National Glaucoma Awareness Month: Quality of life, AI, acupuncture
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January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, according to Prevent Blindness, and the organization is providing free resources to educate the public on the importance of early detection and care.
“Glaucoma can cause significant vision loss if left untreated,” Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness, said in a press release. “The good news is that with early detection, access to eye care and the proper treatment, vision can be protected.”
Healio has compiled a list of our most recent glaucoma stories in honor of National Glaucoma Awareness Month.
Loss of sensitivity in central vision associated with reduced quality of life
Loss of sensitivity in the central visual field may be associated with lower vision-related quality of life, especially in the inferior nasal point, according to a presentation at Academy 2024.
“In cases of early glaucoma, we’re figuring out if the central-most points on that 24-2 visual field have any relationship to vision-related quality of life,” Anupam Laul, OD, associate clinical professor at SUNY College of Optometry, said. Read more.
AI chatbot performance ‘eye-opening’ in accuracy, completeness vs. ophthalmologists
A large language model chatbot matched and even outperformed fellowship-trained ophthalmologists in diagnostic and treatment accuracy of retina and glaucoma cases, according to new research published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“The findings are crucial as they highlight the potential of AI as a support tool in medical diagnostics,” Andy S. Huang, MD, a resident physician at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, told Healio. “If AI can effectively assist or even match specialists, it can revolutionize or drastically shift the current health care delivery, offering support in decision-making.” Read more.
Timolol microdrops delivered via adaptor lower IOP as effectively as conventional drops
Timolol microdrops administered with the Nanodropper Adaptor were as effective as conventional drops at lowering IOP among patients with open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension, according to a study published in Ophthalmology.
“There are multiple barriers to adherence [to glaucoma medications], including but not limited to medication adverse events, difficulty obtaining medications and cost,” Jennifer S. Steger, PhD, chief scientific officer and co-founder of Nanodropper, and colleagues wrote. Read more.
Retinal thickness may help predict visual field progression in glaucoma
Circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell inner plexiform layer measurements may help predict visual field worsening in glaucoma, although each is more effective in different stages of disease, according to research.
As most studies have used statistical approaches to compare these measurements when assessing glaucoma progression, researchers sought to compare the diagnostic accuracy of machine learning models. Read more.
Ongoing trial will evaluate efficacy of acupuncture as complementary therapy for glaucoma
Researchers are recruiting participants for a study to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjuvant treatment for glaucoma, with preliminary results expected in 2025, according to a protocol published in JMIR Research Protocols.
Currently, 10 participants have registered to participate in the trial, which researchers began recruiting for in 2023. Read more.
SpyGlass completes enrollment in trial of long-term drug delivery platform for glaucoma
SpyGlass Pharma has completed enrollment in its phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating a long-term drug delivery platform of bimatoprost for glaucoma and ocular hypertension, according to a press release.
“As we know from multiple studies, patients struggle being adherent to chronic use of topical medications,” Patrick Mooney, the company’s CEO, told Healio. “SpyGlass is working hard to improve care for glaucoma patients and eye care professionals, and we believe our drug delivery platform is a significant advance over current options today.” Read more.
Reference:
- Free resources in support of National Glaucoma Awareness Month. https://preventblindness.org/glaucoma-awareness-month-2025/. Published Dec. 31, 2024. Accessed Jan. 2, 2025.
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