Some individuals take such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E to ensure theyre giving their eyes the best nutrients available. Now, scientists may have discovered a new way to treat glaucoma before its too late.
A new study published in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that glaucoma development is much like the progression of neurological diseases, and that examining the brain may give new insight to treatments for the eye disease.
The scientists suggest that by studying the brain for neuronal activity rather than focusing on lowering the ocular pressure within the eye, physicians may be able to detect the development of glaucoma before a patient begins to show symptoms.
Researchers believe that these findings could potentially change the way that physicians look for glaucoma in patients.
“This is a paradigm shift on how we think about this disease,” said Dr. David Calkins, the studys lead author. “This will have global implications. This information opens up an entirely new domain of nerve-derived therapeutics.”