200 Participants Needed

Lifestyle Changes for Glaucoma

Age: Any Age
Sex: Any
Trial Phase: Academic
Sponsor: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
No Placebo GroupAll trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Our experiments are designed to test the overall hypothesis that position-dependent or water-dependent intra-ocular pressure (IOP) spikes occur in humans, and that these challenge ocular homeostasis.

Do I need to stop my current medications for this glaucoma trial?

The trial information does not specify if you need to stop taking your current medications. It's best to ask the trial organizers for more details.

Is it safe to make lifestyle changes for glaucoma treatment?

Lifestyle changes like diet and exercise are generally safe and can help manage conditions like high blood pressure, which is related to glaucoma. These changes are often as safe as medication and have few risks, especially in older adults.12345

How do lifestyle changes for glaucoma differ from other treatments?

Lifestyle changes for glaucoma focus on modifiable factors like exercise, diet, and smoking cessation, which may influence eye pressure, unlike traditional treatments that typically involve medication to lower eye pressure directly.24567

Research Team

KJ

Karen Joos, MD,PhD

Principal Investigator

Vanderbilt Eye Institute

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for individuals with open-angle glaucoma or normal-pressure glaucoma, as well as those with autonomic dysfunction. Healthy people can also join. Medical students, prisoners, and pregnant women are not eligible to participate.

Inclusion Criteria

You have a dysfunction in your autonomic nervous system.
Healthy individuals.
I have been diagnosed with normal-pressure glaucoma.
See 1 more

Exclusion Criteria

Prisoners
You are pregnant.
Medical students cannot participate in the study.

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Experimental Assessment

Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with postural changes and water drinking

1 day
1 visit (in-person)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after experimental assessments

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Postural change
  • Water drinking
Trial OverviewThe study investigates how drinking water and changing body posture might affect the pressure inside the eye (IOP) in people with different types of glaucoma or autonomic dysfunction compared to healthy individuals.
Participant Groups
4Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: Subjects with normal-pressure glaucomaExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Subjects with open-angle glaucoma damage following a glaucoma specialist's examination without ever an intraocular pressure recording greater than 21 mm Hg. .1. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with postural changes 2. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with water drinking.
Group II: Subjects with autonomic dysfunctionExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Subjects with known autonomic dysfunction diagnoses as defined by the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) such as pure autonomic failure, Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), and Multiple System Atrophy( MSA). 1. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with postural changes 2. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with water drinking.
Group III: Primary open-angle glaucoma subjectsExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Subjects diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma following a glaucoma specialist's examination. 1. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with postural changes 2. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with water drinking.
Group IV: Normal subjectsActive Control2 Interventions
Subjects without evidence of glaucoma or autonomic dysfunction. ..1. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with postural changes 2. Intraocular pressures, blood pressures, and retinal thicknesses are measured with water drinking.

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials
922
Recruited
939,000+

Findings from Research

Lifestyle modifications, such as weight loss, regular exercise, reduced alcohol intake, and dietary changes, are safe and effective treatments for hypertension in elderly patients, yet they are often underutilized by healthcare providers.
These lifestyle changes not only lower blood pressure but also decrease the risk and severity of related health issues, making them a preferable option compared to medication, with minimal contraindications.
The Evidence for Lifestyle Modification in Lowering Blood Pressure in the Elderly.Stanton, JA., Lowenthal, DT.[2019]

References

The Evidence for Lifestyle Modification in Lowering Blood Pressure in the Elderly. [2019]
Glaucoma and mortality risk: findings from a prospective population-based study. [2023]
The Role of Diet in Glaucoma: A Review of the Current Evidence. [2020]
Lifestyle, nutrition, and glaucoma. [2022]
A Prospective Cohort Study of Muscular and Performance Fitness and Incident Glaucoma: The Niigata Wellness Study. [2021]
[Significance of a life style change in arterial hypertension]. [2006]
The role of diet in lowering blood pressure. [2011]