Biomarkers that can predict whether glaucoma patients are at a higher risk of losing vision (even after treatment) have been pinpointed by researchers.
Glaucoma affects more than 4 million adults in the United States and it is the leading cause of vision loss in the world. Even with the current treatments available, some patients still lose vision.
The study was published in Nature Medicine and involved 139 participants who were currently undergoing treatment for lower intraocular pressure (IOP). Fifty people without glaucoma served as the control group.
The research was conducted by the University College London and Moorfields Eye Hospital. The research team measured how well oxygen was utilized by cells in the blood, how much vision loss occurred over time and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) levels. Cells are able to produce energy with the help of NAD, which is a molecule.
What the researchers discovered was that people who experienced additional vision loss despite treatment had blood cells that used less oxygen and they also had lower levels of NAD compared to those people without glaucoma.
The study results may allow doctors to more easily identify the patients who are at a greater risk of their glaucoma progressing and will allow for more personalized treatment along with mitochondria-targeted therapies.
