WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study presented at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) meeting in Copenhagen found that special eye drops helped most people improve their vision, with many participants able to read extra lines on an eye test chart. The improvement lasted for two years, making the drops a promising alternative for people who don't want to wear glasses or undergo eye surgery.
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.'
The drops were developed by Dr. Benozzi's late father, Dr. Jorge Benozzi, and contain two key ingredients. Pilocarpine makes the pupils smaller and helps the eyes focus on objects at different distances, while diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug, reduces irritation and discomfort caused by pilocarpine.
The study included 766 people in Argentina who used the drops twice daily - once after waking up and again about six hours later. Participants were divided into three groups based on the concentration of pilocarpine in the drops - 1 percent, 2 percent, or 3 percent, with each formula containing the same amount of diclofenac.
In the 1 percent group, almost everyone could read at least two extra lines on the eye chart. In the 2 percent group, 69 percent could read three or more extra lines, and in the 3 percent group, 84 percent achieved the same level of improvement.
'Nearly all patients experienced positive improvements in near visual acuity, although the magnitude of the improvement depended on the status of their vision before treatment at baseline,' Dr Benozzi added.
However, pilocarpine can cause side effects such as red or watery eyes, blurred or dim vision, sensitivity to light, difficulty focusing, seeing flashes or floaters, and, in rare cases, a detached retina.
Despite these risks, Dr. Benozzi has other patients who have been using the drops for over ten years without serious problems. He now plans further research to study how the treatment improves patients' quality of life and to better understand how the drops work.
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