Calcium Channel Blocker Use and Associated Glaucoma and Related Traits

[TonyB1972]

Morning, I came across this and thought it would be interesting for members to read, but we all know that a medicine that is meant to fix something has so many side effects.

Because when you take a pill it goes through so much of your organs to actually get to where it's meant to go and that includes your blood stream which goes everywhere including your eyes!

jamanetwork.com/journals/ja...

[mav7]

Thanks for posting.

Best to receive an annual exam by an opthamologist especially for the elderly.

[Thomas45 in reply to mav7]

The research showed that in people who take Calcium Channel blockers, there was a higher chance of having glaucoma. I didn't see anywhere that it was age related.I don't know what you mean by the word "elderly". I think subjective words like "elderly", and "middle-aged", should be put in the bin, never to be used.

[Ducky2003 in reply to Thomas45]

I read this as mav7 was just advising it was sensible to have eye tests, regardless of whether you were on calcium channel blockers or not.Elderly means old or aging so applies to most folk. I don't consider myself old, as yet, but I'm certainly aging every second. 😊

[mav7 in reply to Thomas45]

As we age, the eyes are more subject to eye diseases like glaucoma and cataracts.

Thus my general statement not singling out CCB’s or the article.

[Thomas45 in reply to mav7]

It was the use of the word "elderly" which I was commenting on.. in my view a word that is subjective. Is elderly a definition of age? If so what ages? I think it's a word which should be binned, as it means different things to different people.

[frazeej in reply to Thomas45]

I think the word "elderly" is self defining. When someone is old enough to complain about the use of the word elderly, then they're elderly.

[Thomas45 in reply to frazeej]

In the UK, the National Health Service "digital service manual" states: "Older people: We prefer to specify ages: over-65s, over-75s, over-80s. In some contexts, we use "older person" or "older people", for example, where a health condition might affect people in their 60s or in their 90s.​ We do not use the words: elderly, middle-aged, OAP, old age pensioner, pensioner, and senior." That is what we in the UK should be following ourselves. In the USA and the rest of the world, it's also a good example to follow.

[frazeej in reply to Thomas45]

I can appreciate the necessity of sometimes having to quantify subjective things, but in casual conversation I think the subjective terms are acceptable. For instance, if I go into the bar in the afternoon it is OK when someone or myself says "Wow, it rained like hell last night." But, I am also an amateur weather "geek", so when I file my daily report with the National Weather Service (U.S.), that report would be unacceptable, and I would have to report "Rainfall at such and such place was 2.86 inches". But, I'm not going to get in an argument with Joe the bartender over how much rain does "rained like hell" mean. (Actually, Joe and the guys know I'm a weather "weirdo" and will usually ask me just how much rain did fall!)

JimF

[Thomas45 in reply to frazeej]

What type of conversation you use in a bar is irrelevant. The NHS definitions are the ones we should be using on a Health discussion board.

[frazeej in reply to Thomas45]

Suffice to say I would not be engaging you in conversation!

[Ducky2003]

Very interesting Tony as I take Diltiazem and I'm under the stable glaucoma clinic. I haven't got glaucoma but they're keeping an eye as I have high IOPs. However, the article does say they've found no correlation between that and IOPs so hopefully, I'm safe to continue.Thank you for posting.

[dixiedad]

Thank you. I'm seeing my retinol gist next week and I'll ask him about this.