Diseases caused by modern lifestyles lead to total blindness, they say
Published Date – Sat 27 May 23 at 08:00 AM
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Hyderabad: Recent trends point to a new type of blindness that is not easily treatable or reversible and results in total blindness, also known as non-light perception (NLP).
Diseases caused by modern lifestyles such as Diabetic Retinopathy, which is irreversible once onset, and eye diseases associated with an aging population such as Macular Degeneration and End Stage Glaucoma leading to total blindness or NLPs, LV based in Hyderabad Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) study said.
Researchers conducted a 12-year (2010-2022) cross-sectional, hospital-based study of NLP among patients in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha, showing that in 3.2 million patient records , a total of 1.85% of 60,668 people had NLP in at least one eye.
LVPEI Senior Investigators Dr. Anthony Vipin Das and Dr. Sayan Basu presented details of the study in a letter presented at the prestigious “Ophthalmology Symposium” in March of this year, noting the need to initiate “the next step in the prevention of blindness and the complete restoration of vision.” Paradigm”‘ to solve NLP.
“To address NLP, cutting-edge therapies such as nerve regeneration procedures or whole eyeball transplants are needed, which are next-generation interventions,” they said.
Prevalence data show increases in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma. A variety of conditions including infection, trauma, optic neuropathy, retinitis pigmentosa, or end-stage glaucoma can also lead to total blindness or NLP.
“NLP, as the name suggests, is the most severe form of blindness, and it is irreversible. We know very little about the prevalence of NLP, let alone how best to address this total blindness. There is limited literature on the burden. Our goal is to identify the cause to help develop prevention strategies and, in the future, vision-restoring therapies,” said Dr. Das.
