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Research Gets Closer to Genetic Roots of Glaucoma

Posted 27 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 27 – Two genetic variations are linked to a common form of glaucoma, known as primary open-angle glaucoma, according to new research. Glaucoma affects about 2.2 million people in the United States, the U.S. National Eye Institute said in a news release. "Loss of vision from glaucoma, a common cause of blindness worldwide, is due to irreversible damage to the optic nerve," noted one expert, Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Glaucoma is usually associated with high eye pressure leading to optic nerve damage. There is also a form of glaucoma with normal pressure." In the new study, Janey Wiggs, of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, and colleagues analyzed the DNA sequences of more than 6,000 people. Half of them had primary open-angle glaucoma. This form of the disease is typically associated ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma, Glaucoma (Open Angle)

For Some, Glaucoma Strikes at a Young Age

Posted 20 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 20 – Though only 15 when diagnosed with juvenile open-angle glaucoma, A.J. Esguerra said he's tried not to let the potentially devastating eye disease slow him down. "It's not the end of the world," said Esguerra, now 23 and living in Cambridge, Mass. "I've continued on with all of my activities, and I look at it as just one other thing I have to deal with, and I find a way to manage." Like many people with the disease, Esguerra had no idea he was losing some of his peripheral vision to glaucoma. It wasn't until he went for a routine eye exam that doctors discovered he had higher than normal pressure in his eyes. Before he was diagnosed, he'd already lost some peripheral vision in his left eye, which he said is noticeable when he reads. Since being diagnosed, Esguerra has had three surgeries, uses eye drops daily and gets frequent follow-up eye care. "I see the eye doctor ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Glaucoma Need Not Steal Sight, Experts Say

Posted 20 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, April 20 – Though glaucoma has been nicknamed the silent thief of sight, eye experts now say it generally doesn't have to be that way. "For most people, if you treat early, you should have vision for a lifetime," said Dr. Mark Fromer, an ophthalmologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and medical director of the Fromer Eye Centers, both in New York City, and the eye surgeon director for the New York Rangers hockey team. Glaucoma isn't just one disease but a group of conditions that cause damage to the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain. Left untreated, glaucoma can in fact cause blindness. And because the disease can progress for long periods undetected, experts stress that checkups and early detection are key to maintaining vision. Most forms of glaucoma develop because of increased pressure in the eye, according to the Glaucoma Foundation. High eye pressure, also known ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma, Glaucoma (Open Angle)

FDA Approves Zioptan (tafluprost ophthalmic solution), Merck's Once-Daily, Preservative-Free Ophthalmic Medication

Posted 13 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Feb. 13, 2012 – Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zioptan (tafluprost ophthalmic solution) 0.0015%, the first preservative-free prostaglandin analog ophthalmic solution. Zioptan (pronounced zye-OP-tan) is approved for reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma, while ocular hypertension is a condition characterized by an increase in pressure inside the eye. "Prostaglandin analogs are often used as a first line of treatment to lower intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma. The approval of Zioptan will provide a new, effective option to lower IOP," said George L. Spaeth, M.D., Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, "I a ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma, Glaucoma (Open Angle), Glaucoma/Intraocular Hypertension

Mobius Therapeutics Receives Final FDA Approval for New Glaucoma Drug Mitosol

Posted 9 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Mobius Therapeutics, LLC, a St. Louis-based ophthalmic company, has received final approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the platform product, Mitosol. This initial indication is for the use of Mitosol in glaucoma surgery. With FDA approval, Mobius Therapeutics can start marketing and production efforts for Mitosol immediately. "The approval of Mitosol for use in glaucoma surgery represents the culmination of more than five years of work on the part of Mobius Therapeutics," said Ed Timm, President of Mobius Therapeutics. "It will provide surgeons, hospitals, and patients with enhanced convenience, safety, and consistency in the surgical treatment of glaucoma." Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness in the United States. It is treated progressively, beginning with pharmaceuticals, then office intervention and finally ... Read more

Glaucoma Experts Eye Benefits of Exercise

Posted 30 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, Oct. 30 – A physically active lifestyle may help protect your eyes from glaucoma, according to a new study. Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, typically develops when fluid pressure inside the eye rises and damages the optic nerve. In this study, researchers looked at the association between physical activity and eye pressure in 5,650 men and women aged 48 to 90 in Britain. The participants were evaluated between 1993 and 1997 and again between 2006 and 2010. Based on information they provided about their work and leisure time physical activity, they were categorized as inactive, moderately inactive, moderately active or active. Their eye pressure was tracked over the years. The study found that moderate physical exercise performed about 15 years previously was associated with a 25 percent reduced risk of low ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), an important risk factor for ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Frequent Tests Help Track Progression of Glaucoma, Study Finds

Posted 8 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Aug. 8 – Frequent visual field testing may help doctors detect progression of the eye disease glaucoma at an earlier stage, a new study says. It's important to identify patients whose disease is progressing faster so that they can receive more aggressive treatment or more frequent follow-up, the researchers explained. Their study, published online Aug. 8 in the journal Archives of Ophthalmology, included 381 glaucoma patients, aged 35 to 80, who were followed for anywhere from about 3 to 13 years. Glaucoma progression was more likely to be detected in patients who had more visual field tests (a median of 20) than in those with fewer tests (a median of 12). "In summary, we found that a twice-yearly schedule of visual field testing resulted in earlier detection of glaucoma progression compared with a yearly schedule, especially with global trend analyses," wrote Dr. Kouros ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Spending on Glaucoma Meds Rising in U.S., Study Finds

Posted 13 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 13 – Spending on medications for Americans with the eye disease glaucoma has increased overall and especially among certain groups of patients, a new study finds. Researchers analyzed data from 1,404 patients aged 18 and older who used glaucoma medication between 2001 and 2006. The average amount spent per patient for glaucoma medications increased from $445 in 2001 to $557 in 2006. Among the groups most likely to be associated with significant increases in spending on glaucoma medications were women, people who had only public health insurance and those who hadn't completed high school. Spending on glaucoma medications was higher among patients with Medicare Part D coverage than among those with private insurance, said Dr. Byron L. Lam, of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, and colleagues. Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in the United States. As the ... Read more

Researchers Outline Key Risk Factors for Glaucoma

Posted 9 May 2011 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, May 9 – Researchers say they've pinpointed a number of factors that may be key to the progression of the eye disease glaucoma. Glaucoma is most often caused by an increase in the normal fluid pressure inside the eye, according to the U.S. National Eye Institute. The added pressure damages the optic nerve, the bundle of more than a million nerve fibers that send signals from the eye to the brain. In most cases, people first notice that they have glaucoma when they begin to lose their peripheral vision. By then, it's too late to save much of their eyesight. In the new study, researchers analyzed data from 587 patients enrolled in the New York Glaucoma Progression Study. The information they used came from photographs, analysis of patients' visual field, and measurement of their peak intraocular pressure (IOP) – the highest level of pressure in the fluid within the eye. The ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Noninvasive Glaucoma Test Might Speed Up Detection

Posted 1 Dec 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 1 – A test that measures the function of nerve cells in the retina may detect glaucoma at an early stage and help doctors evaluate the effectiveness of treatments, a new study has found. Diagnosing glaucoma as early as possible – before it destroys the optic nerve – is key to preventing vision loss, according to the researchers, from the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. The test, known as a pattern electroretinogram optimized for glaucoma screening, measures the electrical activity of the retina as a person looks at an alternating pattern of black and white lines. The test can detect dysfunction and abnormal changes in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that appear early in the glaucoma process, the researchers said, making it potentially valuable as a non-invasive method of detection. Studying 47 people with glaucoma who ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Excess Weight May Protect Women From Type of Glaucoma

Posted 5 Aug 2010 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Aug. 5 – While maintaining a healthy weight is linked to a lowered risk of heart disease and diabetes, being overweight may actually protect some women from a form of glaucoma, Harvard researchers say. This new finding suggests that overweight women may have a lower risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), one of the most common age-related eye diseases. In particular, overweight women may be especially protected from a variant of POAG called normal-tension glaucoma, the researchers say. "While being overweight has many negative health consequences, increased risk of primary open-angle glaucoma was not one of them," said lead researcher Dr. Louis R. Pasquale, director of the Glaucoma Service at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and an associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. "While this study was a comprehensive assessment of the ... Read more

Related support groups: Glaucoma

Glaucoma Cases on the Rise in U.S.

Posted 11 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, July 11 – The changing makeup of the U.S. population is expected to lead to an increase in cases of glaucoma, the leading cause of vision loss in the country, experts say. A number of demographic and health trends have increased the number of Americans who fall into the major risk groups for glaucoma. These trends include: The aging of America Growth in the black and Hispanic populations The ongoing obesity epidemic And as more people become at risk, regular eye exams become increasingly important, eye experts say. Early detection of glaucoma is essential to preserving a person's sight, but eye exams are the only way to catch the disease before serious damage is done to vision. "The big thing about glaucoma is that it doesn't have any signs or symptoms," said Dr. Mildred Olivier of the Midwest Glaucoma Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and a board member of Prevent Blindness ... Read more

Confronting Glaucoma, Before It's Too Late

Posted 11 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, July 11 – Alan Leighton discovered he had glaucoma when he noticed a gray area of sight in his left eye. That was in 1992. "I think I had it a long time before that, but I didn't know until then," said Leighton, 68, a corporate treasurer who lives in Indianapolis. "Glaucoma is like that. It's sneaky." Leighton made an appointment with his ophthalmologist to see what was wrong. "We went for a bunch of tests, and he determined there was an issue with that eye, and that I had normal pressure glaucoma," he said. His response was unsentimental and pragmatic: His family has a history of glaucoma, so the news wasn't a total surprise. "I decided that we needed to take the most proactive methods we could," Leighton said. "I would go to the best people I could find and see what methods they had to address it and keep it from getting worse. I wanted to keep it from affecting my right eye, ... Read more

New Contact Lenses Could Improve Glaucoma Treatment

Posted 24 Mar 2010 by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, March 24 – A team of researchers has created special contact lenses for glaucoma patients that come loaded with vitamin E, using a design that could essentially lengthen the amount of time a medication bathes an afflicted eye. This strategy could reduce the significant waste of medication that happens with traditional eye drops, but so far the concept has only been tested in beagles. "Currently, the way we deliver medication to the eye is very bad and very ineffective," said study author Anuj Chauhan, an associate professor in the department of chemical engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville. "And this approach is wonderful because it delivers drugs for a long period of time." Chauhan and his colleagues are to present their findings Wednesday at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco. According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, ... Read more

Waiting Safe for Some at Risk of Glaucoma

Posted 9 Mar 2010 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, March 8 – Eye doctors can often treat glaucoma successfully if they catch it early, but a new study suggests that ophthalmologists can sometimes wait before treating those at risk of developing the disease. If their ophthalmologists choose to postpone treatment, certain patients with higher-than-normal pressure in the eye won't need to take prescription anti-glaucoma eye drops, potentially for years. "In the past, doctors were left to their own judgment, which is fine," said study author Dr. Michael A. Kass, chairman of the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. "But it's nice to have some judgment that's backed up by some hard evidence." Glaucoma, caused when pressure in the eye damages the optic nerve, can lead to impaired vision and blindness. Older people and blacks are at especially high risk. To measure their risk, ... Read more

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Glaucoma (Open Angle), Glaucoma/Intraocular Hypertension, Glaucoma (Narrow Angle), Glaucoma with Pupillary Block, Eye Conditions

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Diamox, nadolol, Combigan, Corgard, acetazolamide, Diamox Sequels, methazolamide, Phospholine Iodide, Daranide, view more... Ocusert, Pilopine-HS, echothiophate iodide, dichlorphenamide, E-Pilo-2, Piloptic-6, Piloptic-4, Piloptic-3, Akarpine, Mitosol, Piloptic-2, Humorsol Ocumeter, Piloptic-1, P6E1, E-Pilo-6, E-Pilo-4, P3E1, E-Pilo-1, P1E1, P2E1, P4E1, Glauctabs, mitomycin ophthalmic, Isopto Carpine, Pilocar, brimonidine/timolol, epinephrine/pilocarpine, apraclonidine, carbachol, demecarium bromide, Miostat, Carboptic, Pilagan with C Cap, Ocu-Carpine, Piloptic-1/2, Adsorbocarpine, Neptazane, Isopto Carbachol, Iopidine, Pilostat