More than 10 million Americans have trouble distinguishing red from green or blue from yellow, and there's no treatment for colorblindness.
A biotech company and two scientists hope to change that. On Wednesday, Avalanche Biotechnologies in Menlo Park and the University of Washington in Seattle announced a licensing agreement to develop the first treatment for colorblindness. The deal brings together a gene therapy technique developed by Avalanche with the expertise of vision researchers at the University of Washington. Read full article >>
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Dr. BN Le is very excited to announce our new sister clinic, EyeRis Vision, coming soon by mid April-May 2014. Located next to the historic Broken Spoke of south Austin, at 3111 South Lamar Blvd. Our store will provide an eclectic selection of independent frame lines that is fun and unique to you. Dr. Le believes eye wear is more than just the necessity to help you see, but is an accessory that gives a glimpse into your personality.
In addition to our frame line selection, we will also carry a wide selection of common contact lens brands, including customized hybrid technology Synergeyes lenses. We will continue to provide excellent medical and comprehensive eye care, including medical eye emergencies. We will be posting updates regularly as the opening date nears and will announce our Grand Opening celebration soon! EyeRis Vision was mentioned in the Community Impact newspaper, see below on page 6-7. We are excited to announce, starting January 2014, we will start taking VSP Associated/Affiliated vision benefit plan. This plan is for employees of Sam's Club and Wal-Mart only.
Please give us a call to schedule your next eye appointment! Can't believe we will have 11 more days until December is done!
A reminder that most vision benefit plans and flex savings will expire by the end of December. Please give our office a call to come in before the end of the year. Schedule appointment online >> Read our Quarterly Newsletter >> Office holiday schedule: We'll be closed on 12/24-25 (Tues-Wedn) & 12/31-01/01/2014 (Tues-Wedn). Merry X-Mas and Happy new year to you and your family! Read more >>
Please note: the Newsletter could be translated to multiple different languages. Hover over the "Translate" icon on the top right corner of the page to select the desired language. USA Today (5/3, Hellmich) reports according to data published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, a journal of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most adults in the US don't meet "the Federal physical activity recommendations for both aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening activity." The research reveals approximately 79 percent of adults don't get "at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as brisk walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging." The Federal guidelines also recommend adults "do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups or exercise using resistance bands or weights" at least twice a week. Research has shown that regular physical activity can reduce weight, prevent heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and stave off depression and some forms of cancer.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (4/19, Pabst) reported, "For people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, learning to sing new songs and then perform in concert, alongside a family member or friend, could improve memory, self-esteem and mood. That's what New York University brain and aging researcher Mary Mittelman believes after undertaking a pilot chorus program with 10 couples pairing a person with dementia and a family caregiver or close friend." Now, "with a two-year, $80,000 grant from the Helen Bader Foundation to the NYU School of Medicine, a similar pilot chorus program will be started in Milwaukee, only the second city to test Mittelman's innovative program."
There’s no substitute for the quality of life good vision offers. Adding certain nutrients to your diet every day – either through foods or supplements – can help save your vision. Researchers have linked eye-friendly nutrients such as lutein/zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc to reducing the risk of certain eye diseases, including macular degeneration and cataract formation.
The Los Angeles Times (2/12, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog reports that a new study published Tuesday in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension found that "steadily reducing sodium in the foods we buy and eat could save a half-million Americans from dying premature deaths over a decade." An immediate 40% reduction in salt intake could also increase the amount of lives saved this decade to 850,000. The estimates come from three separate teams from the University of California-San Francisco, Harvard University's School of Public Health, and Canada's Simon Fraser University "crunching the numbers" and reaching "estimates independently." Americans consume over 3,600 milligrams of sodium daily, and the teams agreed if this were to be reduced to 1,500, "as many as 1.2 million premature deaths could be averted over the course of a decade."
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