Originally published December 18 2005
Eye infections still a possibility with latest version of contact lenses
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Postmarketing studies funded by CIBA Vision have found that new forms of extended-wear contact lenses pose the risk of eye infection just as older versions of soft lenses did.
Research reveals the newest forms of extended-wear contact lenses have a similar risk of eye infections as older soft lenses worn for fewer nights.
The results come from postmarketing studies funded by CIBA Vision, maker of the silicone hydrogel lenses, marketed as Night and Day.
The FDA approved the silicone hydrogel lenses in 2001 for continuous wear for up to 30 nights.
Older generations of extended-wear contacts had been associated with rare cases of vision loss and eye infections, prompting the FDA's 1989 decision to cut extended wear to seven days.
Years later, silicone hydrogel lenses were developed.
Compared with older lenses, they allow four times as much oxygen to reach the eye.
Better oxygen flow was seen as a way to possibly lower the risk of infection in the cornea.
The FDA ordered postmarketing studies of silicone hydrogel lenses to check corneal infection rates.
The researchers include Oliver Schein, MD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins University's medical school.
The study included 6,245 people given prescriptions for the silicone hydrogel lenses - 80 percent wore their lenses nonstop for at least three weeks.
During the year-long study, few participants had corneal infections.
Two had corneal infections that led to vision loss.
Eight others had corneal infections that didn't cause vision loss, reports WebMD.Overall, the yearly rate of corneal infections was 18 per 10,000 people, the study shows - similar to rates previously reported for conventional, extended-wear soft lenses worn for fewer consecutive nights.
The researchers are not calling silicone hydrogel lenses dangerous.
The study notes one researcher is a CIBA Vision consultant and one is a CIBA Vision employee.
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