mouse model.
• An artificial intelligence-based OCT model demonstrates 99% accuracy in detecting diabetic retinopathy.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…

• IIH affects 3.44 per 10,000 US women and has a higher prevalence in the Midwest and South
• Children with atopic dermatitis are at increased risk for developing uveitis 
• A shorter length of the interdigitation zone band on OCT may predict diabetic retinopathy 

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…

• Early repair of open-globe injuries is associated with a lower risk of endophthalmitis, although visual outcomes appear unaffected by timing
• The first FDA-approved normal-tension glaucoma treatment is an effective and safe tool for day and nighttime intraocular pressure reduction
• Mice models demonstrate the potential novel application of melatonin for treating age-related dry eye disease

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:

• Subfoveal, unifocal, and fast-growing lesions are at the highest risk of vision loss in those with geographic atrophy, one of the major causes of irreversible vision loss in AMD.

• Toric Intraocular Lens implantation may offer superior astigmatism correction in individuals with high degrees of astigmatism and those with against-the-rule astigmatism.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…

• Patching later in childhood for unilateral congenital cataract does not necessarily yield better final visual acuity. 
• Intraoperative floppy iris syndrome was shown to be associated with use of certain antidepressants as well as inhalers, with some sex-specific patterns. 
• Bisphosphonate use is linked to a higher cumulative incidence of age-related macular degeneration secondary to inflammatory signaling pathway activation. 

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…

• Xanthelasma palpebrarum does not appear to be an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia or cardiovascular disease.
• Genetic risk factors for Fuchs dystrophy analyzed in a new cohort study suggest population-level screening could identify those at-risk for early intervention to preserve vision.
• Regular systemic follow-up is crucial for patients with eyelid sebaceous carcinoma due to high risk of distant metastases after initial presentation and surgery.