Research has found that some patients could use eye drops instead of reading glasses as they age.
A retrospective study of 766 patients presented at the 43rd Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) demonstrated that the majority of those studied were able to read an extra two, three or more lines on the eye chart used for testing near visual acuity after using specially formulated eye drops. This improvement was sustained for up to two years.
As reported by ESCRS, Dr Giovanna Benozzi, director of the Center for Advanced Research for Presbyopia in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said: “We conducted this research due to the significant unmet medical need in presbyopia management. Current solutions such as reading glasses or surgical interventions have limitations, including inconvenience, social discomfort, and potential risks or complications.
“There is a group of presbyopia patients who have limited options besides spectacles, and who are not candidates for surgery; these are our primary focus of interest. We sought to provide robust clinical evidence supporting an innovative pharmacological solution to offer patients a non-invasive, convenient and effective alternative.”
The eye drops, developed by Dr Benozzi’s father, the late Dr Jorge Benozzi of the same center, contain a combination of active agents pilocarpine, a drug that constricts the pupils and contracts the ciliary muscle; and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation and the discomfort that pilocarpine often causes.
Patients administered the eye drops twice a day, with an optional third dose if symptoms recurred or additional visual comfort was needed.
Over the next two years, researchers assessed the improvement in how well patients could read the Jaeger chart without reading glasses (uncorrected near visual acuity) one hour after the first administration of the drops.
Dr Benozzi told the Congress: “Our most significant result showed rapid and sustained improvements in near vision for all three concentrations. One hour after having the first drops, patients had an average improvement of 3.45 Jaeger lines. The treatment also improved focus at all distances.”
She said 99% of 148 patients in the 1% pilocarpine group reached optimal near vision and were able to read two or more extra lines. Approximately 83% of all patients maintained good functional near vision at 12 months.
There were no significant adverse events like increased intraocular pressure or retinal detachment.
The improvement in the patients’ vision was sustained for up to two years, with a median duration of 434 days. Adverse side effects were mild, with the most common being temporary dim vision, which occurred in 32% of cases, irritation when the drops were instilled (3.7%) and headache (3.8%). No patients discontinued the treatment.
She concluded: “These results suggest this combination therapy offers a safe, effective, and well-tolerated alternative to traditional presbyopia management. It significantly reduces dependence on reading glasses, providing a convenient, non-invasive option for patients, although these eye drops may not eliminate the need for glasses in all individuals.”
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