Better Glaucoma Treatment For African Americans (NAPSA)—Doctors say they have found ways to improve the treatment of glaucoma in African Americans, who are six to eight times more prone to developing the disease than non-African Americans. Glaucomaaffects about three million Americans, total, and is usually characterized by elevated pressure in the eye. The pressure gradually causes vision loss and eventually blindness. African Americans are 14 to 17 times morelikely to go blind from the condition. The problem is compounded by the fact that many current glaucoma medications have been shown to beless effective for African Americans than other groups. However, studies now show a drug called LUMIGAN is equally effective in AfricanAmerican patients as in other groupsof people. It’s thought the newswill help doctors better treat the disease. “Knowing that African Americans are at greatest risk of losing their sight from glaucoma, it’s crucial for doctors to initiate a medical therapy that has been proven to effectively lower and control eye pressures in this population,” says Eve Higginbotham, M.D., director of the glaucoma services at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Higginbotham says the new drug maydo just that. LUMIGANis indicated to lower elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension who are intolerant of or do not respond to other IOP Doctors say they can now treat patients with glaucoma more effectively than ever before. lowering medications. LUMIGAN has a favorable safety profile and is well-tolerated by patients. The most frequently reported adverse events occurring in approximately 15 percent to 45 percent of patients dosed once daily, in descending order of incidence, were conjunctival hyperemia, growth of eyelashes and ocular pruritus. Gradual eyelash growth (lengthening, darkening and thickening) and darkening of the eyelid skin were reported after treatment with LuMIGANn. Some changes may be permanent. For more information about glaucoma or to find out if LuMIGAN is right for you, talk to your eye-care professional and visit www.lumigan.com.
