Medical treatment of cataract

Abstract

The incidence of cataract continues to increase with the ageing of the population. Surgical treatment with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation remains the only proven treatment. This, however, is associated with significant cost and is not readily available especially in the developing countries where the prevalence of cataract is the highest. Medical treatment of cataract is therefore a highly desired alternative. Since the last major review of medical treatment of cataract the search for an anti‐cataract agent has advanced on many fronts. Some anti‐cataract drugs, such as carnosine, have now reached clinical trials and showed encouraging results that warrant further investigation. The discovery of an effective medical treatment for cataract is likely to make global impact on eye health. The aims of this paper are to review the literature on the drug therapy of cataract and provide updates of the latest development.

The Impact of Senile Cataract Maturity on Blood Oxidative Stress Markers and Glutathione-Dependent Antioxidants: Relations with Lens Variables

“…According to expe ri men tal studies, ascorbate-or riboflavin-deficient diet leads to enhanced lens and systemic oxidative stress, and may result in cataractogenesis (27). The impact of dietary antioxidants on the reduction of risk of SC is still unresolved, since most of the controlled clinical trials failed to confirm their beneficial effects (28). Plasma GR and GPx activities were in our study evidently related to the maturation stage of SC, thus their synergistic reduction could also be an epiphenomenon of the disease severity.…”

Carnosine and Related Peptides: Therapeutic Potential in Age-Related Disorders

“…The risk factors include smoking, prolonged ultraviolet light (UV) exposure, diabetes mellitus, and high body mass index [65]. Other possible causes include reduced dietary antioxidant intake, severe dehydration, and side effect of drugs such as corticosteroids [66].…”

Modern Possibilities for Prophylaxis of Cataract Progression

“…Кроме того, некоторые глазные капли содержат специально синтезированные химические вещества с антикатарактальным действием. К этим веществам относятся азапентоцин, пиреноксин, кварцетин, глутатион, эффективность которых доказана в экспериментальных и клинических работах [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35].…”