The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first intraocular lens (IOL) that provides cataract patients with an extended depth-of-focus to help improve the sharpness of vision at near, intermediate and far distances. Cataracts are a common eye condition where the natural lens becomes clouded, impairing a patient’s vision. In cataract surgery, the clouded natural lens is removed and replaced with an IOL. Traditional monofocal IOLs can only improve distance vision. The Tecnis Symfony IOL’s feature of better depth of focus may reduce the need for patients to wear contact lenses or glasses after cataract surgery. However, the FDA added, patients the new lens may experience worsening of or blurred vision, bleeding or infection. The device may cause reduced contrast sensitivity that becomes worse under poor visibility conditions such as dim light or fog.

BLOOD DISORDERS: Europe is bleeding

Blood disorders cost the European economy a total of €23 billion in 2012, estimate two new studies of malignant and non-malignant blood disorders published in <i>The Lancet Haematology</i> journal. Blood cancers are also associated with considerable healthcare costs, with the cost of treating one patient approximately two times higher than the average cost per patient across all cancers, a note from the journal said. Blood disorders include anaemia, blood cancers, haemorrhagic disorders, blood cell disorders and disorders of the spleen or the immune mechanism. The most common blood disorder is anaemia, which reduces the number of red blood cells, hampering the ability of blood to carry oxygen. Blood cancers (e.g. Hodgkin’s lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and leukaemia) are responsible for a hundred-thousand deaths in Europe every year.

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