Glaucoma no longer a disease of elevated intraocular pressure

[valfrance]

Hi everyone this link is very interesting please take time to read it....

restorevisionclinic.com/gla...

'Despite glaucoma clearly not being caused by high IOP, treatment strategies and patient education constantly emphasize IOP as the culprit. Unfortunately this oversimplified terminology and reasoning is easy to comprehend and widely mentioned – but is nonetheless inaccurate and outdated'

Conclusion

Glaucoma is perhaps more multifaceted and less understood than all other eye conditions given the ocular, vascular, and neurological involvement.

Glaucoma is a collection of progressive optic neuropathies with specific ONH appearance, RGC axonal loss, and VF defects. Much confusion stems from glaucoma being neurodegenerative, having vascular etiology, yet only IOP being commonly discussed and treated.

While IOP is certainly a risk factor, progression of glaucoma is likely more so related to ischemia from diminished ocular perfusion pressure given that progression may occur with any IOP. Glaucoma terminology, thought processes, and treatments are obsolete resulting in inadequate patient education and poor outcomes. In the future, glaucoma mechanisms will be better understood and improved treatments will be developed limiting glaucoma development and progression.

[muddledme]

Thank you again for the interesting article.

I have often been told that as eye pressures can vary so much then Field of vision tests give a clearer idea of Glaucoma progression.

As so many diseases show multiple causes and types then I suppose it is likely to follow with Glaucoma.

More advanced tests and photographs will also show gradual changes to the optic nerve, so I suppose this will gradually help research progress.

On 12 th Jan. the Glaucoma UK webinar is about Normal Tension Glaucoma , this may be very helpful to clarify things, plus it is usually possible to ask questions.. N.T.G is mentioned in your article as not following the usual pattern. Low blood pressure especially at night and perhaps low Cerebral Spinal Fluid pressure may play a part.

So pleased they mention that aiming to avoid heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes will help avoid glaucoma.

Hope 2022 has even more research !

Best wishes

[Senara]

thank you for your article, have read with interest. I have never presented high pressures in my eyes always around 14 - 16 , and I'm losing my field of vision in my left eye despite having yag laser and cataracts done... next step I think is Trab.

[valfrance in reply to Senara]

hi senara, best of luck valerie