Dr Owen

I am a retired research scientist and research at home. My main focus is #AMD. For relaxation I work as an artist. Views my own #eyes #vision #research #art

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

If your patient has blurred vision before anything else check their #glasses. Yes they may have the start of cataracts, but their prescription or glasses may be incorrect. The glasses may be misaligned. Don't make assumptions check first. #cataracts #blurredvision

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

If a patient's eyes are not responding to an #anti-VEGF drug, then any delay in switching to another drug may cause irreversible #eye damage. An #ophthalmologist must be available to authorise the change, delays damage vision. #nAMD

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

If an anti-VEGF #eye trial excludes patients at risk of #strokes or #heart disease, then before treatment, in the real-world, patients should be assessed for #vascular disease and put on the lowest risk anti-VEGF drug. Patients may not know they have a problem.

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Brilliant new advancement for dry #AMD
https://t.co/tHBW0MHBHy

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

It is important when giving bad news to a patient to consider their mental health first and explain #treatments available rather than leaving them devastated. They may have many years left before the condition worsens. Knowing this earlier takes away many happy years. Do no harm.

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

@BiotechTV @OCUTX Is Eylea the only drug you tried, as prolonged Eylea use may elevate systemic problems?

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

High-dose #AMD drugs should be carefully studied to assess systemic effects, as these only appear after years of use. Constant suppression of systemic VEGF may cause more problems than initially thought. Therefore, drugs that clear quickly from the blood may be preferable. #eye

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Wet #AMD treatment trials need to be conducted over longer periods. Systemic side effects require re-evaluation, and some of these drugs should be tweaked to prevent systemic VEGF drops. #eye #nAMD

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

#Eye #AMD Anti-VEGF. Serious systemic side effects are being overlooked. Blood pressure needs to be monitored, as a drop in plasma VEGF increases the chance of a sudden spike in blood pressure, exposing patients to strokes. Yoshimoto et al., 2021

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Instead of creating a super-wet AMD antibody targeting too many proteins, which may be impossible to develop, an anti-VEGF drug-loaded syringe could contain proportions of engineered humanised Fab fragments as decoys for ANG-2, VEGF-A, VEGF-B and PlGF. #wetAMD #Eylea #Vabysmo

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Hip girdle problems are a rare side effect of anti-VEGF eye injections. This may relate to the size of the molecule and thus its longer systemic half-life. Removal of the Fc unit may be required for all wet AMD treatment injections to eliminate this possibility. #WetAMD #eye

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

We need to take the best aspects of anti-VEGF eye injections: Ang-2 #Vabysmo, anti-VEGF-B and PlGF #Eylea. Remove the Fc unit as in #Ranibizumab to reduce systemic side effects (also limits entry into RPE cells), thus creating a better treatment for wet AMD. All anti-VEGF A

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

This is interesting; it also shows how much inflammation is damaging.

[Camus @newstart_2024]

They studied 81 identical twins.
Same DNA. Same childhood. Same parents.
Only ONE twin got Multiple Sclerosis.

Then they found the difference hiding in their poop.

Two completely normal gut bacteria — Eisenbergiella tayi & Lachnoclostridium — were SKY-HIGH in every single twin with MS… and almost absent in their healthy twin.

Scientists then took those exact bacteria from the sick twins and transplanted them into mice.

Result:
• 60–70% of mice developed brain & spinal cord inflammation + paralysis
• <10% of control mice got sick
• In many cases, the bacteria exploded in numbers DAYS before the first symptoms
• Female mice were hit hardest (just like real MS)

This is the strongest evidence ever that MS — for a huge number of patients — may actually start in the gut.

A second international study with 1,000+ people just confirmed the same two bacteria.

Full 1:40 mind-blowing breakdown in the video 👇

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

#GP doctors. One patient was reluctant to see her GP because she wanted an #MRI rather than an X-ray. Every time she asked, they refused the MRI. Please make MRIs more accessible and less of a struggle to obtain. Let's reduce ionising radiation and allow patients choice.

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

#Eye #injections using different #speculums make a difference to the patient. If a speculum must be held in place with one hand while injecting with the other, there will always be some movement, which may abrade the eye and cause post-injection pain. #AMD

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Switching from #Eylea HD to #Vabysmo, the NHS requires a monthly loading period again. However, if the SRF and intraretinal fluid are barely visible, why put a patient through these extra injections? Vabysmo may dry this fluid when Eylea is not, allowing for an extension.

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

Please ask the patient what supplements they are taking. High #creatinine indicates #kidney problems; however, it can increase if the patient is taking high vitamin D, which affects kidney function by increasing calcium levels. Watch for confusion or slowness of thought. #vitD3

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

No unnecessary X-rays, please. One patient had a shoulder X-ray from a GP, then saw a consultant who ordered an MRI. The patient was told the X-ray showed insufficient detail. This exposed him to #ionising #radiation, which should be kept to an absolute minimum. #Shoulder

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

#VitaminD can interfere with some blood pressure drugs, so be careful not to take too much. Ensure your vitamin D supplement is manufactured correctly look for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) or other certification. If you have high blood pressure speak to your doctor.

[Dr Owen @Gil123q]

#Lutein supplements at 40mg may be excessive. If you notice central vision changes with sparkles, consult an optician to rule out other issues. If no problems are found, reduce or stop lutein for a few weeks before resuming at a lower dose. Ideally, obtain lutein from your diet.