Glaucoma and Alzheimer’s Disease: Is There a Link?

Scientists are doing their best to find links between various diseases. The more links that can be found between diseases presents a higher likelihood for a solution to both problems. Within the past few decades, researchers have made a link between Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma. Boulder eye doctors are very interested in such research because it provides one more piece of the puzzle when it comes to effectively treating their patients.

What Is the Link between Alzheimer’s Disease and Glaucoma?

The main link between Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma is that they are both neurodegenerative diseases. Glaucoma attacks the optic nerve, causing loss of vision. It is the number one cause of irreversible blindness in the world. In glaucoma Boulder patients are treated as soon as possible in an effort to arrest the disease and prevent further loss of vision.

Alzheimer’s disease is also a neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain, causing dementia that affects the patient’s ability to perform normal, everyday activities. Inside the brain cells of an Alzheimer’s patient are neurofibrillary tangles that contribute to confusion. Outside the brain cells are amyloid beta plaques that inhibit the proper function of the cells.

Besides being neurodegenerative, these diseases are also age-related and irreversible. The link between the two diseases was noted when more and more doctors recognized that the majority of their Alzheimer’s patients also presented with glaucoma. It seems that glaucoma is a good indicator as to whether or not a patient will develop Alzheimer’s. The link between the two has more to do with the breakdown of the nerve fibers than it does with the pressure within the eye.

Can Medications for Alzheimer’s be Used to Treat Glaucoma?

Boulder eye doctors who explain the link between the two diseases are often asked if the medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease be used to treat glaucoma as well? This is an interesting and very important question to consider. After all, glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness and has no symptoms. Being able to effectively treat this disease with a drug that has helped Alzheimer’s patients is an exciting prospect.

In 2007, researchers at UCLA found that the amyloid beta plaques found in Alzheimer’s patients cause nerve cells to die in the retina. The research team then tested new Alzheimer’s medications that are still in the testing phase on glaucoma patients. These medications target the amyloid beta plaques. There are a number of other trials as well, testing the effectiveness of other Alzheimer’s drugs on glaucoma. The results so far have researchers extremely excited.

A Lasting Solution to Both Problems: Continued Research Is Necessary

While there are currently no drugs that can reverse or cure Alzheimer’s or glaucoma, there is still hope. Researchers continue to test theories, trying to find links between diseases and medications. And, technology continually advances, allowing researchers to study links they’ve never been able to before. With time, quality research, and technological advances, it is just a matter of time before more solutions to these diseases present themselves.