American Academy of Ophthalmology, Oct. 18-20

The annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology was held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida, and attracted participants from around the world, including ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, and other eye health care professionals. The conference featured presentations focusing on the latest advances in comprehensive eye care, including medical, surgical, and optical care.In one presentation, Arslon Humayun, an M.D. candidate at the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and colleagues discussed the impacts of extended spaceflight on vision and how to address resulting challenges.The authors highlighted that spaceflight poses significant challenges to the eyes, from microgravity and radiation exposure to chemicals and ocular trauma. Most notable among these challenges is spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome, or SANS, a cluster of changes that are believed to occur due to microgravity exposure and cephalic fluid shifts. These changes include choroidal folding, globe flattening, optic disc edema, high intracranial pressure without symptoms of intracranial hypertension, and changes to the optic nerve and brain elasticity."We are entering a new era of spaceflight, and we need to make sure we are prepared. Ocular challenges in space are well documented from the earliest days of spaceflight, but there are still many unknowns about the effects of spaceflight on vision," Humayun said. "Further research and additional tools are needed to address these challenges (for example, improved spacesuits to reduce light-flash phenomena resulting from exposure to galactic cosmic rays), particularly as humanity seeks to go deeper into space and on longer spaceflights."Press ReleaseIn another study, Anthony Khawaja, Ph.D., of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and colleagues found that artificial intelligence (AI) assessment of the optic nerve vertical cup-disc ratio (VCDR) from retinal photos represents a major improvement over human assessment of photos for glaucoma screening, and this improved performance may help enable cost-effective screening in the future.Using data from a large, population-based cohort study (the EPIC-Norfolk Eye Study), the authors compiled more than 6,000 fundus images to compare the accuracy of their AI assessment tool (machine learning algorithm) and a trained human grader to estimate the VCDR.The researchers found that their AI algorithm outperformed humans at grading the VCDR from retinal photos, which in turn provided a more accurate test for glaucoma diagnosis and screening. Specifically, the AI algorithm effectively identified patients with glaucoma 88 to 90 percent of the time, while human graders effectively identified patients with glaucoma 79 to 81 percent of the time."Given the low cost of capturing retinal photos, and the high performance of AI when assessing these photos, this could be an important part of moving the needle to make glaucoma screening cost-effective," Khawaja said. "Screening is complex and many other factors need to be addressed. For example, identifying a target population to screen who are at high risk (e.g., from genetic testing)."Press ReleaseMoiz Lakhani, M.D., of the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues found that semaglutide demonstrates a reproducible, global pharmacovigilance signal for optic nerve and retinal adverse events, most prominently ischemic optic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy.The authors conducted a large-scale, global pharmacovigilance analysis investigating ocular adverse events associated with newer glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, specifically semaglutide and tirzepatide. They leveraged two of the world's largest population-level safety databases -- the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS; 12,936,341 reports) and the World Health Organization VigiBase (>35 million reports from ~180 countries) -- to characterize postmarketing safety signals involving the optic nerve and retina.Across both databases, semaglutide and tirzepatide accounted for 76,444 cases (0.59 percent) in FAERS and 118,639 cases (0.34 percent) in VigiBase. There were significantly higher odds of multiple optic nerve and retinal adverse events seen for semaglutide. Specifically, in FAERS, the researchers found that semaglutide demonstrated strong and consistent associations with optic nerve and retinal adverse events, including ischemic optic neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy. In VigiBase, semaglutide demonstrated unique international signals for papilledema, macular edema, and macular hole, extending its ocular safety profile beyond retinal and optic nerve findings."Although causality cannot yet be established, the magnitude and reproducibility of these signals mirror those that have previously prompted FDA safety reviews and label updates," Lakhani said. "These findings underscore the power of global pharmacovigilance to detect early safety patterns, refine clinical monitoring, and inform public health and regulatory decision-making worldwide."Abstract/Full TextAAO: Machine Learning Outperforms Human Graders for Diagnosing GlaucomaFRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Machine learning outperforms human graders for diagnosing glaucoma, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida.Read Full TextAAO: Wavelight Plus LASIK Achieves Better Outcomes Than SMILE ProFRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- An advanced form of LASIK eye surgery, wavelight plus, achieves better visual outcomes than small-incision lenticule extraction, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida.Read Full TextAAO: Office-Based Cataract Surgery Safe, Efficient With Oral SedationFRIDAY, Oct. 24, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Office-based cataract surgery with oral sedation is safe and efficient, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida.Read Full TextAAO: Donor Diabetes Status Does Not Impact Success of Descemet Membrane Endothelial KeratoplastyWEDNESDAY, Oct. 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty is highly effective at one year, regardless of the donor’s diabetes status, according to a study published online Oct. 17 in JAMA Ophthalmology to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida.Read Full TextAAO: PRIMA Implant and Glasses Improve Visual Acuity in Geographic AtrophyTUESDAY, Oct. 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- In participants with geographic atrophy due to age-related macular degeneration, a photovoltaic retina implant microarray system leads to significant improvement in visual acuity, according to a study published online Oct. 20 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, held from Oct. 18 to 20 in Orlando, Florida.Read Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

American Academy of Ophthalmology, Oct. 18-20

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