Research: Subjects for Glaucoma Study Sought

Researchers are seeking people at risk of developing glaucoma to take part in a nationwide study on whether the disease can be prevented or delayed through the early use of prescription eyedrops.

UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute and Charles R. Drew University are urging people between the ages of 40 and 80 who believe they may develop glaucoma to contact Rebecca Ann Rudenko at (213) 563-5903 about free screenings.

Under the study, sponsored by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health, randomly selected participants will receive eye medications at no charge and will not be billed for research costs.

Their insurance carriers, however, will be billed for standard medical care.

Those at greater risk of glaucoma, or ocular hypertension, include people who have diabetes or high blood pressure, those who are nearsighted, those with a family history of glaucoma and those of African ancestry.

Organizers say the study will involve prescription eyedrops that have long been used safely to treat glaucoma, not experimental drugs.