38 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Survey: Glaucoma aff ects patients and caregivers daily
Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that
aff ects more than 3 million Americans.
While many new glaucoma treatments
have become available over the past several
years, there is currently no cure for
the disease, which can cause permanent
vision loss and blindness if not properly
controlled.
Glaucoma Research Foundation (GRF)
is a national nonprofi t organization dedicated
to fi nding a cure for glaucoma.
Recently, GRF commissioned a survey to
better understand the impact of glaucoma
on U.S. patients as well as their family
and friends who serve as caregivers.
“Despite available treatments, education
and other services, this survey confi
rmed that patients and their caregivers
still struggle to manage the disease,” said
Dr. Andrew Iwach, GRF board chair and
executive director, Glaucoma Center of
San Francisco. “Exploring current patient
and caregiver experiences in this way
will help us identify new ways to support
them and protect their vision.”
Signifi cant impact on daily
lives and well-being
Findings from the GRF’s National
Glaucoma Impact Survey, which was supported
by Aerie Pharmaceuticals, show
that glaucoma impacts many patients on
a daily basis. Th e disease causes challenges
related to treatment management, as
well as emotional concerns such as anxiety,
fear and even depression.
Key fi ndings from the survey of 1,548
patients include:
• 64 percent say glaucoma impacts their
lives daily. Th is impact is even greater
among African American patients (72
percent).
• Patients are “very” or “extremely” concerned
about losing their vision (76
percent), their ability to drive (65 percent),
their ability to live independently
(50 percent) and their ability to care for
themselves (37 percent).
• Younger patients (those under age 65)
are slightly more worried about glaucoma’s
impact on daily living than their
older counterparts. Younger patients
also report feeling angrier and more
depressed about their glaucoma than
older patients.
In addition to the emotional impact of
glaucoma, patients say that they are not
satisfi ed with their prescription eye drops
- the most commonly used glaucoma
treatment - and have diffi culty controlling
their disease.
• 89 percent of glaucoma patients use eye
drops.
• On average, patients take three drops
per eye per day and virtually all survey
participants report taking two to three
types of prescription eye drops twice
per day.
• 52 percent of these patients say they are
“not at all,” “slightly” or only “moderately”
satisfi ed with their drops.
• One-third of patients report that they
miss an eye-drop dose at least two to
three times per month.
• Most patients know their last intraocular
pressure (IOP) measurement
and their IOP goal (89 and 84 percent,
respectively), but just 53 percent say
they achieve and maintain it. Elevated
IOP is the only glaucoma risk factor that
can be changed (Coleman, et al. Open
Ophthalmol J. 2009).
“It is alarming that only about half of
patients are able to control their intraocular
pressure,” said Th omas Brunner, GRF
president and CEO. “We were encouraged,
however, that 64 percent of patients
say they are still determined to take control
of their disease. While there is clearly
still a need for improved treatment
options, GRF can now use these fi ndings
across our programs to help make glaucoma
more manageable and less burdensome
for everyone.”
Caregivers also need
more support
Family members and friends who provide
care to glaucoma patients are also
impacted by the disease daily.
Among the 60 caregivers who completed
the survey:
• More than half (52 percent) say that caring
for a patient with glaucoma impacts
their lives “constantly” or “frequently.”
• 53 percent say it is “moderately,” “very”
or “extremely” burdensome caring for a
glaucoma patient.
• 75 percent say they would like more
information about new glaucoma treatment
options.
“We were pleased to support this important
and timely survey,” said Dr. Richard
Lewis, M.D., chief medical offi cer of Aerie
Pharmaceuticals and a glaucoma specialist.
“Th e fi ndings strongly suggest that
in addition to developing more eff ective
glaucoma treatments, we must fi nd ways
to provide greater support to patients and
caregivers.”
If you or someone you love has glaucoma:
• See your eye doctor every six months,
or as directed.
• Call your eye care professional immediately
if you have any problem with
your vision.
• Make sure you take eye drops as directed.
• Visit www.glaucoma.org for more information.
For more information about the
National Glaucoma Impact Survey, visit
http://bit.ly/grfsurvey or www.glaucoma.
org.
Note: Th e National Glaucoma Impact
Survey patient fi ndings are generalizable
to Americans with glaucoma who met
the survey entry criteria. Th e caregiver
results are directional only; the sample
size (n=60) is too small to be generalizable
to all glaucoma-patient caregivers in
the United States.
Courtesy BPT
Aging with HIV: Evolving Challenges Impacting the Community
When Jeff Taylor was diagnosed with
HIV in 1988, he was told he had two
years to live.
“Th e doctors suggested I start making
arrangements because there were limited
treatment options available then,” said
Taylor, who is now the co-chair of the
community advisory board of the amfAR
Institute for HIV Cure Research, and
the executive director of the HIV+Aging
Research Project - Palm Springs. “In the
80s and into the 90s, there was a very
narrow understanding of HIV. I began
attending meetings with community
advocates to share what little information
there was, but we were all eager for more.”
Since those early days of the epidemic,
society’s understanding of HIV and
advances in scientifi c innovation have
greatly evolved. HIV has essentially
transformed into a chronic health condition
that can be managed eff ectively with
treatment. Today, the average life expectancy
for most people living with HIV is
about as long as that of the general population.
Now, like everybody else, people
living with HIV face a new challenge
- aging.
Since 2000, the number of individuals
over the age of 50 currently living with
HIV has nearly tripled. In 2016, there
were an estimated 5.7 million people over
50 living with HIV across the globe, and
that number is projected to continually
increase through 2020. In the U.S., an
estimated 48% of people with diagnosed
HIV were 50 or older.
“For decades, I have struggled and
watched others grapple with the challenges
that come with aging with HIV,
including the physical toll of a lifetime
of treatment alongside having to manage
age-related conditions like diabetes,
high blood pressure, heart disease,
cancer, infl ammation and neurocognitive
decline. Not to mention the psychological
eff ects of living when so many were
lost in the fi ght against this epidemic,”
said Taylor.
Taylor also notes that aging well with
HIV - specifi cally the long-term eff ects of
antiretroviral therapy - is a concern that
impacts all age groups. In 2017, the highest
rate of HIV incidence in the U.S. was
among people aged 25 to 29 years, and
the second-highest rate was for people
aged 20 to 24 years. People are now living
longer with HIV, so those who are
exposed in their 20s must think about
what it means to be on antiretroviral
therapy for their entire adult life.
Peter Shalit, M.D., Ph.D., an Internal
Medicine physician in private practice
and Clinical Professor of Medicine at
the University of Washington School of
Medicine, has treated people of all ages
living with HIV throughout his nearly
30-year career. “Many people living with
HIV worry about the long-term eff ects
of HIV medicines; as the average age of
my patients is over 60, I hear about these
concerns fi rsthand. Working together, we
can consider treatment options that will
hopefully address their concerns, including
therapies that allow them to take
fewer drugs.”
As the HIV community ages, it’ll
be important to focus eff orts on helping
individuals achieve their long-term
health goals. ViiV Healthcare, a company
that’s solely focused on HIV, runs and
supports several studies and community
programs that aim to build a deeper
understanding of the clinical, scientifi c
and societal eff ects of HIV on aging.
“Putting time, energy and resources
into determining HIV treatments and
care that will promote healthy aging is
a worthwhile investment,” said Taylor.
“Clinical trials were a lifeline for me and
I’m incredibly grateful to the research
community, as their advancements have
allowed me to stay alive. I’m committed
to seeing this virus end with me
and my generation and believe continued
research is the solution to stopping this
once and for all.”
Courtesy BPT
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