Special eye drops could replace the need for reading glasses or surgery for people with long-sightedness, a new Argentinian study found.
Researchers at the Center for Advanced Research for Presbyopia in Buenos Aires explored the use of eye drops for people with the condition.
They found that the eye drops could become an important solution for hundreds of millions of people worldwide who suffer from presbyopia, which is when the eyes find it difficult to focus on objects and text up close.
Glasses or surgery can usually resolve the problem, but many find wearing spectacles inconvenient and having an operation is not an option for everyone.
The findings of the study were presented on Monday at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) in Copenhagen.
It showed that most people could read extra lines on eye test charts after using the drops. The improvement was sustained for two years.
The eye drops, developed by late Dr. Jorge Benozzi, contain a combination of two active agents: pilocarpine, a drug that constricts the pupils and contracts the ciliary muscle, which is a muscle controlling the eye's accommodation for seeing objects at varying distances, and diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation and the discomfort that pilocarpine often causes.
The study included 766 people who used the drops twice a day, usually upon waking and around six hours later.
“Impressively, 99% of 148 patients in the 1% pilocarpine group reached optimal near vision and were able to read two or more extra lines,” the study found.
Approximately 83% of all patients maintained good functional near vision at 12 months. Importantly, no significant adverse events like increased intraocular pressure or retinal detachment were observed.
Dr. Giovanna Benozzi, director of the Center for Advanced Research for Presbyopia and the daughter of the late Jorge Benozzi, said: “Our most significant result showed rapid and sustained improvements in near vision for all three concentrations.”
