Sensationalist Headlines in Ophthalmology Award!

In January of this year, News Medical published a controversial headline, what can only be described as sensationalist, misrepresenting a research paper on the effects of yoga and the intraocular pressure (IOP) in normal versus glaucoma subjects.

The article on News Medical can found here.

The title reads, "Head-down yoga positions fatal for glaucoma subjects."  

In response to their article, I have commented as follows:

"At the risk of making our already overly sedentary, overly confused population shun or fear yoga, I think this is pretty close to a sensational headline.  Fatal is a word we use to describe death.  It is not a word that is used to describe the condition of the optic nerve.  No doubt that yoga causes an increase in IOP.  So does playing the trumpet.  So does giving intravitreal injections.  We all know this! (We should know this.)  Until Dr. Ritch and his colleagues can tell us something new, please do not resort to such deceptive and innacurate headlines."

The original PLOS ONE paper by Dr. Robert Ritch can by found here.

The stigma associating IOP with glaucoma is not completely unfounded. However, I can see no just reason nor can I condone inaccurate use of extreme vocabulary to mislead readers or worse, instill fear, in an otherwise a daily activity, which many people around the globe enjoy.