StemCell Therapy

Newswise As the global population grows and ages, so does their need for eye care. But according to two new studies published inThe Lancet Global Health, these needs arent being met relative to international targets to reduce avoidable vision loss.

As 2020 comes to a close, an international group of researchers set out toprovide updated estimates on the number of people that are blind or visually impaired across the globe, to identify the predominant causes, and to illustrate epidemiological trends over the last 30 years.

This is important because when we think about setting a public health agenda, knowing the prevalence of an impairment, what causes it, and where in the world its most common informs the actions that key decision makers like the WHO and ministries of health take to allocate limited resources, saysJoshua Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.H., a study author and ophthalmologist atKellogg Eye Center.

The study team assesses a collection of secondary data every five years, undertaking a meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease assembled by the Vision Loss Expert Group and spanning from 1980 to 2018.

A study like this poses challenges since regional populations vary in age.

For example, the population in some Asian and European countries is much older on average than the population in many African nations. Many populations are also growing older over time. A direct comparison of the percentage of the population with blindness or vision impairment wouldnt paint a complete picture says Ehrlich, who is also a member ofUniversity of Michigans Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, explains.

To address this issue, the study looked at age-standardized prevalence, accomplished by adjusting regional populations to fit a standard age structure.

We found that the age-standardized prevalence is decreasing around the world, which tells us eye care systems and quality of care are getting better, says study authorMonte A. Del Monte, M.D., a pediatric ophthalmologist at Kellogg Eye Center. However, as populations age, a larger number of people are being affected by serious vision impairment, suggesting we need to improve accessibility to care and further develop human resources to provide care.

In fact, the researchers found that there wasnt any significant reduction in the number of people with treatable vision loss in the last ten years, which paled in comparison to the World Health Assembly Global Action Plan target of a 25% global reduction of avoidable vision loss in this same time frame.

Although findings varied by region globally,cataracts and the unmet need for glasses were the most prevalent causes of moderate to severe vision impairment.Approximately 45% of the 33.6 million cases of global blindness were caused by cataracts, which can be treated with surgery.

Refractive error,which causes a blurred image resulting from an abnormal shape of the cornea and lens not bending light correctly, accounted for vision loss in 86 million people across the globe. This largest contributor to moderate or severely impaired vision can be easily treated with glasses.

Also important, vision impairment due to diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that affects eyesight, was found to have increased in global prevalence.

This is another condition in which we can prevent vision loss with early screenings and intervention, says study authorAlan L. Robin, M.D., a collaborating ophthalmologist at Kellogg Eye Center and professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine. As diabetes becomes more common across the globe, this condition may begin to affect younger populations, as well.

Working as a global eye care community, we need to now look at the next 30 years, Ehrlich says. We hope to take these findings and create implementable strategies with our global partners through ourKellogg Eye Center for International Ophthalmologyso fewer people go blind unnecessarily.

In an effort to contribute to the WHO initiativeVISION 2020: The Right to Sight, the researchers updated estimates of the global burden of vision loss and provided predictions for what the year 2050 may look like.

They found thatthe majority of the 43.9 million people blind globally are women. Women also make up the majority of the 295 million people who have moderate to severe vision loss, the 163 million who have mild vision loss and the 510 million who have visual impairments related to the unmet need for glasses, specifically poor near vision.

By 2050, Ehrlich, Del Monte, and Robin predict 61 million people will be blind, 474 million will have moderate and severe vision loss, 360 million will have mild vision loss and 866 million will have visual impairments related to farsightedness.

Eliminating preventable blindness globally isnt keeping pace with the global populations needs, Ehrlich says. We face enormous challenges in treating and preventing vision impairment as the global population grows and ages, but Im optimistic of a future where we will succeed because of the measures we take now to make a difference.

Both studies were funded by Brien Holden Vision Institute, Fondation Tha, Fred Hollows Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, Sightsavers International and the University of Heidelberg.

Papers Cited:Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years, and prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study,The Lancet Global Health. DOI:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study,The Lancet Global Health. DOI:10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30425-3

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Researchers Say We're Watching The World Go Blind - Newswise

Before he became well-known in wrestling circles, Tommy grew up in Compton, California, where he developed an interest in films and religion. Initially, it seemed like Tommy might pursue a career devoted to athletics.

He was the NCAA Division II National shot put champion in 1982, and he also tried out for the United States Football League. When he was cut after two games in the league, he decided to pursue acting instead.

Tommy ultimately had a fairly successful career in Hollywood, making guest appearances in a number of TV projects and also earning roles in films like The Dark Knight and Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown. His most famous part was in the 1995 film Friday and the movie's sequel five years later.

He also had a voice role in the film Zootopia and most recently appeared in a number of films that were released in 2017.

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Tommy Lister Jr. Was Born Blind in One Eye, but He Didn't Let That Slow Him Down - Distractify

BOSTON, Mass. A cure for blindness could be on the horizon after a team from Harvard Medical School reports theyve successfully restored vision loss due to glaucoma in mice.

Scientists achieved the feat by turning back the clocks of eye cells using a cocktail of proteins. It is the first time complex tissue has been reprogrammed to an earlier age. Clinical trials are set to start within the next two years. The groundbreaking technique is expected to work just as well in humans and may also conquer other neurological diseases, including dementia.

Researchers add this new study sheds fresh light on the mechanisms behind growing old; pointing to a therapeutic target for a host of conditions.

Our study demonstrates that its possible to safely reverse the age of complex tissues such as the retina and restore its youthful biological function, senior author Professor David Sinclair says in a university release.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over four million people over 40 are legally blind or living with low eyesight in the United States. The team at Harvard made use of a harmless virus to deliver three genes into the retinas of lab rodents with glaucoma the most common cause of human blindness.

Called Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4, these proteins are transcription factors that are switched on during embryonic development. Researchers say the procedure also worked similarly well in elderly mice with diminishing sight due to normal aging.

Afterwards, gene expression patterns and electrical signals of the cells returned to a similar state as in young mice, including improved vision. Study authors explain that their technique could actually heal the damaged optic nerves in the mice with glaucoma.

Although they reside in the eyes and technically outside the skull, the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are brain neurons. The team believes their approach can work in restoring other organs too.

If affirmed through further studies, these findings could be transformative for the care of age-related vision diseases like glaucoma and to the fields of biology and medical therapeutics for disease at large, Prof. Sinclair explains.

The study focuses on the epigenetic clock, the aging equivalent of the body clock. It tells genes to switch on or off. It is believed changes to it, either through our DNA or the environment, cause cells to malfunction and trigger age-related diseases.

One of the most important gene processes is methylation. DNA methylation can prevent certain genes from expressing themselves. This, for example, may stop tumor-causing genes from turning themselves on and causing diseases like cancer.

At the same time, genes that should be switched on get turned off and vice versa, resulting in impaired cell function. Over time, methylation also causes DNA to lose their more youthful patterns.

Past work achieved the feat in cells grown in laboratory dishes, but failed to demonstrate the effect in living organisms. Prof. Sinclair and his team targeted cells in the central nervous system as its the first place in the body affected by aging. After birth, its ability to regenerate declines rapidly. The results reveal that treatment doubled the number of surviving cells after optic nerve injury and increased regrowth five times.

At the beginning of this project, many of our colleagues said our approach would fail or would be too dangerous to ever be used, study author Dr. Yuancheng Lu explains. Our results suggest this method is safe and could potentially revolutionize the treatment of the eye and many other organs affected by aging.

In mice with glaucoma, it boosted nerve cell electrical activity and sharpened sight. They could see moving vertical lines on a screen better, even after vision loss had already occurred.

Regaining visual function after the injury occurred has rarely been demonstrated by scientists, co-author Prof. Bruce Ksander adds. This new approach, which successfully reverses multiple causes of vision loss in mice without the need for a retinal transplant, represents a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine.

The treatment worked just as well in 12 month-old mice with diminishing vision due to normal aging. These mice are the equivalent of a person in their 60s. An analysis of molecular changes in treated cells identified reversed patterns of DNA methylation, suggesting it is a driving factor in aging.

What this tells us is the clock doesnt just represent timeit is time, Sinclair concludes. If you wind the hands of the clock back, time also goes backward.

The team describes the findings so far as encouraging. Full body treatment of the mice with the three-gene procedure has produced no negative side effects after a year of testing.

The results appear in the journal Nature.

SWNS writer Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.

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Blindness cure on horizon after vision loss fully restored in mice with glaucoma - Study Finds

Why Global Citizens Should Care

On a typical work day in Yaound, Cameroon, Kareen Atekem hops on the back of a motorbike outfitted in a rain jacket, helmet, and face mask. With a phone in hand and a digital map guiding her way, Atekem directs a motorbike driver to her destination.

Soon, the dirt path becomes obstructed by bushes, forcing her to continue the journey by foot. Atekem, a health researcher, ventures quite literally off the beaten path, navigating unmapped areas of the countrys West Region.

Here, she is looking to find members of the nomadic Massangam community small groups of the wider Massangam people, whose geographic locations are not recorded. Atekem uses satellite technology to find clusters of huts, which she presumes to be nomadic camps.

Its not really easy because these camps are far from the community and very hard to reach, Atekem told Global Citizen, breathless, as she walked, swatting bushes to clear her way.

Hours later, she walks on wooden planks that allow her to cross the Nja river, a sign that she is on the right path. When she arrives at a site, Atekem meets members of a settled community not the nomadic group she was seeking. She follows the next location on the map and heads off once again, eventually locating a nomadic community.

It was worth the drive, Atekem said.

Now, her real work begins.

Kareen Atekem is photographed at the Sightsavers headquarters in the Bastos district of Yaound, Cameroon in November 2020. "Since my early childhood I have always wanted to help, to bring my help to people in need," said Atekem.Image: Daniel Beloumou for Global Citizen

The 30-year-old health advocate is leading a research project that uses alternative treatments to accelerate the elimination of onchocerciasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD) also known as river blindness.

Atekem spends the day at the nomad camp, screening individuals for river blindness, and providing treatment to those who have it.

There has been ongoing transmission of the disease among the Massangam for more than 20 years, despite members with river blindness receiving medication annually, according to Atekem.

She says communities have had prevalence rates of 30%.

This is really, really high, and of course with this prevalence, you cant achieve elimination, she said.

Atekem, who works for the international charity Sightsavers, says their strategy to eliminate river blindness includes providing the treatment mectizan on a biannual basis, instead of an annual basis, in addition to doxycycline, in an effort to accelerate the elimination of the disease. The organization also chemically treats the rivers where the flies breed to kill larvae, preventing them from transforming into adult flies which transmit the disease.

Kareen Atekem takes notes at the Sightsavers headquarters in Yaound, Cameroon. "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been doing a lot of teleworking... and the staff is reduced here at the NGO's headquarters," explained Atekem.Image: Daniel Beloumou for Global Citizen

River blindness, an eye and skin disease, is spread by bites from infected black flies near fast-flowing rivers. When flies bite, their worm larvae invade a persons body, causing severe skin irritations. The infection can eventually cause blindness.

Together with her team, Atekem identifies community members from the Massangam nomadic camps to receive training on river blindness.

I need to get to these people to make sure they are actually involved in the treatment and we combat NTDs, Atekem said. If we leave this population out, it would be like you are wasting your efforts [in eliminating the disease].

The trained community members act as liaisons between the researchers and their nomadic communities, helping Atekem seek approval from the camp heads to conduct this work an essential step and translating during camp visits.

Each camp consists of huts, or households, that are typically related, and are groups of 10 to 50 people, within the larger Massangam nomadic population comprising around 700 people, and a settled population of around 2,000.

When we visit normally at nightfall, we camp with them At times we even sleep in their huts and get up in the morning and continue to the next camp, she explained. Once we are finished with one community,we come back to our base and prepare to go to the next one.

Atekem who makes this trip three times a year spends up to a month with the Massangam people. The journey from Cameroons capital, where Atekem lives, involves a five-hour drive to Bafoussam, the West Region capital. From there, its another three-hour drive on unpaved roads to a town, also called Massangam, which acts as base, and an additional three-hour trek by motorbike and foot to reach specific camps.

Growing up in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, Atekem always heard about the Massangam nomads and over three years of working with them, she has an in-depth knowledge about the groups travel patterns, culture, and values.

Kareen AtekemKareen Atekem, Sightsavers' research coordinator, and Souleman Zidane, a community drug distributor, write up information during screening for river blindness at Moussa Camp, Makouopsap community, West Region, Cameroon in 2020. Amidou Sale/Sightsavers

Kareen AtekemSightsavers' research coordinator Kareen Atekem speaks to Bororo women in Makouopsap, WestRegion, Cameroon. The women are waiting to be tested for river blindness in 2018. Dominique Catton/Sightsavers

Sometimes they give you food and water without you asking. They are so hospitable, she said. You have to share with them. I even have one picture where we were eating with them in their traditional bowls.

A few months ago, when Aekem didnt show up as expected, members in the community wondered why.

Laolo, a 19-year-old Massangam man, traveled several hours to access a phone.

He called me and said, Madam,are you not coming to give the treatment? I said, Because of the coronavirus, we have halted all our activity. He said, What is the coronavirus? Atekem recalled.

Atekem informed him about the pandemic and shared how his community could take precautions.

Related Stories Jan. 8, 2020 How Health Workers Are Reaching a Nomadic Tribe in Sub-Saharan Africa

It was something so impactful to me that I developed a relationship with the nomads that they would call me when Im not around, she said.

Although barriers,including their remote location, culture, and language, pose a challenge in accessing medical services, Atekem says it is essential to reach nomadic populations with health care.

These people love their health and they are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their health, but I fear they are not being reached, she said.

Providing equitable medical care means ensuring no one is left behind in the fight against this disease, she said. Everyone has a right to treatment, not just those who are settled nomads, too.

Kareen Atekem, research coordinator at Sightsavers, stands outside the Sightsavers offices in Yaound, Cameroon in November 2020.Image: Daniel Beloumou for Global Citizen

The Last Milersis a profile series that highlights the people tackling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs),which impact more than 1 billion people globally.By working to ensure equitable access to preventative measures, treatments, and information, these people support the elimination of NTDs in various ways, across different fields. These advocatesaim to reachevery last milewith necessary health care tools and services.

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How This Woman Is Using Her Cellphone to Tackle River Blindness in Cameroon - Global Citizen

Computer-augmented brains, cures to blindness, and rebuilding the brain after injury all sound like science fiction. In recent years, these advances are closer to reality than some might realize, and they have the ability to revolutionize neurological care.

Neurologic disease is now the worlds leading cause of disability, and upwards of 11 million people have some form of permanent neurological problem from traumatic brain injuries and stroke.

Thanks to recent advances, sometimes lasting neurologic disease can be prevented. If a stroke patient is seen quickly enough, life-threatening or -altering damage can be avoided, but its not always possible. Current treatments to most neurologic disease are fairly limited, as most therapies, including medications, aim to improve symptoms but cant completely recover lost brain function.

H. Isaac Chen, an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Perelman School of Medicine and a neurosurgeon at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, is working to address this challenge. Chen calls the effort to improve how people function neurologicallyinstead of addressing disease symptomsthe holy grail of clinical neuroscience.

This quest drives my entire academic careerbeing able to treat patients who dont really have other options right now by repairing the brain, Chen says. While there are efforts to try to prevent disease and damage, there will always be patients who end up with permanent neurological problems.

Chen suspects that implanting neural tissue like a brain organoid could rebuild brain circuitry. His research is focused on the cerebral cortexthe part of the human brain that sets us apart from other animals. The cerebral cortex supports basic functions such as movement, visual sensation, and higher-order cognitive processes, like working memory and the ability to plan.

This story is part one of a series, Science Fiction Meets Neuro-Reality. Read more at Penn Medicine News.

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Organoids to rebuild the brain | Penn Today - Penn Today

RARITAN, NJ Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. has acquired rights to an investigational gene therapy from Hemera Biosciences LLC.

The therapy, called HMR59, is administered as a one-time, outpatient intravitreal injection to help preserve vision in patients with geographic atrophy, a late-stage and severe form of age-related macular degeneration.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Patients with AMD often have low levels of CD59, a protein that protects the retina from damage caused by an essential part of the bodys natural immune response called complement, according to a Janssen press release. In geographic atrophy, an overactivity of complement destroys cells in the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for central vision and seeing fine details, and results in a relentless progression to blindness. HMR59 is designed to increase the ability of retina cells to make a soluble form of CD59, helping to prevent further damage to the retina and preserve vision.

Geographic atrophy affects 5 million people globally, and is a leading cause of blindness in people over 50 years of age. The prevalence of geographic atrophy increases as the global population ages with roughly one in 29 people over age 75 affected, and nearly one in four people over age 90. There are currently no available therapies other than vitamins and low vision aids, Janssen notes.

Geographic atrophy is a devastating form of AMD that impacts the ability to accomplish everyday tasks, such as reading, driving, cooking, or even seeing faces, said James F. List, MD, PhD, global therapeutic area head, cardiovascular and metabolism, Janssen Research & Development LLC. Our aim with this novel, single-administration gene therapy is to use our development expertise and deep heritage in vision care to help improve patient outcomes by intervening early, halting the progression to blindness, and preserving more years of sight.

ThePhase 1 studyof HMR59 for patients with geographic atrophy is complete. A second Phase 1 study exploring HMR59 in patients with wet-AMD is currently conducting follow-up visits to evaluate long-term safety.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. of Johnson & Johnson.

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Vision Care Gene Therapy Acquired | INVISIONMAG.COM - InvisionMag

American scientists were able to cure the blindness in a group of 37 people who suffered from this hereditary condition. The most amazing thing about the study is that they gave an injection in only one eye. Then the other replicated genetics in order to correct the condition. In the substance they combined a gene therapy vector with DNA modified.

Daily Mail review that the study was conducted by scientists from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition, due to their positive results, they achieved a publication in the magazine Science Translational Medicine. There were 37 patients who showed improvement in symptoms of blindness. That is, 78% of those treated, a high enough percentage to consider the study a success.

They explain that modified DNA contains rAAV2 / 2-ND4A substance designed to treat vision loss problems. They noted that the injection applied is capable of migrating from one eye to another. And so the deoxyribonucleic acid improves for both.

DNA prick replaces a mutation that causes blindness

Scientifically details the Dr. Jos-Alain Sahel, from the house of studies mentioned that DNA replaces a mutation found in people who suffer from the type of blindness. Such substitution does the job of removing harmful ones and at the same time installing healthy ones.

What the injection destroys is something called ganglion cells, which are found in the retina. This is what leads to the degeneration of the optic nerve and the acceleration of a worse functioning of the eyes.

Our study offers great hope for the treatment of this blinding disease in adults who are still young, Sahel said.

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Mobile : they gave an injection in one eye and the other replicated the genetics - Explica

A global pharma executive with extensive experience stemming from drug development, through medical, market access to sales & marketing, Jelle has long standing experience in leadership roles in large pharmaceutical and biotech companies. He and his team have been directly responsible for delivering new treatments to patients suffering from rare and often acutely life-threatening diseases. Jelle holds a PhD and a MSc in Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Groningen.

"I have spent many years of my career working actively to find innovative treatment approaches for patients affected by rare and life-changing disorders. It is with great pleasure that I join the SIFI team to help advance treatment for AK, a devastating acute eye infection. No patients should feel left behind as my mission is to make sure we help find everyone with this severe eye infection, and being able to provide them with anapproved treatment, as early as possible," said Jelle Kleijn PhD.

"We are pleased to welcome Jelle Kleijn to the SIFI team," comments Fabrizio Chines, Chairman and CEO, who continues: "Acanthamoeba keratitis is an ultra-rare acute infection of the eye that potentially leads to blindness, and eye loss. Jelle's experience matches the unique challenges that our organisation faces to bring SIFI's first orphan drug to market and, more importantly, the first registered treatment for this severe eye infection. I'm confident that the appointment of Jelle will lead to a positive impact on Acanthamoeba keratitis patients around the world."

SIFI has recently completed patient enrolment in the pivotal phase 3 ODAK trial, comparing polihexanide 0.08% monotherapy versus the combination of polihexanide 0.02% and propamidine 0.1%. SIFI expects top-line results in the second half 2021. Polihexanide has already been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of AK in both the European Union and United States. It has taken 13 years for the development process of polihexanide as a high-dose 0.08% monotherapy to reach this point. Notably, if approved, it will become the first medicine to be licensed for AK globally.

About polihexanidePolihexanide is an investigational disinfectant, a polymer, in development for the treatment of AK. It acts on both the trophozoites and cysts of the protozoan Acanthamoeba. It is locally administered as a high-dose 0,08% monotherapy, unlike current unlicensed alternatives which usually involve combination therapy with multiple eye-drop medications.

About Acanthamoeba Keratitis (AK)AK is a severe corneal infection caused by the parasite Acanthamoeba. AK is a devastating acute eye infection presenting with unbearable pain and extreme light sensitivity.Each day of treatment delay increases the risk of blindness and eye loss. This means that appropriate and timely management is essential. AK is an ultra-rare condition affecting one to four per million people per year, but its incidence has been growing rapidly in recent years. No treatment is currently licensed for this acute eye infection in any country.

About SIFI SIFI is a leading ophthalmic company, headquartered in Italy, focusing on eye care since 1935. SIFI develops, manufactures, and markets innovative therapeutic solutions for patients with ophthalmic conditions. SIFI is fully committed through its R&D to improve the quality of life of patients, exporting treatments to more than 20 countries worldwide with a direct presence inItaly,Spain,France,Romania,MexicoandTurkey.

Key ContactSabrina Zappia- Sifi Press & Communication Officepress@sifigroup.com+393336999669

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1359441/SIFI_Jelle_Kleijn.jpg

SOURCE SIFI Press & Communication Office

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SIFI appoints Jelle Kleijn as Global Head of Acanthamoeba Keratitis to globally lead the effort to deliver the first registered treatment for this...

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n a Phase 3 gene therapy trial intended to improve vision among patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, recipients gained somewhat better sight in both eyes even though only one was treated. The results and an investigation into possible explanations for the findings were published December 9 in Science Translational Medicine.

The paper has very strong clinical implications that a single injection maybe is enough for bilateral effects, says Thomas Corydon, who studies ocular gene therapy at Aarhaus University in Denmark and was not involved in the work.

The onset of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is sudden. Patientsusually young menstart losing vision at the center of one eye. Within months, the other eye follows, leaving them legally blind. The disease is caused by a point mutation in the mitochondrial genome that leads to dysfunction and death of retinal ganglion cells, the axons of which make up the optic nerve. About 70 percent of patients have the same mutation, known as MT-ND4.

If you're going to start somewhere, it makes sense to tackle this variant, says Patrick Yu-Wai-Man, an ophthalmologist at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. He and his collaborators, including teams from GenSight Biologics and Stealth Biotherapeutics and a group led by University of Pittsburg Medical Center ophthalmologist Jos-Alain Sahel, as well as other groups, previously showed that the point mutation could be corrected in animal models and in cell culture using gene therapy.

Its difficult to get genetic material into the mitochondrial genome because mitochondria have two membranes, an outer and inner membrane, Yu-Wai-Man explains. In the clinical trial, he, Sahel, and colleagues overcame this hurdle by injecting an AAV vector containing a wildtype copy of the ND4gene with an added mitochondrial-targeting sequencea strategy that had already been shown to correctly direct the protein product of ND4 and other mitochondrial genes to the organelle.

Each of 37 patients received the therapeutic virus via a single injection into the fluid within one eye six to 12 months after the onset of vision loss. They also got a sham treatment in the other eye: a surgeon pressed the eye with a blunt cannula to simulate an injection.

We thought that, if there was going to be an effect, it would be isolated to that eye and then the other one would be the perfect internal control, Yu-Wai-Man tells The Scientist. But as it turns out, that wasnt the case.

With a slight delay in the sham-treated eye, both eyes started to improve. By 96 weeks after treatment, 29 of the patients had gained visual acuity in both eyes and reported increases in their quality of life.

Patients do improve, but, even with the treatment, they still function at a very low level, says Byron Lam, an ophthalmologist at the University of Miami who was not involved in the study. Most of the subjects were still near legal blindness at the end of the study.

To determine how the bilateral effect might be happening, Yu-Wai-Man and colleagues injected the therapeutic virus into one eye of three monkeys. Three months later, they found viral DNA in the noninjected eye and optic nerve. This raises the possibility that the viral vector supplies the wildtype protein in the untreated eye, but its not firm proof.

Finding viral DNA in the untreated eye in primates is a little short of being definitive because DNA expression alone doesnt prove that youre getting a therapeutic effect. Detecting DNA doesnt mean there is mRNA expression or protein production, says Mark Pennesi, an ophthalmologist at Oregon Health & Science University who did not participate in the work.

Previous work has shown that there could be transneuronal spread of the vector, but we also need to keep a critical mind and think that there might be other explanations, agrees Yu-Wai-Man. It could be that injecting the vector in one eye leads to some form of localized inflammation that induces mitochondrial biogenesis, thus making the mitochondria work better, he adds. Another option is that improvement in one eye leads to reorganization in the part of the brain that interprets signals from the eye, which could enhance vision overall.

Clearly, further investigations are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of how the interocular diffusion of viral DNA vector occurs and whether there are other mechanisms by which the optic nerves directly communicate, Bin Li, an ophthalmologist at Tongji Hospital in China who was not involved in the study, writes in an email to The Scientist.Li explains that his group has also reported that material injected in one eye can reach the other optic nerve.

These findings have implications for how this type of research should be performed in the future, he writes. Theyve shown that contralateral sham-treated eyes cannot serve as true internal control for clinical studies.

When you read this paper, you get a little excited, and then in some ways, you get a little disappointed, because it does look like theres some kind of positive effect with this treatmentthat it does do something more than what would happen with just the natural history of the disease. Unfortunately, the results are confounded by the fact that you treat one eye, but then there is improvement in the untreated control eye, Pennisi tells The Scientist. The question then really becomes . . . why did you get that result?

Along with academic collaborators, Yu-Wai-Man, who consults for GenSight Biologics and Stealth Biotherapeutics, will continue to explore this question as they focus on ongoing clinical trials of this therapeutic.

P. Yu-Wai-Man et al., Bilateral visual improvement with unilateral gene therapy injection for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy,Science Translational Medicine,doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz7423, 2020.

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Gene Therapy in One Eye Improves Vision in Both Eyes - The Scientist

MELODY MUPETA, KitweGOOD eye care in children is key in early detection of eye conditions such as cataracts, ptosis and squints.These are some of the common eye conditions in children which, if left unchecked, could cause blindness and social and psychological disturbance in a child.According to medical practitioners, paediatric cataracts are responsible for over 3.0 percent of all blindness and they are the second to adult cataract.Ptosis and squints can cause poor vision by reducing visual stimulation in the affected eye, thus preventing the brain from developing good vision in the particular eye.Squints can also be associated with other conditions of the eye like cataracts and tumours if they are left untreated.Lack of information about the three conditions makes people believe the eye conditions in question are incurable.Kitwe Teaching Eye Hospital (KTEH) paediatric ophthalmologist, Chileshe Mboni, says the three eye conditions are complex but manageable.Dr Mboni says cataract is a condition in which the lens of an eye becomes white, while in CLICK TO READ MORE

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Protecting children's vision with early eye care Zambia Daily Mail - Zambia Daily Mail

While environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal hasnt visited the Delhi stirs yet, he has been active in the organising support for the activities regarding the same in the region. He dispatched two different jathas of sportspersons, who planned to show solidarity with the farmers protests this week. While he sent off 20 of Punjab sportspersons who visited Delhi to return their awards, and join the stir, he also saw off kabaddi players from Sultanpur Lodhi going to offer support to the farmers. While villagers of Dona at Sultanpur Lodhi have been holding langar for farmers at Delhi, Seechewal has been seeing off jathas from the village taking rations to Delhi. Many of the residents, players among other members of the jattha belong to Seecheewal and the surrounding areas at Sutanpur Lodhi who have been extending whole-hearted assistance to the farmers protests.

Say no to drugs

T

o raise awareness regarding drugs among the staff of the police, an oath-taking ceremony was held at Kapurthala in which SP (Headquarters) made police officials take a pledge against drugs. SP (Headquarters) Mandeep Singh said the Police Department in the district was committed to the eradication of drugs. He said while the supply chain was already being cut, now the department is also holding awareness programmes to curb the demand. Vital awareness programmes were being held to spread the word among the masses and previously the state governments DAPO and buddy programmes were also aimed at achieving the same, Mandeep said. He exhorted officials to spread the word among the public and work to end the menace. Dressed in formal khakis, the men in uniform also pledged the same. Various other police officials also organised similar oath taking campaigns. The ceremony was held on December 9.

UDID cards for disabled

The district administration Kapurthala has decided to launch a special drive to provide unique cards under UDID project to the disabled persons across the district. Deepti Uppal, DC Kapurthala, said these would replace the decades-old manual certificates besides having the online access at any place to further bring the more transparency and facilitating these people to avail the benefits of various government welfare schemes. She said that under the campaign from December 17 to January 15, 2021, camps would be organised at various CHCs, PHCs and civil hospitals across the district where people suffering from 21 types of physical disabilities would be covered. The astonishing part of this campaign is that it would ensure to provide the cards to 1,596 students, out of which 591 are of Classes I to V and 1,005 belong to VI to XII standard. Types of disabilities that would be covered included acid attack victims, Autism Spectrum disorder, blindness, cerebral palsy, chronic neurological conditions, hearing impairment, hemophilia, intellectual disability, leprosy cured, locomotor disability, low vision, mental illness, multiple disabilities, including deaf blindness multiple disabilities including deaf-dumb, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinsons disease, short stature/dwarfism, sickle cell disease, specific learning, disabilities speech and language disability and thalassemia. The first camp would be organised at CHC Tibba on December 17, PHC Dhilwan on 18, CHC Fattu Dhingha on 21, CHC Begowal on 22, CHC Kalasanghaian on 28, CHC Panchta on 29, SDH Sultanpur Lodhi on January 7, SDH Phagwara on 8, SDH Bholath on 14 and Civil Hospital Kapurthala on January 15.

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I have got your back! - The Tribune India

With a Covid-19 vaccine use authorization from U.S. drug regulators imminent, CNBC's Jim Cramer said Friday the time is ripe to take on some risk in the market.

"If you want to speculate, this is the time to do it, just speculate wisely," the "Mad Money" host said. "You've got my blessing to buy stocks into weakness as we move closer to the long-awaited vaccine, even if the much-needed stimulus bill is still up in the air."

The comments come after another mixed trading session on the stock market, closing a week when all the major averages posted declines and the Russell 2000 rose higher for the sixth straight week. The Dow Jones inched up 0.16% to 30,046.37. The S&P 500 slipped 0.13%, its third down day, to 3,663.46, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.23% to 12,377.87.

The day was marked by volatility as some investors traded on vaccine hopes, while others traded on uncertainty of ever-rising daily coronavirus cases and the stimulus bill standoff in Congress, Cramer said.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to soon authorize the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech.

"The market's ratcheted back its expectations, so if we do actually get a stimulus compromise next week, stocks could come roaring back," Cramer said.

Cramer gave viewers a look at the earnings reports he has circled on his calendar in the week ahead. All projections are based on FactSet estimates:

AbbVie

"If AbbVie can present some good numbers for its newer drugs that could replace Humira, that will take the pressure off that drug and the company, and I think the stock could soar," Cramer said.

Elanco Animal Health

"This is a veterinary medicine play, and if CEO Jeff Simmons has anything newsworthy, the stock could play catch-up," Cramer said.

Lennar

Herman Miller

"We know Toll Brothers reported a very good quarter this week, and its stock just got crushed," Cramer said. "So unless Lennar and Herman Miller sell off hard going into their results, I suggest you take a pass. You're going to hear too much chatter about how these are the last good quarters or maybe the penultimate good quarters. I think that's wrong."

Accenture

"We start with Accenture, the information technology outsource consultant with a stock that tends to get hit on earnings," Cramer said. "Time after time, that's been a terrific entry point."

General Mills

"The market sure didn't like the numbers from Campbell Soup, but I bet General Mills will be better received," he said. "Watch their pet food business ... We know that category is on fire."

Rite Aid

FedEx

"We know that RAD (Rite Aid) will be one of the main distributors of the vaccine, along with CVS and Walgreens. We also know that FedEx will be shipping this thing all over the place. However, it's not much of a needle mover," he said. "That's bad news for Rite Aid, because they're being beaten by CVS and Walgreens ... but it's good news for FedEx, with its thriving e-commerce business."

Jabil

"People will try to extrapolate the success of the iPhone 12 from [supplier] Jabil, but it's a torturous affair because they're not allowed to mention the word Apple by name," Cramer said. "Still, the analysts will figure it out, and they're going to update their [Apple] forecasts on Friday."

Darden Restaurants

"I expect them to say good things, but it might not matter at this point, especially since the stock's already run a great deal from when they slashed the dividend," Cramer said.

Nike

"Nike should report a fabulous number because all of its physical store markets are coming back and its direct-to-consumer business is on fire," he said. "I would be shocked if Nike doesn't crush the estimates."

Disclaimer

Disclosure: Cramer's charitable trust owns shares of AbbVie, Nike, CVS and Apple.

Questions for Cramer?Call Cramer: 1-800-743-CNBC

Want to take a deep dive into Cramer's world? Hit him up!Mad Money Twitter - Jim Cramer Twitter - Facebook - Instagram

Questions, comments, suggestions for the "Mad Money" website? madcap@cnbc.com

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Cramer's week ahead: This is the time to speculate - CNBC

The Southern Pines Town Council unanimously approved a $1.6 million deal to acquire the 157-acre Whitehall Tract during a special called meeting Thursday.

Located on Pee Dee Road, the mostly undeveloped land abuts the towns existing Reservoir Park and nearly doubles the size of this popular recreation destination.

An initial down payment of $250,000 is due next week with closing scheduled on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Two additional payments totaling $575,000 will be paid next year, with a final balloon payment of $822,300 due in spring 2022.

Approximately one-third of the property, which is also known as the Drexel Land, is under a conservation easement and there is an existing 2-mile public walking trail on the tract.

Former property owner Barbara Sherman, a retired veterinarian and professor of North Carolina State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine, initially approached the town several years ago about the potential land deal. Her goal was to see the open space, biodiversity and natural beauty of the property preserved and protected from future development.

Check out next Wednesdays edition of The Pilot to learn more about the history of Whitehall and how its owners, past and present, have worked to protect this treasured property.

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Southern Pines Adds 175-Acre Site to its Parks & Recreation Facilities - Southern Pines Pilot

Compared with White people, those who are Black have higher cardiovascular risk when early-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) develops, according to the results of a study published in Diabetes Care.

Studies have shown an increase in the incidence of early-onset T2D diagnosis and a greater risk for T2D among Black people when compared with White people, but the evaluation of ethnicity-specific temporal trends of early-onset T2D diagnosis and the impact of comorbidities at the time of diagnosis had not yet been conducted.

To investigate and compare the trends in early-onset T2D diagnosis of Black and White people as well as the trends of various risk factors at the time of T2D diagnosis, data from 606,440 individuals aged 18 to 70 years who were diagnosed with T2D between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) was defined by the presence of a clinical diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.

Over the past 2 decades, the rate of T2D diagnosis among Black patients within the age groups 18 to 39 and 40 to49 years has consistently been higher than that of their White counterparts (P <.01). The proportion of both Black and White patients diagnosed with T2D before 50 years of age increased significantly from 2012 to 2018 (P <.05).

Black patients had significantly higher mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) than White patients across all age groups. Although no difference was seen in other age groups, Black patients 18 to 39 years of age had significantly higher body mass index (BMI) than their White counterparts (P =.02).

MACE-3 refers to 3-point major adverse cardiovascular events heart failure, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Black patients had a significantly higher risk for MACE-3 compared with White patients across all age groups, with the youngest age group having the highest relative risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.63; 95% CI, 1.42-1.88) and the lowest relative risk observed in the oldest age group (HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.15).

Taken as a whole, the results of this study illustrated the increasing burden of early-onset T2D and the increased risk of MACE-3 for Black patients. Understanding the trends in diagnosis of early-onset T2D and the differences in the prevalence of related comorbidities among people of different ethnicities may improve healthcare practitioners ability to detect and manage this disease.

Limitations of this study include the use of electronic medical records, which may have resulted in errors in data collection due to condition coding, and the fact that the database did not link directly to hospitalized data.

Future investigation into potential explanations for the differences between ethnicities observed in this study are warranted.

Reference

Dibato JE, Montvida O, Zaccardi F, et al. Association of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and depression with cardiovascular events in early-onset adult type 2 diabetes: a multiethnic study in the US. Published online November 11, 2020. Diabetes Care. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2045

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Differences in Comorbidities and Diagnosis of Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes by Ethnicity - Endocrinology Advisor

This article was originally published here

BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020 Dec 9;20(1):514. doi: 10.1186/s12872-020-01805-6.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to reveal the association of diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure with the lesion severity and chronic total occlusion (CTO) in patients undergoing femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for intermittent claudication.

METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study analyzed the data of 2056 consecutive patients with moderate to severe intermittent claudication, who underwent endovascular therapy for de novo lesions in the superficial femoral artery to the proximal popliteal artery between 2010 and 2018 at five cardiovascular centers in Japan. The association of the clinical characteristics with severity of the lesions, as assessed by the Trans-Atlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) II classification, was investigated using the ordinal logistic regression model. Their association with CTO, lesion length, and severity of calcifications was additionally analyzed using the binomial logistic regression model.

RESULTS: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure was 54.7% and 21.4%, respectively; 12.5% of the patients had lesions corresponding to TASC II class D, and 39.3% of the patients had CTO. Current smoking and severe claudication were associated with more severe lesions assessed according to the TASC II classification; diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were inversely associated with disease severity. The adjusted odds ratios of diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.70-0.97; p = 0.018) and 0.76 (0.62-0.94; p = 0.009), respectively. Diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were also inversely associated with CTO (both p < 0.05). Furthermore, diabetes mellitus was inversely associated with a long lesion (p < 0.05). Diabetes mellitus and dialysis dependence were positively associated with severe calcification (both p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes mellitus and dialysis-dependent renal failure were inversely associated with the lesion severity, as assessed by the TASC II classification, and CTO in patients undergoing femoropopliteal endovascular therapy for intermittent claudication.

PMID:33297956 | DOI:10.1186/s12872-020-01805-6

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Inverse association of diabetes and dialysis with the severity of femoropopliteal lesions and chronic total occlusion: a cross-sectional study of 2056...

Dear Doctors: We keep hearing about Type 2 diabetes, and I'm embarrassed to say, I don't actually know what it is. What does it do, and how do I know if I have it?

Dear Reader: To understand diabetes, we should first talk about glucose. That's the sugar our bodies make from the foods that we eat, and which our cells use as their main source of fuel. Glucose travels throughout the body via the blood, which is why it's also often referred to as blood sugar. However, it's not immediately available to the cells. That's where insulin, a hormone manufactured by the pancreas, comes into play. Insulin helps transport glucose from the blood into the cells, where it can be used as energy.

When someone has diabetes, it means that the insulin part of that energy equation isn't working properly. Either the body isn't manufacturing enough -- or any -- insulin, or it isn't responding properly to the insulin that is present. That leads to blood-glucose levels that are too high.

Over time, high blood levels of glucose are dangerous. Adverse health effects include damage to the circulatory system, vision problems, nerve damage, stomach or intestinal problems, slow healing, kidney disease and an increase in the risk of heart disease and stroke. Extremely high blood sugar levels can lead to coma, and even death.

In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. It often develops early in life, but can occur at any age. This type of diabetes is managed with diet and exercise, plus the use of medications and insulin.

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Insulin is at the heart of both types of diabetes - The Times and Democrat

Data presented during the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium found that adhering to a diabetes risk reduction diet improved survival for women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer compared to women who did not follow this specific diet.

Diabetes may be common in women with breast cancer, especially since 75%, or more than 2.6 million women, are at least 60 years or older, which means breast cancer survivorship must be managed in consideration with aging-related comorbidity such as diabetes, said Tengteng Wang, PhD, a research fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health during the virtual presentation of the study.

Type 2 diabetes, in particular, is a risk factor for breast cancer incidence and may be a predictive factor for breast cancer mortality. In addition, breast cancer increases the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes.

Identifying modifiable strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes among breast cancer survivors may be very important to improve their survival outcomes, said Wang.

Researchers analyzed data from 8,320 women with stage 1 to 3 breast cancer from 2 large cohort studies: the Nurses Health Study (1980-2014) and the Nurses Health Study II (1991-2015). Validated questionnaires were completed every 2 to 4 years to collect information on diet among other factors.

This study focused on a diabetes risk reduction diet with 9 dietary components including higher intakes of nuts, cereal fiber, coffee, polyunsaturated-saturated fat ratio and whole fruits, in addition to a lower glycemic index of diet and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages/fruit juices, trans fat and red meat.

The [diabetes risk reduction diet] has been associated with 14% lower type 2 diabetes risk in [a] previous publication of the Nurses Health Study, said Wang.

Researchers calculated an average score of adherence to this diabetes risk reduction diet through repeated measures of diet after a diagnosis of breast cancer. Follow-up was conducted for a median of 16 years after cancer diagnosis.

During follow-up, 2,146 deaths occurred, of which 948 were related to breast cancer. Women with higher diet adherence scores after diagnosis had a 33% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58-0.78; P for trend < .0001) and a 17% lower risk for mortality related to breast cancer (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.67-1.02; P for trend = .03) compared with women with lower diet adherence scores.

Our results did not differ by breast tumor ER status or stage, said Wang.

During the discussion portion of the presentation, Wang said that she and her colleagues analyzed what may be the potential mechanism for this association. She said, We looked at how [diabetes risk reduction diet][ influenced gene expression in [the] breast tumor for [a] subgroup of our breast cancer patients, and according to our pathway analysis, the [diabetes risk reduction diet] is more associated with the pathway related to immune regulation and also cell proliferation, so this is, I think, an interesting finding.

When further adjusting for neighborhood socioeconomic status, the association between diet adherence and mortality risk was slightly attenuated, with patients with greater adherence having a 31% lower risk for all-cause mortality (HR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.6-0.8; P for trend < .0001) and a 14% lower risk for mortality from breast cancer (HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.7-1.07; P for trend = .06).

Women who improved their adherence to a diabetes risk reduction diet after breast cancer diagnosis had a lower risk for breast cancer mortality compared with those with consistently low adherence to this diet (HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65-1).

In conclusion, we felt that a greater adherence to the [diabetes risk reduction diet] after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with better survival outcomes, which means promoting dietary changes consistent with prevention of type 2 diabetes may be very important for breast cancer survivors, said Wang.

A version of this story appeared on CURE as Dietary Changes to Reduce Diabetes Risk May Also Increase Survival for Breast Cancer.

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Diabetes Risk Reduction Diet Adherence Improved Survival for Patients with Breast Cancer - Cancer Network

TheStandards of Medical Care in Diabetes2021provides the latest in comprehensive, evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with type 1, type 2, or gestational diabetes; strategies for the prevention or delay of type 2 diabetes; and therapeutic approaches that can reduce complications, mitigate cardiovascular and renal risk, and improve health outcomes.

This update presents:

Today, theStandards of Careis available online and is published as a supplement to the January 2021 issue ofDiabetes Care.

"The American Diabetes Association is committed to improving the lives of all those affected by diabetes through this publication of the most widely respected guidelines for health professionals," said Dr. Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the American Diabetes Association.

Updates to the Standards of Care are established and revised by the ADA's Professional Practice Committee(PPC). The committee is a multidisciplinary team of 16 leading U.S. experts in the field of diabetes care and includes physicians, diabetes care and education specialists, registered dietitians, and others with experience in adult and pediatric endocrinology, epidemiology, public health, cardiovascular risk management, microvascular complications, preconception and pregnancy care, weight management and diabetes prevention, and use of technology in diabetes management. Two designated representatives of the American College of Cardiology (ACC) reviewed and provided feedback on the "Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Management" section, and this section received endorsement from ACC. "As a world leader in diabetes care, the ADA is proud to set the standards!" said Boris Draznin, MD, PhD, Chair of the Professional Practice Committee.

The online version of the Standards of Care will continue to be annotated in real-time with necessary updates if new evidence or regulatory changes merit immediate incorporation through the living Standards of Care process. The ADA also publishes the abridged Standards of Careyearly for primary care providers in its journal, Clinical Diabetes, and offers a convenient Standards of Care appas well as a Standards of Care pocket chart. Other Standards of Care resources, including a webcastwith continuing education credit and a full slide deck, can be found on DiabetesPro.

About Diabetes CareDiabetes Care,a monthly journal of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), is the highest-ranked, peer-reviewed journal in the field of diabetes treatment and prevention. Dedicated to increasing knowledge, stimulating research and promoting better health care for people with diabetes, the journal publishes original articles on human studies in clinical care, education and nutrition; epidemiology, health services and psychosocial research; emerging treatments and technologies; and pathophysiology and complications. Diabetes Care also publishes the ADA's recommendations and statements, clinically relevant review articles, editorials and commentaries. Topics covered are of interest to clinically oriented physicians, researchers, epidemiologists, psychologists, diabetes care and education specialists and other health care professionals.

About the American Diabetes AssociationEvery day more than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America. More than 122 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and are striving to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 80 years the ADA has been driving discovery and research to treat, manage and prevent diabetes, while working relentlessly for a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education designed to improve their quality of life. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

Contact:Daisy Diaz, 703-253-4807[emailprotected]

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

http://www.diabetes.org

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ADA Releases 2021 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes Centered on Evolving Evidence, Technology, and Individualized Care - PRNewswire

ANNAPOLIS, MDGovernor Larry Hogan today announced the commitment of more than $94 million in new investments across Maryland to help people with prediabetes and diabetes prevent or manage their disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $94 million of new investments I am announcing today will be used to help Marylanders across the state battle diabetes, said Governor Hogan. Even in the midst of a pandemic, diabetes continues to be one of the most devastating health issues in our state. And having diabetes puts individuals at risk of serious illness from COVID-19, so this comes at an important time.

There are currently more than 2.1 million Marylanders with either diabetes or prediabetes, more than 34% of the total population, and many dont even know it. Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in Maryland, and people with Type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Taken together, the measures being funded represent the first major community-based initiatives resulting from the Diabetes Action Plan, published last November.Developed with extensive input from community partners and diabetes experts, the Diabetes ActionPlan catalogs the state of this disease among Maryland residents and outlines comprehensive community-based prevention, management and treatment initiatives.

Todays initiatives announced by the governor include:

Regional Catalyst Grant Program

Recently the Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) announced the award of its new competitive Regional Partnership Catalyst Grant Program, an investment of more than $86.3 million in Maryland hospitals and their community health resource partners to support diabetes prevention, education, and self-management training programs. The HSCRC grant provides an initial five-year funding stream to help hospitals launch interventions that can be sustained at the end of the grant.

CareFirst Investments in Community Health

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield will invest more than $6.6 million in four Maryland communities as part of a multi-year initiative to combat social and health disparities for people who are at risk for or have been diagnosed with diabetes. Thispledge will focus on steps and strategies that can be taken to intervene in areas where extensive data shows community and social factors contribute to the onset of diabetes. This work will be done in partnership with Local Health Improvement Coalitions (LHICs) and local health departments. LHICs are comprised of local partners, working with the health officers to create meaningful public-private partnerships supporting community wellness.

CHRC Partners with MDH and UMD to Support Local Health Coalitions

Marylands Community Health Resource Commission (CHRC), consistently supportive of the Diabetes Action Plan, recently awarded $1 million to Marylands local health departments to help LHICs expand capacity and build on innovative partnerships, services, and programming in communities at high-risk for diabetes.In an effort to maximize the impact of the grant funding, MDH will provide technical assistance to LHICs,in partnership with the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy in the School of Public Health, University of Maryland.

In addition, last year the CHRC issued 12 awards totaling $2.2 million to support projects in local communities in support of the Maryland Diabetes Action Plan through promoting food security and addressing other social determinants that impact diabetes.Addressing diabetes is a top funding priority of the CHRC, focusing on the Diabetes Action Plan recommendations to employ local action integrated with community approach in the fight against diabetes.

Along with these investments, Marylands Medicaid program added the National Diabetes Prevention Programs (NDPP) as a covered benefit last fall, providing both in-person and virtual access for eligible HealthChoice enrollees who may not have otherwise been able to afford it. The DPP is available through all nine of its Managed Care Organizations statewide.

Marylanders are urged to speak to their physician about their risk for diabetes, and go online to know their risk. An easy 60-second risk test from the American Diabetes Association can help everyone: https://www.diabetes.org/risk-test

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Governor Larry Hogan Announces $94 Million in Funding to Support Diabetes Prevention and Treatment for Marylanders - The Southern Maryland Chronicle

Why Global Citizens Should Care

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancers and diabetes, are now the leading cause of death in the world, according to the World Health Organizations (WHO) 2019 Global Health Estimates report published Wednesday.

The top10 diseases accounted for 55% of the 55.4 million deaths worldwide that were reported in 2019.

It is important to understand which diseases people die from to measure how people live and to ensure that health care systems areprepared to respond to patients needs, according to the WHO.

The WHOdefines NCDs as chronic diseases that are usually the result of genetic, physiological, environmental, and behavioral factors. In comparison, communicable diseases are transmitted between people, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and tropical diseases.

At the global level, 7 of the 10 leading causes of death were NCDs in 2019. This is a dramatic rise from 2000, when only 4 of the top 10 diseases were classified as noncommunicable.

These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up prevention, diagnosis,and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, WHO Director-GeneralDr. Tedros AdhanomGhebreyesussaid.

Related Stories Dec. 9, 2020 Thomson Reuters Foundation Poor Countries Are at Risk of Missing Out on COVID-19 Vaccines as Rich Nations Hoard Supplies

While the WHOs list outlines the top causes of death globally, the leading causes of death within eachcountry arevaried. The causes of death across high-,middle-,and low-income countries showthe difference between lifestyle and health care around the world.

In 2019, heart disease remained the number one killer globally and accounted for 16% of total diseases around the world, according to the report.

Heart disease has been the leading cause of death globally for the last 20 years. The number of people who died from the disease in 2019 rose to almost 9 million.

Related Stories Nov. 20, 2020 The WHO Just Introduced a Plan to Eliminate Cervical Cancer Around the World

For the first time, Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia entered the top 10 causes of global death.The report also showed that women were more at risk of degenerative diseases, as 65% of Alzheimers and other forms ofdementia deaths were women.

Diabetes also entered the top 10 list in 2019. The number of people who died from the disease has increased by 70% since 2000. Men are more at risk of this disease and there was an 80% rise in death among men in the past two decades.

While Alzheimers disease, dementia, and diabetesare all classified as NCDs, none of themwere amongthe top 10 causes of death in low- or middle-income countries.

Related Stories Nov. 30, 2020 Malaria Will Kill More People Than COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa This Year: WHO

Deaths from communicable diseases declined globally from 2000 to 2019, however, they are still a challenge in lower- and middle-income countries. In low-income countries, 6 of the top 10 causes of death were communicable diseases.

HIV/AIDS was nolonger listedamong the top 10 global diseases in 2019. Deaths from HIV/AIDS have decreased by 51% globally since 2000.However, in low-income countries, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis remainedin the top 10.

Dr. Samira Asma, assistant director-general for the division of data, analytics,and delivery for impact at the WHO, explained the importance of collecting data on worldwide deaths in the report.

The WHO Global Health Estimates are a powerful tool to maximize health and economic impact, she said. We call upon governments and stakeholders to urgently invest in data and health information systems to support timely and effective decision-making.

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Noncommunicable Diseases Like Cancer and Diabetes Are the Top Causes of Death Globally: WHO - Global Citizen