Newswise — Salt Lake City, Utah — Glaucoma continues to be a public health challenge that affects around 4.22 million Americans and remains the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the U.S. Often called the “silent thief of sight”, glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that damages the optic nerve, the vital link between the eyes and brain. Because early symptoms are rare, many people don't know they have it until permanent vision loss has begun. At the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) — May 4 - 8; Salt Lake City, Utah — researchers from around the world will present promising research findings for identifying, treating and slowing the progression of glaucoma.
The most common treatment for glaucoma is prescription eye drops, which help the eye drain fluid and reduce eye pressure. Depending on the type and severity of glaucoma, laser or traditional surgery are other treatments. New studies being presented at the Annual Meeting focus on refining current treatments, including comparing different laser energy levels to determine which are most effective for reducing eye pressure and improving long-term outcomes. Other research explores ways to protect and possibly regenerate damaged nerve cells, offering hope for slowing or reversing vision loss.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving also to be a powerful tool in glaucoma research. Presenters will show AI has been used to analyze detailed images of the optic nerve to identify patterns of nerve damage and vision loss, insights that could be especially helpful in understanding advanced glaucoma. Some tools even screen for glaucoma by looking at “regular” photos of the back of the eye, even ones taken with phones. Another potential for making screening easy and more accessible.
Researchers investigating links between glaucoma and other health conditions, will present their findings on shared biological pathways that could explain why certain people are more susceptible. This includes one study that discovers open-angle glaucoma (OAG), the most common form of glaucoma where fluid does not drain properly from the eye causing pressure to build up, potentially shares similar root causes with dementia especially in people who have both OAG and type 2 diabetes. This highlights the importance of a whole-body approach when managing eye health.
Another area of study being featured focuses on aging in the eye and how it may increase glaucoma risk. With scientists developing new ways to visualize damage from glaucoma, one group presenting at the Annual Meeting will show the first detailed 3D map of the optic nerve head, the area damaged by glaucoma. The map will be valuable in comparing diseased and healthy eyes, possibly leading to improved diagnosis and treatment strategies.
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The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) is an international eye and vision research organization with more than 10,000 members from over 60 countries. Our Annual Meeting is the premiere global gathering for eye and vision scientists, students, and those in affiliated fields to share the latest research findings and collaborate on innovative solutions. For 2025, the Meeting will be hosted May 4 - 8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Meeting theme, i3: imagining innovation and intelligence in vision science, addresses how vision research is continually being transformed by new information and technologies that are catalyzing our research as we aim to treat, cure and ultimately prevent blinding eye diseases. Learn more at ARVO.org/AM.
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