Immediate Treatment Helps Delay Progression of Glaucoma

(ARA) - Glaucoma affects about 2.2 million Americans age 40 and over. Another two million may have the disease and don't know it. Early detection and treatment is vital. In a recent National Institutes of Health study, researchers found that immediately treating people who have early stage glaucoma can delay its progression.

"Unfortunately, glaucoma has no early warning signs, and many affected patients are unaware they have the disease until it has advanced. Once people have lost vision from glaucoma, it cannot be regained. However, early detection and timely treatment would help to save the vision of thousands of people each year," said Paul Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health and co-sponsor of the study. "These results strongly support the body of evidence suggesting that immediate treatment of early stage, open-angle glaucoma will slow the disease progression."

Medicare now covers an annual dilated eye examination for all people at high risk for glaucoma. Coverage of this new preventive benefit is consistent with recommendations from the National Eye Institute, as well as from eye care professional organizations and consumer groups.

The new benefit defines high risk Medicare beneficiaries as those with diabetes; those with a family history of glaucoma; and African Americans aged 50 and older. Glaucoma is five times more likely to occur in African Americans than in whites, and about four times more likely to cause blindness in African Americans than in whites.

"Preventive benefits, such as this new glaucoma coverage, help keep people enrolled in Medicare healthy and improve their quality of life," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "An eye exam now can prevent serious problems later, even blindness. It is important that we make taking care of our eyes a part of our overall health maintenance program."

Measuring eye pressure is part of a glaucoma examination, but this test by itself cannot detect glaucoma. Glaucoma is found most often during an eye examination through dilated pupils, which means drops are put into the eyes to enlarge the pupils. The eye care professional then can see more of the inside of the eye to check for signs of glaucoma.

Glaucoma occurs when the optic nerve is damaged. In most cases, increased pressure in the eye is a risk factor for this damage. The damage to the optic nerve causes loss of peripheral (side) vision, although people are often unaware that they have glaucoma. As the disease worsens, the field of vision gradually narrows and blindness can result. However, if detected early through a comprehensive eye exam, glaucoma can usually be controlled and serious vision loss prevented.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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