But giving those patients a drug called desmopressin, blood loss and blood transfusion requirements returned to the same levels as in patients with normal platelet function. The researchers point out that identifying and treating at risk patients can greatly reduce the need for blood products and most importantly, lower the rates of death and other serious complications for cardiac surgery patients. Week of August 18 Glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States. For much of the century, treatment for the blinding illness has focused on lowering pressure in the eye, but a new discovery by ophthalmologists at Washington University School of Medicine suggests a different strategy may work. The researchers discovered that the protein nitric oxide synthase is present in cells in the optic nerves of glaucoma patients, suggesting that the molecule nitric oxide might be involved in nerve damage from glaucoma.
Nitric oxide is known to play a role in other nerve diseases.
After confirming that nitric oxide was present in humans with glaucoma, the researchers moved to an animal model of the disease and found nitric oxide synthase there, too. Then, they treated the animals with a drug to block nitric oxide synthase and found that it also prevented nerve damage associated with glaucoma. The technique is a few years away from use in humans, but the researchers say it suggests there may be better ways to treat patients with glaucoma. Week of August 25 Keeping blood sugars tightly controlled can prevent or delay the complications of diabetes, including nerve damage, eye problems and kidney disease. But, working hard to keep blood sugar low also may cause some problems, especially in children.