A recent study involving 3654 people  followed for eleven years sheds startling new light on the quotation "But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness".  Researchers found that the presence of mild macular degeneration before age 75 increased the risk of dying during the 11 year period by 50%. If one had advanced macular degeneration the risk of an early death was increased by a shocking 250%.  Yes, in this study, advanced macular degeneration increased the likelihood of dying during the study by 2.5 times.  The association in persons younger than 75 years remained similar after further adjustment for triglyceride level, fibrinogen level, educational level, and walking disability. 

In my opinion, evidence is mounting that chronic inflammation as evidenced by subtle changes in ones eyes are a marker of systemic wide dysfunction that leads to heart disease and other problems which result in illness,  premature disability and death.  So much attention is being given to the latest high tech advance  to treat late stage macular degeneration when our emphasis must be redirected to preventing these problems starting from childhood.  Diet, exercise, maintaining proper lean body mass, and appropriate dietary supplements are my recommendation for ocular health and general wellbeing.  Truly, the eye is a window to the inner workings of the body and beyond-"if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness", as confirmed by this recent report Visual Impairment, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Cataract, and Long-term Mortality Arch Ophthalmol. 2007;125:917-924.

I recommend looking over the many posts on this site over the last year or so to  find additional useful information to educate and encourage you in your efforts to maintain and optimize your health and wellbeing.

Michael A. Mong, M.D.
Ophthalmologist
Eye Physician and Surgeon
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Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, the author of Diabetes Solution, weighed in on the new drug Symlin or Amylin.  In his words this might be a "Wonder Drug" for the diabetic.  Learn what he has to say:

Michael A. Mong, M.D.
Ophthalmologist
Grapevine, Texas

Run time 4:30 minutes

I am happy to announce that we will be having our 4th in a series of teleseminar with Dr. Bernstein on Tuesday February 27th at 7:00 PM Central time.  Dr. Bernstein has completed the latest revision of his best seller, Diabetes Solution, which will be out soon.  Look for more details about the call as they become available.  In the mean time.  Check out our Apil 2006 call at http://askdrbernstein.com/resources.html

For several years I have been encouraging my patients to consider adding high quality Cod Liver Oil to there diets. In addition to the growing body of evidence that Omega-3 fatty acids play a critical role in reducing ones risk of macular degeneration, Cod Liver Oil is a rich source of natural Vitamin D₃. It now appears that there is growing recognition that the common form of Vitamin D that most people are taking, Vitamin D2, is not as effective as the natural form, Vitamin D3. The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin supplement. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Oct;84(4):694-7. "The emergence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D as a measure of vitamin D status provides an objective, quantitative measure of the biological response to vitamin D administration. As a result, vitamin D₃ has proven to be the more potent form of vitamin D in all primate species, including humans. Despite an emerging body of evidence suggesting several plausible explanations for the greater bioefficacy of vitamin D3, the form of vitamin D used in major preparations of prescriptions in North America is vitamin D₂. The case that vitamin D₂ should no longer be considered equivalent to vitamin D₃ is based on differences in their efficacy at raising serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, diminished binding of vitamin D₂ metabolites to vitamin D binding protein in plasma, and a nonphysiologic metabolism and shorter shelf life of vitamin D₂. Vitamin D₂, or ergocalciferol, should not be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation or fortification." I encourage all interested individual to look carefully at their Viatmin D₃ intake.

A recent review article highlights the many essential functions that our muscles play in preventing many of the common chronic health problems of our day including Metabolic Syndrome X. To quote from the article The under appreciated role of muscle in health and disease^{1,2,3 by} Robert R Wolfe

"The importance of maintaining muscle mass and physical and metabolic functions in the elderly is well-recognized. Less appreciated are the diverse roles of muscle throughout life and the importance of muscle in preventing some of the most common and increasingly prevalent clinical conditions, such as obesity and diabetes. It is therefore imperative that factors directly related to muscle be included in future studies designed to demonstrate optimal lifestyle behaviors throughout the life span, including physical activity and diet."

Exercise is really one of the best "medicines", and I recommend a vigorous exercise program for all my patients who do not have any medical contraindications.

Researchers looked at the dietary magnesium intakes of 4,637 Americans, aged 18 to 30 years, who were free from metabolic syndrome and diabetes at baseline. During 15 years of follow-up, 608 people developed metabolic syndrome. Results showed the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of metabolic syndrome for participants in the highest quartile of Mg intake was 0.69, compared with those in the lowest quartile of intake. In other words, people with the highest Magnesium intake were about 30% less likely to develop Metabolic Syndrome. They also showed Mg intake was inversely correlated to individual components of the metabolic syndrome, including fasting insulin levels. Or in plain English, the more Magnesuim one took, the lower the fasting insulin levels were. The researchers concluded young adults with higher magnesium intake have a lower risk of development of metabolic syndrome. The study appeared in the March 27 issue of Circulation (113:1675-82, 2006).

Another study of 527,265 U.S. men and women between the ages of 50 and 71 revealed that those who are overweight have a 20% to 40 % increased risk of premature death. Of those who are obese, the risk of premature death is 3 to 4 times greater. Here is a link to an Ideal Body Weight Calculator. From the article: Overweight, Obesity, and Mortality in a Large Prospective Cohort of Persons 50 to 71 Years Old

This video from The New York Times is still one of the best resources on the web to explain what is happening in this country with respect to the epidemic of diabetes and obesity. They have added a short commercial before the presentation, but don’t let that confuse you. Click this link to view the program and pass it on to your family and friends.

On April 27th, 2006, I hosted a second teleseminar with Richard K. Bernstien; along with diabetes educator, Steve Freed. The call covered the topic of insulin and was packed with useful information for those patients who are currently on this important medication. I encourage all my readers to listen to this valuable seminar. Enjoy! Click on the link below to hear the program.

Dr. Bernstein’s books, Audio CD’s, and additional resourses can be found here.