Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Ophthalmology for September 2008. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

News Media Under-Report Drug Company Funding of Research

TUESDAY, Sept. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Reports on medication research published in general news media often fail to disclose that the research received pharmaceutical company funding and frequently refer to drugs by brand name rather than using the generic name, according to an article published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Candesartan Benefits Diabetes-Related Retinopathy

FRIDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with type 1 diabetes and no existing retinopathy are less likely to develop the condition if they are treated with candesartan, but the drug does not have a beneficial effect in patients who already have retinopathy, according to a report published online Sept. 26 in The Lancet. A second study indicates that candesartan can lead to improvement of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes and mild to moderate retinopathy.

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Bisphosphonate Infusion Linked to Ocular Complication

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians should be aware that bisphosphonate infusions can result in a serious but rare complication: orbital inflammatory disease, according to a case study published in the Sept. 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Retinal Photography Feasible in Primary Care

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Primary care clinicians can achieve reasonable accuracy in screening for diabetic retinopathy utilizing images from a retinal camera, but additional training may be necessary to identify other abnormalities that ophthalmologists feel need referral, according to a report published in the September/October issue of the Annals of Family Medicine.

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No Change to 2009 Part B Medicare Premium

MONDAY, Sept. 22 (HealthDay News) -- There will be no change to the Part B Standard Medicare premium in 2009 compared with 2008. This is the first time since 2000 that the premium has not risen over the prior year, according to an announcement by the Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

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Antibiotic Resistance Has Become a Global Pandemic

FRIDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- A concerted international and national response, behavior change by consumers and providers, and the development of antibacterial agents are all urgently needed to tackle the global problem of rapidly increasing antibiotic resistance, according to an article published online Sept. 18 in BMJ.

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Respect for Spiritual Beliefs Aids Doctor-Patient Trust

TUESDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Religious and spiritual beliefs are frequently important to ophthalmology patients, as they are for other medical patient populations, and respecting the patient's religion and value system helps build the doctor-patient relationship, according to a report published in the September issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology.

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