Glaucoma patient day
Patients with Glaucoma – one of the world’s leading causes of blindness – can find out more about ongoing and future research projects into new treatments at a free Glaucoma Day in London.
Attendees on the day will hear about the three leading priorities for glaucoma research and be part of discussions on subjects including, stem cells, new methods for delivering eye pressure lowering medications as an alternative to eye-drops and the possibility of taking a tablet to protect cells from glaucoma damage.
Glaucoma sufferers and carers will have the opportunity to meet with researchers, ask questions and help shape research for the future by offering feedback and ideas on the projects discussed. There will also be the option for patients to contribute their opinions about the latest developments in translational research at Moorfields Eye Hospital.
The one-day event on Saturday 6 September 2014 is at Hallam Conference Centre, 44 Hallam Street, London, W1W 6JJ and runs from 10am to 4pm.
The day has been organised by NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology.
To register for the day contact the Glaucoma Day team by email at: brc@moorfields.nhs.uk / or telephone 020 7253 3411.
Notes to editors
- Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage of the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain. If left untreated, glaucoma causes progressive visual loss and can lead to blindness. Once incurred, visual damage is irreversible.
- There are several types of glaucoma. Some may occur as a complication of other visual disorders (the so-called "secondary" glaucomas) but the vast majority is "primary", i.e. they occur without a known cause. It was once believed that the cause of most or all glaucomas was high pressure within the eye (known as intraocular pressure - sometimes abbreviated as IOP). It is now established however, that even people without an abnormally high IOP may suffer from glaucoma. Intraocular pressure is considered therefore today as a risk factor" for glaucoma, together with other factors such as racial ancestry, family history, high myopia and age.
- Some forms of glaucoma may occur at birth (congenital) or during infancy and childhood (juvenile); in most cases however, glaucoma appears after the 4th decade of life, and its frequency increases with age. There is no clearly established difference in glaucoma incidence between men and women.
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