Young Scientist Helps Identify Cause of Widespread Eye Disease

[Northerner]

Branch retinal vein occlusion -- blockage of the blood vessels that channel blood from the retina -- is a common eye disease. A type of blood clot in the eye, the disease causes reduced vision, and people with the disease also typically have an increased risk of hypertension, diabetes and other serious conditions. A young scientist from the University of Copenhagen has made a significant contribution to finding the cause of the disease.

A team of researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Glostrup Hospital and several other ophthalmology departments at Danish hospitals have now shown that it is highly probable that thickening of the arterial walls is behind the common eye disease known as branch retinal vein occlusion -- a type of blood clot in the eye that blocks the vessels that transport blood from the retina. The disease leads to reduced vision and affects more than 14 million people worldwide.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121221081709.htm

 

[trophywench]

Right then.

two things .... 1. is simple, my BP does generally seem to be a bit higher than it used to be, whoever does it these days and as I had to have my repeat BP med scrip renewed the other day GP and I did have a bit of a discuss about it. Since I'm already booked to have my diabetes MOT on 8 Jan, he said we'll see what it's doing then. That is fair enough but if it's still a tad on the high side I think the time may have come to increase the dose a bit.

2. is a bit more complicated. In May, my D consultant decided my BG and lack of hypos, kidneys, lights and liver were fine so (presumably) to justify his existence ( ! ) instead, had a dicky fit about me not being on anything to reduce my chol. I got a right diatribe. Surprising ly to me nothing I already do is going to kill me - not 40 years of smoking and my self inflicted emphysema, not my diabetes, not my couch potato lifestyle - none of them. But my terrible (5 point something) total chol was gonna kill me stone dead any second. Bit of a surprise that was really.

Being as I won't take statins, cos of them making me lose my memory (although all my docs STILL pooh pooh this!) he wanted me to go on Ezetimibe, which he assured me had absolutely NO side effects. So I said OK then I'll give em a try as long as you are positive.

I assumed he would write to my GP but I haven't seen him (the diabetes one) since September 2011 when I had my last D MOT - I don't like him much so avoid him where possible for everything I can.

However in the meantime someone pointed me at Wiki LOL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezetimibe

No side effects OTHER than thickening of the arterial walls .......



Methinks they can stick it where the sun don't shine ......