Advertise on podcast: Eye on Ocular Health

Emerging evidence reveals that air pollution may be an overlooked contributor to worsening uncorrected visual acuity in children. In this AudioAbstract, Ryan Quigley explores a large machine learning–based study examining nearly 30,000 East Asian students that revealed lower levels of PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide are independently linked to better vision—especially in younger children with mild to moderate myopia.

Guest: Ariel Cerenzie, OD, FAAO, FSLS Dr. Ariel Cerenzie shares quick tips on how she communicates the urgency of myopia progression to parents and introduces MiSight® 1 day as a proactive solution. She explains that the lenses not only correct vision but also therapeutically slow myopia progression, offering a meaningful way to protect a child’s long-term eye health.

Guest: Sheila Morrison, OD, MS, FSLS In this short video, Dr. Shelia Morrison explains how she introduces parents to myopia management by emphasizing that today's treatment options—like MiSight® 1 day—can both correct vision and slow myopia progression during critical growth periods. She highlights the importance of early intervention and presents daily disposable lenses as a safe, effective solution for active children.

Guest: Eric Ritchey, OD, PhD, FAAO Listen to Dr. Eric Ritchey explain how he introduces MiSight® 1 day to parents—highlighting its safety, comfort, and dual benefits—and emphasizes the importance of daily disposables for hygiene and the long-term eye health advantages of managing myopia early in children.

Guest: Ashley Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO In this short video, Dr. Ashley Tucker shares how she talks to parents about myopia management, emphasizing that myopia is more than just blurry vision; it’s a progressive condition that can lead to serious eye health risks. She introduces MiSight® 1 day as a dual-purpose option that not only corrects vision, but also helps slow the progression of myopia in age-appropriate children.

Guest: Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD Many parents hesitate to allow young children to wear contact lenses, fearing poor hygiene or increased risk of infection. But evidence shows that kids between the ages of 7 and 12 are not at higher risk than teens; in fact, they actually have fewer complications than college-age wearers, and long-term studies reveal no difference in eye health between those fit with contact lenses in childhood versus adolescence. Here to talk about the safety of contact lenses for myopic children is Dr. Jeffrey Walline, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

Guest: Ryan Quigley Myopia is more than blurred vision; it's a chronic condition requiring lifelong attention that could affect up to five billion people by 2050. In response to this growing crisis, the World Council of Optometry (WCO) has issued standard-of-care guidelines built around three pillars: Mitigation, Measurement, and Management. Tune in to learn about this evidence-based framework and how it can help you turn routine visits into proactive prevention opportunities. Reference: World Council of Optometry. The Standard of Care For Myopia Management by Optometrists. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://myopia.worldcouncilofoptometry.info/standard-of-care/

Guest: Jeffrey Walline, OD, PhD Many eye care professionals and parents still believe children must wait until their teenage years to wear contact lenses, but as Dr. Jeffrey Walline explains, modern daily disposable lenses offer improved safety, comfort, and ease of use, making them a viable option for children as young as 7 or 8. And beyond the clinical benefits of slowing myopia progression and preserving long-term eye health, contact lenses have also been shown to improve children’s self-esteem. Learn more with Dr. Walline, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at The Ohio State University College of Optometry.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Arghavan Almony, MD The production of biosimilar therapies is setting the stage for a shift in how we approach treating patients with wet AMD, diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and other retinal diseases, but many questions remain regarding how their efficacy and safety compare to the reference products and how we can best talk to our patients about these treatment options. To help shed light on these and other FAQs, Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley speaks with Dr. Arghavan Almony, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine at Campbell University in North Carolina.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Anne Negrin, MD Since eye issues are becoming increasingly common in patients with rheumatological conditions, it’s now more vital than ever that physicians are aware of their common symptoms. Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle is Dr. Anne Negrin, an ophthalmologist in New York, to break down these symptoms and to focus on rheumatological concerns that ophthalmologists see in practice.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Jean Bennett, MD, PhD Guest: Albert Maguire, MD Power couple Drs. Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire discuss how their new therapy for the RPE65 gene, which causes retinal blindness, was recently approved by the FDA to become the first gene therapy treatment for a genetic disease in the United States and the first worldwide treatment for inherited blindness. Not only do they delve into the mechanics of the corrected gene injection, but they also explain what this milestone means for patient eligibility and how their marriage has played a role in the success of their research partnership. Dr. Jean Bennett is the F.M. Kirby Professor of Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Albert Maguire is a Professor of Ophthalmology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Attending Physician in the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

[Read the Article] Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is a leading cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes, resulting in up to 24,000 cases of blindness each year in the United States. Laser therapy has been the most common treatment used to help reduce severe vision loss, but the procedure has many side effects including permanent loss of peripheral vision and swelling of the retina. A group of researchers from across the US tested an alternative treatment using an injectable medication called ranibizumab, to see if it would be as effective as the laser therapy. They studied more than 300 patients with PDR, assigning them to either receive standard laser therapy or an injection into the eye. In total, they treated close to 400 eyes. Outcomes, especially loss of vision, were compared at two years. Over the two year period, researchers found that patients receiving the injections of medication had fewer side effects and did somewhat better in terms of vision loss than those who received laser therapy. [Watch more videos of The JAMA Report]

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr. Patrick Spencer, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Grandview Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. Their discussion centers on primary care manifestations of sickle cell retinopathy, from early to late-stage presentations and the gold standard treatment approaches along this disease course.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Gail L. Torkildsen, staff ophthalmologist at Andover Eye Associates and one of the leading Dry Eye Principal Investigators in the world. Dr. Torkildsen has served as P.I. on over 20 client-sponsored Dry Eye studies since 2002. In this discussion she takes listeners on a tour of common eye problems faced in primary care, and how clinicians can better prepare themselves to address issues such as Meibobian gland disorders, blepharitis, dry eyes, and conjunctivitis with greater confidence.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP A clinical pearl in the arena of eye care is that serious eye problems tend to manifest serious symptoms and signs, which makes vision loss one of the key findings in a diagnostic workup. Yet vision testing is commonly neglected in primary care practice even when patients present with eye-related complaints. What are the most important steps a clinician can take when assessing eye problems, and where does the primary care practitioner fit into the ophthalmologic care continuum? Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes Dr. Sumitra Khandelwal, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine, to examine the top issues in eye care for generalists and ophthalmic specialists.