What is the real reason for Glaucoma?

Posted by crossette @crossette, Oct 30, 2023

Glaucoma is a disease of old people. Recently it has been found that many diseases of aging are caused by Senescent cells (Google that for more info). I found an article that ties them together from 2005!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3152456/
The key result is that they found an average FOUR fold increase in senecent cells in the drainage system of people with glaucoma compared to healthy eyes! That senescent cells are involved offers the prospect of using senolytic therapies to selectively remove these cells and their contribution to the disease state. Sadly, few groups are making use of existing low-cost senolytic small molecules in human clinical trials, so while treatments such as the dasatinib and quercetin combination are known to clear senescent cells in humans to about the same degree as in mice, they are not yet widely used. Scores of age-related conditions might be treated or slowed via this approach, but the focus of the industry is on the production and regulatory approval of new senolytics over the years ahead. So I will try this known safe and effective treatment to try and save my vision as the disease has already damged one eye beyond repair. In the past 18 years no one has bothered to follow up on this article?? Medical science has failed us again!

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mosaics | @mosaics | Oct 31, 2023

I don’t know a lot about it, but I don’t think all glaucoma is an “old people’s disease” or is caused by the same thing. My personal experience is that my acute angle glaucoma was diagnosed when I was in my 40’s. I did not have any episode. Just a routine visit to the opth. alerted my condition to that doctor. I guess my pressure was a little high or something. Anyway, mine is caused by the shape and size of my eyeball, which blocked the proper drainage of fluid. The solution was a simple laser surgery to poke new drainage holes in a different area of my eye. So far, that seems to have fixed the issue.

toryinhampton | @toryinhampton | Nov 1, 2023

In reply to @mosaics "I don’t know a lot about it, but I don’t think all glaucoma is an “old..." + (show)

I agree, it’s not an “old person’s” disease. I have tried many, many eye drops ($$$) with no success as well as the iStint and 4 SLTs with no success. I go back in January to determine if the last surgery worked. I don’t know what’s next and I’m concerned. I’m glad you posted as I will definitely follow up and ask why I have glaucoma. Thank you and the best to you!

crossette | @crossette | Nov 1, 2023

As far as using eyedrops to reduce the pressure... if your drops are not reducing the pressure ask your doctor to put you on Rocklatan drops. They sting for a few minutes but they work. They have stablized my pressure for over a year now and the damage seems to be not getting any worse. Wish I had those 8 years ago when this started.