Scientists used gene therapy to improve vision in six people with a rare inherited disorder called Leber's congenital amaurosis, USA Today reported. The condition causes a gradual deterioration of eyesight beginning at birth, leading to blindness by a person's mid-20s.

By Jeffrey Perkel
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 17 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have pinpointed a biological pathway that may block the blood vessel proliferation and leakiness behind most cases of blindness in the United States.

Though still preliminary, the University of Utah study suggests a new therapeutic target for such ophthalmic diseases as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy, as well as other conditions marked by inflammation and vascular leakiness, including cancer and certain traumatic injuries.

Glaucoma May Boost Cardiovascular Death Risk in Blacks

TUESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- Black people diagnosed and treated for glaucoma and those with high pressure in their eyes may be at increased risk for cardiovascular death, a new study suggests.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Feb. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Fasting blood sugar levels are typically used to diagnose diabetes, however, a common complication of the disease that can lead to blindness begins at blood sugar levels below what is considered diabetic, Australian researchers report.
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Retinopathy is a vascular condition where the small blood vessels in the eye become damaged; other complications of diabetes include heart, kidney and circulatory problems.

TUESDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing the administration of antibiotics from annually to twice a year in rural African villages could help reduce serious eye infections that can lead to blindness, a new study suggests.

An ocular strain of the sexual transmitted disease chlamydia causes the contagious eye disease trachoma, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Although it has been eliminated from Western Europe and the United States, it is still common in poor, arid areas such as rural sub-Saharan Africa.

SUNDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- As part of its efforts to educate Americans about age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Prevent Blindness America has declared February Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month.

AMD -- a progressive disease that damages central vision -- costs the U.S. economy $570 million a year in direct costs for outpatient and inpatient care, and prescription drugs, the nonprofit group said.