Quantifying cardiac dysfunction and valvular heart disease associated with subretinal drusenoid deposits in age-related macular degeneration.

Background/aims: Demonstrate through objective multidisciplinary imaging that subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are linked to both coexistent valvular heart disease (VHD) and reduced systemic perfusion via cardiac index (CI).

Methods: Post-hoc analysis of cross-sectional study. 200 intermediate AMD (iAMD) subjects were assigned by masked readers to two groups: SDD (with or without drusen) and drusen (only) based on multimodal ophthalmic imaging.

Correlation between ellipsoid zone thickness and the presence of subretinal drusenoid deposits in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: Subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are associated with systemic vascular diseases that compromise ocular perfusion. We demonstrate that SDDs are associated with decreased ellipsoid zone (EZ) thickness, further evidence of hypoxic damage.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional study.

Internal Carotid Artery Stenosis and Ipsilateral Subretinal Drusenoid Deposits.

Purpose: Subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are strongly associated with vasculopathies such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. This study evaluates ischemic stroke subjects for SDDs to determine whether ocular hypoperfusion from internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis is associated with ipsilateral SDDs.

Methods: A cross-sectional study at Mount Sinai Hospital recruited 39 subjects with ischemic stroke (aged 52-90; 18 women, 21 men); 28 completed all study procedures.

Subretinal drusenoid deposits, age-related macular degeneration, and cardiovascular disease.

Decades of studies on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cardiovascular disease and stroke have not found consistent associations between AMD and systemic vascular disease. This study suggests that there is in fact no general relationship, but instead a strong, specific association between only the subretinal drusenoid deposit (SDD) phenotype of AMD on retinal imaging and certain co-existent vascular diseases that are high risk for compromised cardiac output or internal carotid artery stenosis. Future screening initiatives for these high -risk vascular diseases (HRVDs) with fast, inexpensive retinal imaging could make a significant contribution to public health and save lives.

SUBRETINAL DRUSENOID DEPOSITS AND SOFT DRUSEN: Are They Markers for Distinct Retinal Diseases?

Purpose: Soft drusen and subretinal drusenoid deposits (SDDs) characterize two pathways to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with distinct genetic risks, serum risks, and associated systemic diseases.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-six subjects with AMD were classified as SDD (with or without soft drusen) or non-SDD (drusen only) by retinal imaging, with serum risks, genetic testing, and histories of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke.

Results: There were 62 subjects with SDD and 64 non-SDD subjects, of whom 51 had CVD or stroke.

Quantitative and qualitative spectral domain optical coherence tomography analysis of subretinal deposits in patients with acute central serous retinopathy.

Purpose: To perform qualitative and quantitative analyses of subretinal protein deposits (PDs), seen in acute central serous retinopathy (CSR) patients, using high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), in order to investigate whether the present PDs have any significant impact on best corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

Methods: Patients diagnosed with acute CSR were included. Using SD-OCT, the following distances/heights were measured: central total retinal thickness, central neurosensory retinal thickness, the vertical and horizontal length of subfoveal subretinal fluid and subfoveal thickness of the PD layer, if present and could be measured.

Suggestive association between PLA2G12A single nucleotide polymorphism rs2285714 and response to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: The use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy, with drugs such as ranibizumab and bevacizumab, to treat neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) produces an effective but widely variable response. Identifying markers that predict differentiated response could serve as a valuable assay in developing more personalized medicine. This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that influence the outcome of treatment with anti-VEGF therapy for AMD.

Qualitative spectral OCT/SLO analysis of drusen change in dry age-related macular degeneration patients treated with Copaxone.

Purpose: High-resolution spectral domain OCT/SLO (SD-OCT) has become an increasingly useful tool for differentiating drusen morphologic parameters such as shape, internal reflectivity, homogeneity, and presence of overlying hyperreflective foci. Our purpose was to evaluate which types of drusen may respond to Copaxone (glatiramer acetate) treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients by shrinking or disappearing.

Methods: A prospective and interventional clinical trial of patients with dry AMD who received subcutaneous treatment with Copaxone or sham injections was conducted.

Urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin level in age-related macular degeneration patients.

Purpose: Melatonin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger. It has been reported that serum melatonin level is relevant to certain aging diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate melatonin levels in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients by measurement of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels (aMT6s), the major metabolite of melatonin in urine, and compare it with a group of age- and gender-matched controls.