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Loss of vision and loss of capacity to comprehend or recall properly are two of the most feared and avoidable health concerns connected with ageing. Now, a new research suggests that visual issues and <keyword id="24289" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dementia" source="Orion">dementia</keyword> are connected.<br /><br />A team from the Kellogg Eye Centre at Michigan Medicine, the University of Michigan's academic medical centre, reported their findings in <keyword id="3241006" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="jama-ophthalmology" source="Orion">JAMA Ophthalmology</keyword> recently.<br /><br />The risk of dementia was substantially greater among individuals with eyesight difficulties, including those who couldn't see well even while wearing their customary spectacles or contact lenses, in a sample of over 3,000 older persons who performed vision and cognitive tests during home visits.<br /><br />This research adds to a growing body of work that suggests a relationship between eyesight and dementia. It is based on data from a nationally representative study of older individuals done in 2021 by the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.<br /><br />The study's older people were all above the age of 71, with an average age of 77. A visiting team member used a digital tablet to assess their up-close and distant vision, as well as their ability to perceive letters that did not contrast sharply with their backdrop.<br /><br />They also administered memory and reasoning ability tests and requested medical information, including any previous diagnoses of Alzheimer's disease or another kind of dementia.<br /><br />One-third of those with moderate or severe distant vision impairment, including the blind, exhibited dementia symptoms. So did 26 per cent of individuals who had difficulty seeing letters that didn't stand out against a backdrop.<br /><br />Even among individuals with minor issues with distant vision, 19 per cent developed dementia.<br /><br />After controlling all other variations in health status and personal factors, persons with moderate to severe distant vision impairments were 72 per cent more likely to have dementia than those with no vision issues.<br /><br />Other categories of visual impairment had smaller but still significant gaps, with the exception of modest issues with distance vision, where there was no statistical difference.<br /><br />Those with many types of vision impairment were 35 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those with normal eyesight.<br /><br />The current study expands on prior research that found similar results but relied on self-reported visual ability rather than objective testing or was not representative of the US population.<br /><br />The authors, led by ophthalmologists Olivia Killeen, M.D., M.S. and Joshua Ehrlich, M.D., M.P.H., wrote, "Prioritizing vision health may be key to optimizing both sight and overall health and well-being. Randomized trials are warranted to determine whether optimizing vision is a viable strategy to slow cognitive decline and reduce dementia risk."<br /><br />But in the meantime, in an accompanying editorial, Sheila West, Ph.D., of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine, wrote that the new study adds to accumulating evidence about the link between vision and cognitive issues.<br /><br />"Equitable access to vision care services that prevent, reverse, or at least stave off progression of loss of sight is a worthy goal regardless of the potential impact on dementia and may be especially critical for those experiencing cognitive decline," she wrote.<br />  <br />

Dementia is more common in older adults with vision issues, finds a study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new study suggests people on Ozempic or Wegovy may be more likely to suddenly go blind.</li><li>The condition, called NAION, is still exceedingly rare. It's also painless and untreatable.</li></ul><p>Eye doctors in Boston have started to notice a small but worrisome uptick in cases of a rare type of sudden blindness among patients taking semaglutide.</p><p>They're raising questions about whether <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/weight-loss-glp-1-drugs-ozempic-wegovy-mounjaro-effects-future-2023-12">taking Ozempic</a> or Wegovy might be leading to more cases of nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a rare condition where blood stops flowing to the optic nerve, disturbing the connection between the eye and the brain. The issue typically surfaces suddenly, without pain, and results in people waking up in the morning unable to see out of one eye.</p><p>The new investigation, published Wednesday in <a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2820255">JAMA Ophthalmology</a>, found that people taking semaglutide appeared slightly more likely to develop NAION than other patients with obesity or diabetes. (Semaglutide is the active ingredient in two Novo Nordisk drugs: Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity.)</p><h2 id="b91a13b7-bd94-4dad-bb90-0967f248172b">Rare, and notable</h2><p>The number of patients on semaglutide who developed NAION was tiny: Out of more than 16,000 eye patients in Massachusetts included in this six-year retrospective investigation, only 37 people on semaglutide developed NAION. But that was still more than four times as many eye problems as those experienced by similar patients who were not on the drugs over the same time period. Only nine people with diabetes or obesity who were not on semaglutide developed NAION, the researchers said.</p><p>"This is information we did not have before and it should be included in discussions between patients and their doctors, especially if patients have other known optic nerve problems like glaucoma, or if there is preexisting significant visual loss from other causes," Dr. Joseph Rizzo, the study's lead author, the director of the neuro-ophthalmology service at Mass Eye and Ear, and a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release.</p><p>"The use of these drugs has exploded throughout industrialized countries and they have provided very significant benefits in many ways, but future discussions between a patient and their physician should include NAION as a potential risk," he added.</p><h2 id="ccfda629-d337-4f54-a6e5-05117369efbf">Pushback from Novo Nordisk</h2><p>In a statement sent to Business Insider, the semaglutide maker Novo Nordisk said: "Patient safety is a top priority for Novo Nordisk, and we take all reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously."</p><p>But the drugmaker raised concerns about the ways this study was conducted, saying there were too few cases in the trial to draw meaningful conclusions and that this type of backward-looking study could never answer questions about a causal link between semaglutide and NAION.</p><p>"NAION is not an adverse drug reaction for the marketed formulations of semaglutide," the company said.</p><p>Patients with diabetes and high blood pressure have always been at an increased risk of developing eyesight issues. For example, having chronically high blood sugar can <a target="_blank" href="https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/for-diabetics-blurry-vision-is-cause-for-concern">distort your eye lenses</a>, contributing to blurry vision. (Novo Nordisk is working on another, separate study, <a target="_blank" href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03811561">testing</a> whether semaglutide might be useful in treating diabetic retinopathy.) NAION is usually permanent, and there is no treatment for it.</p>

Patients on Ozempic are developing a rare form of sudden blindness, doctors say

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A new <keyword id="12711652" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sleeping-bag" source="Orion">sleeping bag</keyword> may stop astronauts' eyeballs squashing in zero-gravity, per a study reported by the BBC.</li><li>The bags created a vacuum which sucked body fluids from the head towards the feet, the study found.</li></ul><p><keyword id="6367929" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="scientists" source="Orion">Scientists</keyword> have found a possible solution to astronauts getting squashed eyeballs in <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword> — a high-tech sleeping bag that sucks fluid away from the brain.</p><p>Spending more than six months in zero-gravity can have a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-body-changes-outer-space-2015-10#5-it-can-cause-vision-problems-5">negative impact on astronauts' vision</a>, potentially leaving them with flattened eyeballs, swollen optic nerves, and bad eyesight, according to a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/news/Astronaut_Vision.html">2011 study</a> published in the journal the American Academy of Ophthalmology.</p><p>Now, scientists led by by Dr. Benjamin Levines at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center have developed a sleeping bag that creates a vacuum to pull fluid away from the head towards the feet, relieving pressure on the brain and the <keyword id="12711653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eyeball" source="Orion">eyeball</keyword>, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59591301">BBC</a> reported, citing a <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/article-abstract/2787146">study</a> published Thursday in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.</p><p>Gravity on Earth means that fluid pressure that builds around the brain when lying down drains when we stand up. But researchers had found that, in the zero-gravity conditions of spaceflight, body fluids can accumulate in the head, putting pressure on the eyeballs, and causing a condition called spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, per the BBC.</p><p>As part of the study, a dozen participants spent three days lying flat with eight hours in the sleeping bags and another three days lying flat without using the sleeping bags, the BBC reported.</p><p>The study found that the cone-shaped sleeping bags – which fit around the waist and have a solid outer-frame – stopped body fluids from changing the shape of the participants' eyeballs, per the BBC.</p><p>"We don't know how bad the effects might be on a longer flight, like a two-year Mars operation," Levine told the BBC. "It would be a disaster if astronauts had such severe impairments that they couldn't see what they're doing and it compromised the mission."</p><p>Levine told the BBC that he's working on sending the device to the International Space Station (ISS) for astronauts to use.</p>

Scientists have developed a hi-tech sleeping bag that could stop astronauts' eyeballs from squashing in space

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A small study out of China found people who wear <keyword id="332" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Glasses">glasses</keyword> regularly were less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19. </li><li>Though not as protective as goggles and face shields, glasses may provide a barrier against the virus or prevent people from touching their faces. </li><li>Other factors could be at play that explain the link, though, and experts still don't recommend getting glasses if you don't otherwise need them. </li></ul><p>Needing glasses to go about your daily life can be a minor annoyance, but the frames may have an added bonus during the pandemic, a small <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2770872">study in JAMA Ophthalmology</a> suggests. </p><p>In the study, published September 16, researchers in China looked at 276 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and found that less than 6% regularly wore glasses; all those who did so had myopia, or nearsightedness.</p><p>Compared to the 31.5% of the population estimated to need glasses for the same reason, the study authors suggested that people who wear glasses for at least eight hours a day may be less likely to contract COVID-19. </p><p>"These findings suggest that the eye may be an important infection route for COVID-19, and more attention should be paid to preventive measures such as frequent handwashing and avoiding touching the eyes," the researchers wrote. </p><p>Experts say it's understandable why eye protection may be linked to <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> protection, but it's too soon to suggest everyone shield their eyes. </p><h2>Glasses may act as a barrier against the virus </h2><p>The eyes, like the mouth and nose, are known to be potential entry-points for all sorts of bacteria and viruses, which is why healthcare workers wear goggles as part of their personal protective equipment.</p><p>While its unclear how readily the coronavirus enters through the eyes, non-healthcare workers may also benefit from using similar protection. A <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31142-9/fulltext#%20">June review</a> in The Lancet found that eye coverings like goggles, face shields, or visors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anthony-fauci-eye-covering-recommendation-face-masks-us-2020-7">might substantially reduce coronavirus infections</a>.</p><p>"If you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=214025723313870&amp;ref=watch_permalinklink">told</a> ABC health correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton. "It's not universally recommended, but if you really want to be complete, you should probably use it if you can."</p><p>Glasses, though not as protective as goggles or a shield, may deliver some of the same benefits, the latest study suggests. </p><p>Spectacles "may serve as a partial barrier that reduces the inoculum of virus in a manner similar to what has been observed for cloth masks," Dr. Lisa L. Maragakis of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine wrote <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2770873">in a commentary</a> accompanying the study. </p><p>They may also help prevent people from touching their eyes and faces, which in turn reduces coronavirus risk. That's why <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/coronavirus-covid19-eye-infection-pinkeye">the American Academy of Ophthomology has suggested</a> contact-wearers consider switching to glasses. </p><h2>It's not necessary to start wearing glasses if you don't already need them</h2><p>But there's a lot to learn before experts recommend glasses like they do face masks.</p><p>For instance, could the association between glasses and lower coronavirus risk be due to some other variable, like that glasses wearers may tend to be of higher socioeconomic statuses and less likely to be in close contact with others at essential jobs or in crowded housing? </p><p>Plus, it's possible that encouraging people with fine eyesight to get glasses could cause them to touch their faces more, or offer a false sense of security such that they slack on the most important protective measures: good hygiene, mask wearing, and physical distancing. </p>

Wearing glasses may help protect you from the coronavirus, but it's not worth getting them if you don't need them for vision

<br /> New study revealed links between infection caused by <keyword id="3189910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zika">Zika</keyword> virus and vision threatening eye abnormalities in infants with <keyword id="903822" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="microcephaly">microcephaly</keyword> - a birth defect characterised by an abnormally small head.<br />
<br />
An epidemic of Zika virus has been happening in Brazil since April 2015. Six months after the onset of the Zika virus outbreak, there was an unusual increase in newborns with microcephaly.<br />
In January this year, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported 3,174 newborns with microcephaly.<br />
<br />
Researchers from Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil evaluated the ocular findings of 29 infants with microcephaly (head circumference less than or equal to 32 centimetres) with a presumed diagnosis of congenital Zika virus.<br />
<br /> Of the 29 mothers, 23 (79.3 per cent) reported suspected Zika virus signs and symptoms during pregnancy, including rash, fever, arthralgia (joint pain), <keyword id="6361884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="headache">headache</keyword> and itch.<br />
<br />
Among the 23 mothers who reported symptoms during pregnancy, 18 or 78.3 per cent reported Zika virus symptoms during the first trimester of pregnancy, researchers said.<br />
<br />
Abnormalities of the eye were observed in 10 of the 29 infants (34.5 per cent) with microcephaly; of the 20 eyes in 10 children, 17 eyes (85 per cent) had ophthalmoscopic abnormalities.<br />
<br />
Bilateral abnormalities were found in 7 of the 10 infants (70 per cent) presenting with ocular lesions, the most common of which were focal pigment mottling of the retina and chorioretinal atrophy in 11 of the 17 eyes with abnormalities (64.7 per cent).<br />
<br />
There also were optical nerve abnormalities in eight eyes (47.1 per cent), along with other findings.<br />
<br /> "Infants with microcephaly should undergo routine ophthalmologic evaluations to identify such lesions. In high-transmission settings, such as <keyword id="26945" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="South-America">South America</keyword>, <keyword id="162386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Central-America">Central America</keyword> and the <keyword id="6372936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Caribbean">Caribbean</keyword>, ophthalmologists should be aware of the risk of congenital ZIKV-associated ophthalmologic sequelae," researchers said.<br />
<br />
The findings were published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology.<br />
<br />
(Image credits: reuters)<br />

New links between Zika virus and vision threatening eye abnormalities found

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Ueslei Marcelino/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Rosana Vieira Alves fixes the hair of her 4-month-old daughter Luana Vieira, who was born with microcephaly.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Scientists have found a disturbing new component to the birth defects associated with the Zika virus.</p><p class="p1">In one of the first studies <a href="http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2491896">published</a> related to the recent Zika outbreak, researchers in Brazil documented the eye abnormalities in babies with a traditionally rare condition called microcephaly. Babies with the condition <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-microcephaly-2016-2">are born with abnormally small brains</a>, which can be connected with other complications. It's not unusual for vision problems to be <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/microcephaly.html">associated with microcephaly</a>. </p><p>They found that in one-third of babies with microcephaly - after a presumed Zika infection before they were born - there was an additional eye abnormality that could threaten their vision.</p><p>Ten of the 29 babies observed had irregularities in one or both eyes, and about 80% of the mothers reported Zika-like symptoms during their pregnancy.</p><p>This led the researchers to conclude that Zika is linked to this eye problem, including damage to the retina, the layer at the back of the eye that's responsible that converts images into signals that are sent to the brain.</p><p>"We're very concerned about this," Lee Jampol, a professor of ophthalmology at Northwestern, <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/02/09/brazilian-babies-zika-related-birth-defectseye-problems/80060690/?hootPostID=c385e0bd661195450709b77f461c7459">told USA Today</a>. "There hasn't been enough testing yet to know what these babies' vision is going to be."</p><p>In an accompanying editorial, Jampol and fellow Northwestern ophthalmologist Debra Goldstein advised that babies born with microcephaly in areas with Zika virus should have their eyes examined, though that recommendation didn't extend to babies in areas with Zika virus that don't have microcephaly. The study and editorial were published <a href="http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2491896">Tuesday in JAMA Ophthalmology</a>.</p><p>For the most part, only about one in five people with Zika ever <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/zika/symptoms/index.html">shows symptoms</a>, which most commonly include fever, rash, joint pain, and red eyes, though there have been cases of a temporary neurological disorder called <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;sqi=2&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiBiOPgmOHKAhUCdz4KHW-VBigQFggcMAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ninds.nih.gov%2Fdisorders%2Fgbs%2Fdetail_gbs.htm&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlimnCuuW-6oC_hPUkxMxUTM114g&amp;bvm=bv.113370389,d.cWw">Guillain-Barre Syndrome</a> associated with Zika.</p><p class="p1">It's Zika's connection to microcephaly that's particularly concerning. This connection has raised concerns about pregnant women contracting the virus. There are currently no vaccines nor treatments, though vaccines are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/zika-vaccine-best-case-scenario-timeline-2016-2">in early development</a>. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten by the mosquitoes that transmit the disease, by either avoiding <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> to areas where the virus is being transmitted, or wearing long clothes and using mosquito repellent.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-drugs-stay-system-hair-blood-urine-cocaine-marijuana-mdma-2016-2">This is how long drugs actually stay in your system</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="15dW9tMDE6b-pX4-aE8O8vP9j1-YS_Mp" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Scientists just discovered a disturbing new defect associated with the untreatable Zika virus

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Mark Wilson/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Donald Trump did wear eclipse glasses, but couldn't resist sneaking a look with his naked eyes.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Staring at the sun without certified protective glasses could have caused eye damage called solar retinopathy.</strong></li><li><strong>Usually people notice symptoms including blurry vision, discolored spots in vision, pain, or a loss of central vision by the next day.</strong></li><li><strong>If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after staring at the eclipse, call an eye doctor.</strong></li></ul><p>Eye doctors are going to be busy tomorrow.</p><p>If you checked out the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/category/solar-eclipse-2017">solar eclipse</a> and weren't wearing certified protective glasses (or even if you were), you might be wondering if your vision is okay.</p><p>Looking at the sun without adequate protection allows sunlight, including ultraviolet and near-infrared radiation, to penetrate the retina. That can burn parts of the eye and create a toxic reaction that causes damage, which can lead to a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-retinopathy-eye-damage-sun-2017-8">condition eye doctors refer to as photic or solar retinopathy</a>.</p><p>If you watched the eclipse in an unsafe way, damage may not be immediately apparent, since you can't feel burns on your retina. Some people might start to notice changes to their vision within a few hours, though it's most likely that vision changes would become apparent by the next day, <a href="http://eyewiki.aao.org/Solar_Retinopathy">according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology</a> (AAO).</p><p>Symptoms of solar retinopathy include poor vision, changes to vision including blurry or discolored spots, pain, and especially a loss of vision in the center of the eye. A number of solar retinopathy patients report being unable to read because of the changes, which can be temporary or permanent.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Scott Olson/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">People watch the solar eclipse on the campus of Southern Illinois University on August 21, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Some people Business Insider spoke with said their eyes felt strange immediately after viewing the eclipse even though they did wear protective glasses. If your glasses were properly certified and didn't let in any light that was less bright than the sun, the discomfort may just be a temporary effect. It could be caused by the rapidly changing levels of light exposure you encountered while repeatedly covering and uncovering your eyes to look at the crescent sun. The fact that your eyes felt weird after watching the eclipse doesn't necessarily mean there's any permanent damage.</p><p>People who watched the eclipse for even a brief period of time without protection, however, are susceptible to damage. President Trump briefly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-watching-solar-eclipse-20017-photos-2017-8">demonstrated what</a> you were <em>not</em> supposed to do, and tech entrepreneur <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/solar-eclipse-2017-elon-musk-watches-eclipse-in-model-s-with-sunglasses-2017-8">Elon Musk may have done the same</a>, tweeting that he watched with "sunglasses."</p><p>Sunglasses don't provide adequate protection and could potentially increase the risk for eye damage, since the pupil opens up more widely to let light in, <a href="http://newsroom.cumc.columbia.edu/blog/2017/08/18/why-you-shouldnt-take-a-selfie-during-the-solar-eclipse/">according to</a><span> Dr. Tongalp Tezel, an expert on retinas at Columbia University Medical Center.</span></p><p>If you are experiencing vision changes or eye pain, call an eye doctor to schedule an appointment.</p><p>A good proportion of cases do resolve themselves over time, potentially within a day or even over a couple of weeks, according to an <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaophthalmology/fullarticle/2648904">editorial in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology</a>. But if vision hasn't come back within six months, it's not likely to - and there is, unfortunately, no present treatment for solar retinopathy.</p><p>A doctor can examine your eye and see changes to the retina, which can take on the appearance of the crescent-shaped sun responsible for the damage. Without medical confirmation, it's hard to know whether something is really wrong and to whether it can be addressed.</p><p>"I always, always say if you notice something strange about your vision, see the eye doctor," Adriane Santa Croce, an ophthalmic sonographer at Scheie Eye Institute in Philadelphia, told Business Insider. She added that "the concerns about vision following the eclipse may uncover unrelated eye problems that people may not have addressed otherwise," including changes in vision related to diabetes, cataracts, macular degeneration, or glaucoma.</p><p>Interestingly, Croce noted that this eclipse should provide doctors with a better understanding of how light can damage the eye, since some imaging technology used now didn't exist the last time many people watched an eclipse.</p><p>Regardless of how your eyes feel after the eclipse, the AAO recommends <a href="https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/eye-exams-101">regular comprehensive vision exams</a>, since a number of health conditions can be first spotted in the eye.</p><p>If for any reason - eclipse or not - you notice any pain or vision changes tomorrow, call a doctor to be safe.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-solar-eclipse-ruined-vision-permanent-damage-2017-8">Here's how to tell if the solar eclipse ruined your vision</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

If your eyes hurt after watching the solar eclipse, here's what you need to know

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images/Joern Pollex</span></p><p class="caption">A startup called Alkahest is studying the anti-aging effects of young blood, but it doesn't plan to open up a clinic anytime soon.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>For $8,000, a startup called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-blood-transfusions-launching-first-clinic-new-york-2018-9">Ambrosia</a> plans to sell transfusions of young blood for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/researchers-say-ambrosia-young-blood-transfusion-startup-putting-lives-at-risk-2018-9">anti-aging purposes</a></li><li>Another longevity company called Alkahest is also focused on blood. But it's taking a very different approach.</li><li>Instead of offering to perform transfusions of young blood, Alkahest researchers aim to develop drugs for age-related diseases which are inspired by their earlier work with plasma. </li></ul><p>Blood gets a bad rap.</p><p>The idea of sharing blood with another person for anything other than a life-saving procedure makes a lot of people squeamish. That's probably why, shortly after word got out that a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-blood-transfusions-launching-first-clinic-new-york-2018-9">startup called Ambrosia</a> aimed to sell transfusions of blood from young people to help older people <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/researchers-say-ambrosia-young-blood-transfusion-startup-putting-lives-at-risk-2018-9">fend off aging</a>, people began to freak out.</p><p>Some likened the procedure to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hCXY4fjp98">activity of vampires</a> (who, for the record, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/10/life-among-the-vampires/413446/">drink</a> - not transfuse - blood). Others simply said it "<a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/08/young-blood-antiaging-trial-raises-questions">raised questions</a>." </p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-blood-transfusions-launching-first-clinic-new-york-2018-9">A controversial startup that charges $8,000 to fill your veins with young blood is opening its first clinic</a></em></p><p>It turns out, though, that there's some solid <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> behind the idea of studying blood - if not necessarily for linking the bodies of older and younger volunteers, then for identifying key proteins that change with age and could be further tested in drug candidates.</p><p>A startup called Alkahest is focused on this kind of work. Alkahest scientists are also studying the potential benefits of an advanced type of blood transfusion in publicly documented clinical trials for age-related diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, but it is not looking to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-blood-transfusions-launching-first-clinic-new-york-2018-9">open up a clinic</a> or connect the bodies of young and older people.</p><p>"There have been some really hilarious representations of this, where people get conjoined in order to provide some regenerating activity, but that's not doable," Alkahest CEO and ex-Genentech neuroscientist <a href="http://www.alkahest.com/about/management-team/">Karoly Nikolich</a> told Business Insider at a meeting during the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-healthcare-conference-roundup-topics-summary-2019-1">J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference</a>.</p><p>In fact, while the science of rejuvenating an older organism by connecting its veins to a younger one is foundational to Alkahest's research, it has little to do with the majority of work it's doing now, Nikolich said.</p><h2>How linking the veins of an old and a young mouse jump started a quest for longevity</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>China Photos/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">In early experiments in mice and humans, Alkahest founder and Stanford professor Tony Wyss-Coray found that swapping old blood for young blood appeared to provide some limited cognitive benefits to the older organism.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Founded in 2014 by <a href="https://profiles.stanford.edu/tony-wyss-coray">Tony Wyss-Coray</a>, the codirector of the Alzheimer's research center at Stanford University Medical School, Alkahest has received funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which focuses on developing treatments for Parkinson's, as well as from the Hong Kong-based biotech fund <a href="http://www.nanfung.com/">Nan Fung Life Sciences</a> and the Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols. More than a third of Alkahest's management team hail from biotech giant Genentech.</p><p>In early experiments in mice, Wyss-Coray used a technique called parabiosis to learn that swapping old blood plasma for young blood plasma appeared to provide some limited cognitive benefits to the older organism. The 150-year-old <a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;xs=1&amp;isjs=1&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Fnews%2Fageing-research-blood-to-blood-1.16762&amp;xguid=6aff08e9762827042e22b879066d358b&amp;xuuid=7115e5243c05d97c413acbba5dbc9305&amp;xsessid=&amp;xcreo=0&amp;xed=0&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fyoung-blood-transfusions-launching-first-clinic-new-york-2018-9&amp;pref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&amp;xtz=480&amp;jv=13.12.1-stackpath&amp;bv=2.5.1">surgical technique</a> involves exchanging the blood of two living organisms; its name comes from the Greek words para, or "beside," and bio, or "life."</p><p>After Wyss-Coray's mouse experiments, he and a team of Alkahest researchers took a big leap and <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02256306?term=Alkahest&amp;rank=6">in 2017</a> completed a month-long <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2709116">study</a> in which they transfused a standard unit of blood plasma from young and healthy human volunteers into nine older adults with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.</p><p>Their results were <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2709116">published this month</a> in the journal JAMA Neurology. Because the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2709116">study</a> was small and short, the authors were fairly limited in drawing conclusions about what kind of benefits the plasma offered. They wrote that the "treatment was safe, well tolerated, and feasible," and that the findings should be explored further in larger trials.</p><p>In the interview with Business Insider, Nikolich described some observed cognitive boons in the older study participants,  as tested by a standard <a href="https://www.uml.edu/docs/Mini%20Mental%20State%20Exam_tcm18-169319.pdf">screening tool</a> called the Mini-Mental State Examination. Those benefits included an improved sense of self and recognition of one's environment and location, he said.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/researchers-say-ambrosia-young-blood-transfusion-startup-putting-lives-at-risk-2018-9">Researchers whose work inspired a controversial young blood startup warn that the procedure they're offering is dangerous</a></em></p><p>Working with blood plasma presents serious challenges. Exchanging the liquid between individuals requires an experienced clinician who must run several complicated and time-consuming tests to ensure there are no serious ill effects. To get the right mixture of plasma for a single recipient, as many as 10 donors may be required.</p><p>So although the company is still analyzing the potential benefits of plasma in people with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, its researchers are also studying drug candidates that don't involve plasma at all.</p><h2>'The goodies go down and the bad actors go up'</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Antony Jones/Getty</span></p><p class="caption">By running thousands of tests on the blood plasma from 18-70 year old donors, Alkahest researchers identified roughly 1,000 proteins that appeared to change with age.</p></div><p></p></div></div>One of the projects that Alkahest researchers are most enthusiastic about involves an oral drug for age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in people over 50.</p><p>To identify the central therapeutic ingredient in that drug, Alkahest scientists did years of research on blood plasma in partnership with Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols. The company also funds a big portion of Alkahest's work in plasma and in 2015 <a href="https://www.grifols.com/en/view-news/-/new/grifols-to-make-a-major-equity-investment-in-alkahest">gave Alkahest $50 million</a>, Nikolich said.<span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p><em><strong><a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/health-insider&amp;hash=f4e91136c13f3c40c496d77bc7347502">Subscribe to Dispensed</a>, our weekly newsletter on pharma, biotech, and healthcare.</strong></em></p><p>After running thousands of tests on plasma that Grifols had collected from 18-70 year old donors, Alkahest researchers identified roughly 1,000 proteins that appeared to change with age. The proteins linked with positive effects seemed to fade away over time, while the proteins tied with negative effects (like vision loss) built up with age.</p><p>"Unfortunately the goodies go down and the bad actors go up," said Nikolich.</p><h2>Testing an eye drug that's based on blood research</h2><p>Based on that work, Alkahest researchers homed in on a protein that appeared to provide benefits to people with age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. Using that protein, they developed a drug called AKST-4290 which is currently in the <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03558074?term=Alkahest&amp;rank=4">second phase of clinical research</a>. Nikolich said that Alkahest plans to launch several larger studies of the drug in people with AMD as well as with Parkinson's later this year.</p><p>AMD damages a tiny round area that's part of the eye region responsible for letting us see objects straight ahead. The current standard of care for AMD involves injecting medicine into the eye with a small needle. Although the procedure isn't typically painful, it's inconvenient and can be expensive - especially in places with limited resources such as in many parts of the developing world. </p><p>"An oral molecule for AMD would be fantastic," Elizabeth Jeffords, Alkahest's chief commercial and strategy officer and the former vice president of Genentech's ophthalmology franchise, told Business Insider.</p><p>Having spent more than a decade at the biotech giant, Jeffords said she found it frustrating that people weren't treating Alkahest as a serious biotech company and were instead focusing on the blood factor.</p><p>"We're looking at plasma proteins, and just like any other target in biotech, they're proteins," Jeffords said. </p> <p class="tagline"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/ai-in-us-healthcare?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=dhealth_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=dhealth_ctgr_leadgen_ai_in_us_healthcare"></a></hr></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-north-south-poles-flip-magnetic-field-2018-4">What will happen when Earth's north and south poles flip</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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