Alzheimer's, ALS and Parkinson's possible consequences of glaucomatous disease.
Professors Paolo Frezzotti and Nicola De Stefano from the University of Siena presented on Wednesday 15 June, at the 'Giovanni Spadolini' Senate Library, the results of the research they conducted on "Glaucoma and neurodegeneration. A frontier to be explored"funded by IRIFOR and aimed at shedding light on the clinical and therapeutic aspects of glaucoma, with a focus on neurodegenerative aspects.
"Glaucoma is a sneaky disease, completely asymptomatic in its early stages, with absolute irreparable damage and intraocular pressure as the main risk factor - says Prof. Paolo Frezzotti. - The very definition of glaucoma today is based on a concept of neurodegeneration in the retinal ganglion cells that is independent of an intraocular pressure value, so much so that glaucoma can progress even when the eye pressure is at values considered physiological. Understanding at what level this neurodegeneration is present is a challenge for those trying to investigate the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of this disease."
Prof. Nicola De Stefano illustrated the research results that somehow associate the mechanisms leading to glaucomatous disease with other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that not only the optic pathways, but also related pathways, are involved in the neurodegenerative process, in particular damage to the area responsible for visual memory was evident. The results of the research will soon be published in the scientific journal Human Brain Mapping.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. In fact, it is estimated that more than 55 million people suffer from glaucoma, a disease that in its early stages can strike without giving symptoms. About one million people in Italy suffer from it, but one in two people still do not know this. Glaucoma mainly affects people over 40, and most often the disease is associated with excessively high eye pressure that damages the optic nerve. It is, therefore, crucial to invest in research and prevention.
In this regard, Mario Barbuto, National President of IRIFOR and the Italian Union of the Blind and Visually Impaired, said "As IRIFOR and as a Union, we consider it fundamental to become an entity that stimulates and promotes scientific research, also trying to recover those public and private funds that go in this direction. We do not have great means but a wealth of institutional credibility, and we will gladly make these resources available for research actions such as this one."
A common commitment, expressed by the Tuscan IAPB Regional President Giorgio Ricci, in favour of prevention and research also in the international sphere, through humanitarian support interventions in poor countries, and in Africa in particular. In his address, the Undersecretary of State for Health, Vito De Filippo, emphasised the importance of prevention, a prevention that will increasingly have to be guaranteed by the Ministry of Health, also in view of the forthcoming entry into force of the new tariff nomenclature.
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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