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eye to eye newsJune 2021The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Onecontinued on back pageLOW VISION SOLUTIONS 101LOW Tech - hIgh TechThursday, May 27 at 5pm, EST.Meet Dr. Delaram Shirazian; glaucoma patient and advocate Joe Lovett; and experts on low vision resources from Envision, My Blind Spot, and APH Connect Center for a wealth of information on readily available solutions and high-tech devices you can use to stay productive when your vision is compromised. The QR code below will take you to our website to register for upcoming live events - or to view recordings where you can pause, review and fast-forward the content. glaucomafoundation.orgMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTDear Readers:We are delighted that so many people were able to join us for our recent live webinar, “Bringing the Latest Glaucoma Science Directly to the Patient.” We welcomed participants from the U.S., Canada, Croatia, Curacao, France, India, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, and received some important, positive feedback afterwards. Here’s a snippet:“My husband and I wish to express how much the webinar meant to us. The presenters were all excellent, engaging, and supportive; the amount of research being conducted, particularly the insulin drops, was particularly encouraging. The two presenters with glaucoma were utterly inspiring, and they brought out an important issue - the ability to discuss in the patient/doctor relationship the patient’s fears. We are both very grateful to TGF!”New Webinar
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page TwoDisparities in healthcare in the U.S. are long-standing and reach beyond individuals to affect their children, communities, and our entire society. In a major study reported in 2012, the prevalence of yearly eye examinations among visually impaired US residents aged 40 or older varied signicantly by race/ethnicity, income, and education, both overall and within states. Discrimination, social constructs, lack of access to care, economics, and environment all play a part.Those in the new generation of medical professionals are poised to play a major role in addressing the health inequities that drive disparities. TGF hopes to keep their role at the forefront of this national discussion by encouraging awareness of these complex issues and supporting young ophthalmologists from underrepresented minorities in their contributions to the profession. In the spring of 2020, TGF established The Patricia Hill-Dr. Sanford Eisenberg Fellowships in Glaucoma to support women and minorities in the study of glaucoma. This year, in a new partnership with Research to Prevent Blindness, TGF will be co-funding ve new $10,000 supplemental fellowships targeted to under-represented minorities who are fellows in Departments of Ophthalmology engaged in substantive glaucoma research. The rst two recipients of the Hill-Eisenberg awards are currently completing their glaucoma fellowships at Columbia University Medical Center. One of them is Dr. Jessica Alana Scott, a Black woman and the daughter of an ophthalmologist. She points out that only 5% of U.S. physicians are Black and that “diversity in medicine does not only foster a rich, collaborative team environment with differences in opinions and experience but is also benecial for patient care.” TGF agrees. eye to eye newsDisparities in Healthcare
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Threeeye to eye newsAmong African Americans, glaucoma occurs about ve times more often than in other groups, and blindness from the disease is six times more common. Not only is the overall prevalence higher in African Americans, but the disease begins at an earlier age and progresses faster. Genetics appear to play a role; access to healthcare or lack of insurance are also factors. Monitoring the disease is crucial. The Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES) reported an overall prevalence of open-angle glaucoma among the Hispanic/Latino community at nearly 5 percent — similar to what has been reported for Black Americans. But in this population, the risk increases over age 60. Some chronic conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, put Hispanics and Latinos at higher risk for vision loss -- they are almost 2.5 times more likely to have diabetes, compared to non-Hispanic whites. According to the CDC, Hispanic Americans are less likely to have an eye exam or access to health and eye care services because of language barriers and/or health insurance coverage. It’s estimated that by 2050, half the people living in the United States with glaucoma will be Hispanic or Latino.thank you for your supportYour donation matters.Since it’s founding in 1984, The Glaucoma Foundation has never wavered from its principle mission: to fund cutting edge glaucoma research and to educate the public about glaucoma, its diagnosis, and its treatment. The support of individuals like you has provided us with the resources to deliver on this mission. Please give online or with the enclosed envelope.
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page FourLIVING WITH GLAUCOMA - Meet Bonnie Joeye to eye news Bonnie Jo Lobosco has faced many challenges and ultimate sacrices. A multi-talented 71-year-old who lives in Pennsylvania, Bonnie Jo is a Gold Star mother, whose son, a Green Beret, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2009. Her ex-husband, whom she remarried shortly thereafter, died suddenly. And, yes, she lost the sight in one eye from glaucoma when she was just a toddler! Bonnie Jo has been through a lot, but she’s been creating a new life. “The need to give back is inbred in all of us,” she says. “You just have to nd it.” And that’s what Bonnie Jo has been doing! “People need support; sharing is important,” she says. In 2012 Bonnie Jo wrote a book entitled Marla-boro, about her 45-year struggle with cigarette addiction - she’s now free of smoking.Today Bonnie Jo is a mentor and writer for TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), which supports families affected by a death in the armed services. She also works with an organization aiding retirees.Another of Bonnie Jo’s causes is spreading awareness about glaucoma and urging others to get tested early. “I’m proof that glaucoma is not just a disease of old people,” she says emphatically.Bonnie was diagnosed with glaucoma before she was one year old. While learning to crawl, she kept bumping into corners on her left side. She had already lost vision; her rst battle was to save the eye itself.As a child, in the 1950s, doctors had few options for relieving eye pressure. Each time her pressure spiked, she underwent a procedure – she eye to eye news
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Fiveeye to eye newsToday, the good news is that pressure in her remaining right eye is under control. She faithfully uses eye drops and has her pressure measured carefully.Bonnie Jo’s message: “Be proactive, make sure your children’s eyes are checked at birth. And, don’t neglect having your own precious eyes checked regularly, especially as you age.”Her glaucoma advocacy goes beyond her mission of spreading awareness. “It’s my honor and my duty to support research on this disease,” she says. She began making small contributions at her rst job when AT&T employees were asked to select a charity for regular donations. And she’s kept it up, most recently with an ongoing commitment to nding a cure.Just last week, the driver of a car service taking Bonnie Jo to a medical appointment told her that she thought she, too, had glaucoma. “From what she told me about her pressures, it sounded like she did. I think my conversation with her – she said she would call to make an appointment that day – may save her sight. That’s what this is all about, saving your own sight and others if you can.”“We all really have to do whatever it takes to open up people’s eyes…and to further the research,” she says. estimates a total of 40 – removing a small piece of her eye. This resulted in a badly deformed eye.At the age of 19, her specialist broke the news that her eye would have to be removed. “I remember it well. Being at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital alone because of problems with my parents, but old enough to sign the necessary papers myself. As the attendant wheeled me down the hall he asked, ‘we are removing your left eye, right?’ I said ‘right’ and he ipped out, ‘right or left?’ That is all I remember until I woke up.”
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page SixWould you like to receive newsleers by email? Please call us (212) 285-0080 | Or write to info@glaucomafoundation.org eye to eye newsCHILDHOOD GLAUCOMABonnie Jo Lobosco, proled in this issue, and Jahkori Dopwell Hall, who gave a patient perspective at the recent TGF webinar, were both diagnosed with glaucoma at a very young age. Childhood glaucoma is unusual, but is a signicant cause of childhood blindness. It is caused by a disease-related increase in IOP. The multiple potential causes fall into one of two categories and may be primary or secondary to some other disease process. Primary congenital glaucoma results from abnormal development of the ocular drainage system. It occurs in about 1 out of 10,000 births in the United States and is the most common form of glaucoma in infants. Secondary glaucomas result from disorders of the body or eye and may or may not be genetic. Both types may be associated with other medical diseases. Ten percent of primary congenital glaucomas are present at birth, and 80 percent are diagnosed during the rst year of life. The pediatrician or family rst notices eye signs of glaucoma, including clouding and/or enlargement of the cornea. The elevated IOP can cause the eyeball itself to enlarge and injure the cornea. Important early symptoms of glaucoma in infants and children are poor vision, light sensitivity, tearing, and blinking. Both medication and surgery are required in some cases.NORMAL TENSION GLAUCOMA
The Glaucoma Foundation | Page Seven eye to eye newsBringing the Latest gLaucoma science DirectLy to the Patient In this TGF web seminar, scientists and physcians delve into some of the extraordinary research being done in glaucoma, and two glauocma patients join them in a discussion about how to achieve the best outcomes in treatment. View/review this collection of fascinating presentations through the EVENTS page on our website: www.glaucomafoundation.org. TGF thanks Santen and The New York Community Trust for sponsoring this event.Christine Di Somma was diagnosed with low-tension glaucoma three years ago at a routine visit to an optomotrist. She talks about her experience with diagnosis and treatment in our recent webinar Bringing the Latest Glaucoma Science Directly to the Patient. Advanced normal-tension glaucoma, also known as low-tension glaucoma, is characterized by progressive optic nerve damage and visual eld loss with IOP levels that are usually considered to be within the normal range (10-21 mm Hg). It should be noted that the level of IOP often does not correlate with the degree of optic nerve damage or visual eld abnormality, but the higher the IOP, the greater the risk of damage, even within this so-called normal range.Normal-tension glaucoma is increasingly being diagnosed and may account for as many as one-third of all cases of open-angle glaucoma in the United States. It is thought to be related, in part, to poor blood ow to the optic nerve, which leads to death of the cells which carry impulses from the retina to the brain. In addition, these eyes appear to be susceptible to pressure-related damage even in the high normal range, and therefore a pressure lower than normal is often necessary to prevent further visual loss. Studies suggest that sleep apnea and low blood pressure at night might be additional risk factors for normal tension glaucoma. Research is ongoing in the eld of optic nerve blood ow and its role in glaucoma.NORMAL TENSION GLAUCOMA
This issue is made possible with support from New York Community Trust.eye to eye newsMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTcontinued from page 1applied to our Grant-In-Aid program for the spring 2021 cycle and that their proposals are under the review of our Scientic Advisory Board. As always, we thank our friends and supporters who make our research and educational programs possible. We have just received a visionary $500,000 gift pledge from a TGF Board member whose contribution will be used in part for a major study out of Columbia University. This phase-two clinical trial will test, in humans, the hypothesis conrmed in mice that treatment with nicotinamide (vitamin B3) is profoundly protective against glaucoma. We are extremely grateful for this gift and look forward to reporting the results of the research.Thank you for being a TGF newsletter reader. If there are topics you would like us to explore in upcoming issues, please write to us at info@glaucomafoundation.orgWishing you all the best,Elena SturmanPresident & CEOIn recent months, TGF has been launching programs to bring greater diversity into the eld of glaucoma research – an important step in reducing disparities in vision care. Initiatives such as these are a focus of the impressive career of one of our newest board members, Eve Higginbotham, SM, MD, ML who is Vice Dean for Inclusion and Diversity, Senior Fellow, LDI of Health Economics, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. Also joining our Board this month is Joe Rosen, Managing Partner at Plasma Consultants, LLC. Mr. Rosen is a long-standing supporter of glaucoma research and we are very proud to welcome him and Dr. Higginbotham to TGF. I am also pleased to report that a record number of researchers have