Standard therapy still recommended over steroid injections, researchers say. Steroid injections into the eye slowed diabetes-related eye disease, though lasers remain the treatment of choice because of side effects related to the steroids, new research shows.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute gave 693 men and women who had diabetic retinopathy with macular edema either injections of a corticosteroid into their eyes as often as every four months or a laser photocoagulation, the standard treatment. The average age of the participants was 63.

Findings could lead to new treatments or even a cure, researchers say. Gene variants on chromosome 2 are associated with glaucoma in blacks, say researchers who studied 129 patients with the vision-robbing disease.

The finding may lead to new treatments or a cure, the scientists added.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness among blacks, affecting close to 5 percent of the population.

People with central retinal vein occlusion may regain some sight, researchers say. Researchers report they've found the first long-term treatment for people who suffer vision loss when the large veins in their eyes become blocked.

"These are extremely compelling results, because a large, longer-term clinical trial has never before shown that patients with central retinal vein occlusion could experience a visual improvement with treatment," Dr. Michael S.

Injection under retina may allow increased light sensitivity, research suggests. Gene therapy for an inherited form of blindness shows promise, a U.S. study shows.

More testing still needed, but nerve growth factor proved effective in study. A new type of eye drop appears to protect retinal and optic nerve cells .

Could help advance understanding of this vision-robbing disease. A gene associated with the formation of age-related cataract, a leading cause of blindness, has been identified by scientists.

The EphA2 gene encodes an enzyme that plays a role in the repair of damaged proteins in the eye. Expression of the EphA2 gene decreases with age, which means damaged proteins can clump together and cause the eye lens to become cloudy, resulting in obscured vision, according to the study in the July 31 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics.

Use of antidepressants and other medications raise risk, study says. Here's more bad news for men turning 50: After their half-century mark, about 4 percent of males develop dry eye disease, making it one of the most common eye conditions and reasons for seeing an eye doctor in the United States, researchers say.

Dry eye disease causes a persistent dryness, itching or burning sensation in the eyes, according to the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. Some people with dry eye disease also say that it feels like they have sand or grit in their eye.

Discovery might someday yield therapies to restore sight, experts suggest. A gene that plays a major role in two forms of childhood blindness has been identified by an international team of researchers.

The discovery of the link between the retinal gene SPATA7 and Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa is important because it pinpoints a new retinal metabolic disease pathway that might be crucial for many patients, according to the researchers. The finding could help lead to gene-based treatments, they say.

Researchers find it prolongs lives of key vision cells in mice. Researchers working with mice have identified a protein that appears to prolong the lives of retinal cells in both healthy and diseased eyes.

The discovery could one day lead to treatments that would prevent blindness among people genetically predisposed to develop retinal disease, the scientists said.

The protein, known as histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), is naturally produced by both mice and humans and is typically involved in the regulation of bone and muscle development.

Women face twice the risk of losing sight that men do during senior years.

Intracranial hypertension left patients almost 5 times more likely to become legally blind.

Ocular strain of chlamydia responds well to expanded treatment, report says.

Mouse study suggests new treatment options without unwanted side effects.

Avoid smoke, wind and direct sun

Dry eye is a disorder in which people are unable to produce enough of the natural tears that protect the eye and keep it moist. Their eyes are not able to leave a "tear film" that washes and soothes the eye every time they blink. The eye then becomes dry and irritated. The irritation and discomfort caused by dry eye can interfere with vision. In rare cases, dry eye can become serious without proper care and treatment.