What is Presbyopia?
Everyone knows what happens when you start to mature in years. Instead of picking up the morning paper and diving right in, you first don your reading glasses. But what is the root cause? Say hello to age-related blurry vision.
Presbyopia, otherwise known as age-related blurry vision, is an age-related eye condition causing the eye to lose the ability to focus on objects up close. This all too familiar condition affects an estimated 128 million Americans, nearly half of the entire US population. Most patients first notice it between 40 and 65.
What is the cause of presbyopia?
Most vision problems are known as “refractive conditions.” This is because the light entering through the cornea refracts (bends) onto the retina, allowing us to see. When the lens is shaped incorrectly, the light doesn’t focus properly, making your vision blurry. These refractive errors are: myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), and astigmatism.
Although the two display similar symptoms, presbyopia is not to be confused with farsightedness (hyperopia). While both conditions result in blurry near vision, hyperopia is often hereditary.
Presbyopia is not caused by a misshaped eye, but by the lens hardening with age. The lens is flexible, adjusting to focus on different objects. So when the lens hardens, it negatively impacts your ability to focus on close-up objects.
VUITY: Eye drops for blurry vision
Age-related vision changes are normally treated with eyeglasses or contact lenses, a hassle that can have people leaving readers in every drawer between the house and the office. Now there is another presbyopia treatment option. Instead of reading glasses, bifocals, or even multifocal lenses, some patients can now benefit from a prescription eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia. VUITY (made by Allergan, an AbbVie company) is a brilliant new advancement in the world of optometry.
VUITY (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) leads the nation with its introduction of presbyopia eye drops approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2021.
At this time, VUITY eye drops are not a suitable solution for the treatment of all ocular conditions. However, it is a revolutionary product for those suffering from age-related presbyopia.
Future possibilities exist to use VUITY to treat other eye conditions beyond those suffering from presbyopic eyes. Interested parties should look to their local eye doctor (Ophthalmologist or Optometrist).
How does VUITY work?
The key ingredient in Allergan’s solution is a proprietary formulation of pilocarpine. Pilocarpine has been used by eye doctors and other medical professionals to treat various eye conditions.
VUITY is known as a miotic drop. It utilizes the pilocarpine to constrict the subject’s pupil size, creating a pinhole effect, and allowing increased depth of focus in the eyes. The constricted pupil size improves the user’s close-up vision without compromising their farsighted vision. The effect that happens is similar to that of a movie or photograph – both the background and foreground are focused.
Ophthalmologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Dr. Christopher Starr, confirmed this when he explained that as pupil diameter constricts, people don’t sacrifice distance vision while increasing their depth of focus.
VUITY and tear film
Age doesn’t just decrease the flexibility of the lens, it also impacts the proteins necessary for healthy eye function.
Healthy tear film of the eye is essential for eye comfort, environment and immune protection, and forming the adequately smooth and refractive surface necessary for good vision. VUITY’s therapeutic solution alters the pH of the tear film, allowing a presbyopic eye to use its own ability to constrict pupil size, in turn improving the user’s visual acuity of close-up objects.
How much will VUITY eye drops cost?
This new presbyopia therapy can be prescribed by an eye doctor. The drops are used once a day in each eye and begin working as fast as 15 minutes after administration. The corrected vision lasts 6 to 10 hours. VUITY is not presently covered under insurance, putting a potential user about $79 out of pocket for a thirty-day supply (2.5-milliliter bottle).
The VUITY clinical study
FDA approval of VUITY for use in presbyopia correction came from data obtained through two clinical trials: given the names GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2. The clinical studies included 750 participants ages 40 to 55, all with diagnosed age-related presbyopia. Participants were given either VUITY or a placebo, in equal ratios, and instructed to apply one drop per eye each day.
On day 30, a “statistically significant portion” of participants using VUITY showed an ability to detect an additional three lines (or more) on a reading chart in low light conditions. They lost no more than one line in detecting a reading chart at further distances.
The findings in those treated with VUITY contrasted vastly with those participants given a placebo solution.
VUITY side effects and recommendations
No serious adverse events or side effects were recorded in the clinical study. The primary side effects recorded were mild headaches and eye redness.
Side effects depend on the tolerance of the individual being administered VUITY. Allergan does advise that, while temporary, problems adjusting from near objects to distant objects may occur. Allergan does state that these are not all of the possible side effects of VUITY.
Anyone using another eye drop in conjunction with VUITY should administer them at least 5 minutes apart to avoid any potential side effects not listed.
Allergan does caution potential users not to seek VUITY if they are allergic to any ingredients While actively using VUITY, use caution while driving at night or performing potentially dangerous tasks in low light conditions.
Eye drops to replace reading glasses?
A person under the positive effects of VUITY will likely not need eyeglasses. However, with the average retirement age in the United States at 62, it is unlikely that VUITY will replace glasses anytime soon.
The therapeutic effects of the eye drops last about 6 hours, shorter than the average workday. Even with this revolutionary advancement, it still might be a good idea to keep an extra pair of reading glasses in the car or desk drawer.
These FDA-approved eye drops are sitting with a price tag of $79 a month, making eyeglasses and readers still the cheaper option. Insurance companies have not evaluated VUITY to be medically necessary, making the prospect of the eye drops being covered by insurance unlikely.
Why choose Assil Gaur Eye Institute for your eye care?
At AGEI, you will experience a state-of-the-art health care facility that brings together revolutionary technologies with experienced vision care professionals. Our goal is to help you achieve your personal best vision. Our doctors are experts in LASIK as well as the treatment of cataracts and glaucoma.
Please call 866-945-2745 or visit us here to make an appointment online. If you are experiencing any concerning symptoms, contact us immediately to determine the best time to schedule an exam.
At Assil Gaur Eye Institute we take our patients’ safety seriously. Our facility’s COVID-19 patient safety procedures exceed all CDC recommendations. Masks are required in our institutes at all times.
We are conveniently located for patients throughout Southern California and the Los Angeles area at locations in or near Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, and Downtown Los Angeles.
Dr. Harris continued her education at Pennsylvania College of Optometry where she received another bachelor’s degree in vision sciences and then a doctorate of Optometry. While at the college, she served as an ambassador to the school and a tutor for her fellow professional colleagues. Her clinical and classroom work yielded academic achievement awards and bid her membership in the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society.
She completed clinical rotations during her fourth year at a few private practices in addition to the William Feinbloom Low Vision Rehabilitation Center and Hahneman Hospital in Philadelphia.
- Why Does Pregnancy Cause Blurry Vision? Should I Be Worried? - 04/18/2023
- Eye Disease from Diabetes: A Leading Cause of Blindness - 01/09/2023
- Could these eye drops replace reading glasses? - 04/04/2022
