According to a recent UK study, one out of every three people over the age of 65 has a cataract. What is it? Age-related cataracts occur when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy and then opaque, often over a period of many years. At first, the vision may not be affected much at all. Blurriness is the most common incipient symptom. If left untreated, however, cataracts may lead to total blindness in one or both eyes.
What can patients do? If you have a cataract there are really only two choices: you can have surgery to have it removed or you can start taking medication. Most people opt for the former. Cataract surgery is one of the most common procedures in the UK. There were more than a quarter of a million successful surgeries in Britain just last year. But some older folks are terrified of going under the knife and they choose to investigate the other option.
Years ago, there really wasn't much out there. But a new drug called Can-C cataract eye drops has proven remarkably effective at treating age-related cataracts. The medicine contains a natural compound called N-Actylcarnosine, which is applied directly to the affected area.
How does it work? Like the surgery itself, the drops improve vision by increasing the amount of light that passes through the lens. But instead of actually removing the cataract, the eye drops make it fade away after a period of several weeks or months.
Now, we're not claiming that the drug is a cure. But the test results have been uniformly promising. In one six-month trial, 90 percent of patients reported improved visual acuity. Nine out of ten patients also reported a reduction in glare sensitivity.