Experimental Drug Able To Slow Macular Degeneration For Seniors With Genetic Flaw
Patients taking the drug, who had the flaw, had 44 percent less eye damage than the untreated patients.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Drug Shows Promise Against Vision-Robbing Disease In Seniors
An experimental drug from Genentech is showing promise against an untreatable eye disease that blinds older adults — and, intriguingly, it seems to work in patients who carry a particular gene flaw that fuels the damage to their vision. Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss among seniors, gradually eroding crucial central vision. (Neergaard, 6/21)
In other public health news —
East Bay Times:
Two People Dead In San Jose From The Heat
Two people — including a homeless person found dead in a car — have died from the heat in San Jose, Santa Clara County officials reported Wednesday. They were identified as 72-year-old Dennis Young and 87-year-old Setsu Jordan. Both died on Monday...Older adults are more prone to heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. That’s because they are more likely to have a chronic medical condition that changes the body’s normal response to heat. Also, they are more likely to take prescription medicines that affect the body’s ability to control its temperature or sweat. (Brassil, 6/21)