The Lens Newsletter: February 4, 2026

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…Associations have been noted between primary open angle/normal tension glaucoma and dementia but do not seem to be correlated with the APOE genotype, the strongest known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Retinal imaging may be an important player in the future diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension in neonates.Perimenopause is associated with a clear second peak of uveitis activity after pubertal peak.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…When the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s classification for uveal melanoma is challenged, a new staging system is proposed that incorporates tumor volume, clinical risk factors, and genetic alterations.GLP-1 receptor agonists are linked to a >90% reduced risk over 10 years of developing nonexudative age-related macular degeneration when compared to other weight-loss drugs in obese, non-diabetic individuals.Migraines are independently associated with higher rates of central serous chorioretinopathy when compared to controls.Eye drops containing siRNA (GalNAc-modified siHOTAIR) are comparable to anti-VEGF injections, suppressing inflammation, vascular mediators, endothelial permeability, and angiogenesis in diabetic rats.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer predicts visual field loss early in glaucoma, while macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer becomes more informative with advancing disease.Although intraocular pressure has been proven as a continuous risk factor when treating glaucoma, the historic intraocular pressure cutoff of 22 millimeters of mercury is used by many clinicians as an inflection point for initiating or escalating intraocular pressure-lowering therapies in glaucoma patients. Elevated aqueous humor L-lactate in uveal melanoma may reflect tumor metabolism, offering a potential noninvasive biomarker for early lesion detection.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients were more likely to have delays in initiation of treatment of nAMD.Patients taking GLP-1 receptor agonists had a 51.7% reduced risk of developing non-infectious uveitis.Implanting multifocal intraocular lenses in children showed improved visual acuity and stereopsis compared to a standard intraocular lens.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss…Impaired fasting glucose and diabetes are linked to significantly increased risk of third, fourth, and sixth cranial-nerve palsies.Experts created standardized grading scales to improve detection and management of ocular toxicities from emerging cancer therapies.ChatGPT o1 Pro performed comparably to glaucoma specialists in diagnosing glaucoma from visual field and OCT-RNFL data.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss...Antiviral therapy can significantly reduce the high recurrence rates of cytomegalovirus-associated anterior uveitisRates of undiagnosed age-related eye diseases are relatively high among the elderly population in Singapore and associated with poorer outcomesA new study shows that antidepressants are associated with a decreased risk of age-related macular degeneration onset and progressionSPP1+ cells’ interaction with macrophages may reveal a key to understanding uveal melanoma metastasisSocial determinants of health impact the likelihood of obtaining a yearly eye examination in the United States

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss...Nearly half of childhood glaucoma surgeries in a new IRIS analysis failed, with younger age, higher IOP, poorer visual acuity, active uveitis, and heavier medication use as predictors for failure.Diabetes does not impair endothelial outcomes at one year, supporting greater inclusion of transplant donors with diabetes and widening the pool of corneal tissue availability.Statins may be beneficial in slowing age related macular degeneration progression in type 2 diabetics with dyslipidemia.Anti-mRNA-184 in vivo and vitro models reveal significantly faster corneal epithelial wound healing, turnover, and migration.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:The risk of postoperative endophthalmitis after cataract surgery is significantly greater in eyes with uveitis, corticosteroid use, and immunosuppressant use.Pediatric patients who undergo lensectomy for traumatic cataracts have low likelihood of achieving age-normal visual acuity, with nearly 50% requiring a secondary surgery for visual axis opacification. Fishing-related ocular injuries are on the decline, however they continue to be a large cause of corneal abrasions, contusions, and intraocular foreign bodies. Fishhooks and lures are the most common culprits.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:The incidence of sports-related orbital fractures in the U.S. has remained stable over the past decade, with baseball, cycling, and softball as leading causes.GLP-1 receptor agonist use in non-diabetic patients who are overweight or obese reduces risk of developing dry AMD.Changes in cup-to-disc ratio alone are unreliable for predicting glaucoma progression.Metformin protects against developing primary open-angle glaucoma in adults aged 40 years and older with diabetes.

Too busy to read the Lens? Listen to our weekly summary here! In this week’s episode we discuss:Pre-exposure prophylaxis nucleoside and nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors found to be associated with an increased risk of primary open angle glaucoma.New study finds additional systemic drugs that could increase patient risk of macular toxicity.Retinopathy of prematurity is found to have a place-based association with a child’s neighborhood as measured by the childhood opportunity index.