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One of the world’s leading causes of irreversible vision loss could begin with elevated eye pressure, according to a recent study published in the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Yi Hua, a biomedical engineering professor at the University of Mississippi, partnered with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh to study how ocular hypertension – elevated eye pressure – affects the eye.

“We wanted to see how intraocular pressure changes and deforms the blood vessels in the eye,” Hua said. “If we can understand that, we can inform drug delivery to improve blood flow in the back of the eye. That can slow down the progression of glaucoma.”

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, leading to irreversible vision loss. It is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Glaucoma is sometimes called the “silent thief of sight,” with symptoms often not becoming apparent until the damage is extensive.

“This can lead us to a new way to diagnose glaucoma earlier,” said Yuankai Lu, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Pittsburgh and co-author of the study. “If this finding holds true, then we can use blood flow supply to predict the development of this disease.”

Pressure inside the eye can increases when aqueous humor – a clear fluid produced by the eye – does not properly drain. The buildup of fluid increases pressure on the lamina cribrosa, a mesh-like structure in the optic nerve head, which can constrict blood vessels, reducing oxygen flow to nerve cells and other parts of the eye.

Without oxygen, these cells can die, leading to loss of sight.

“We want to understand this problem so we can develop new drug pathways for patients,” Hua said. “We still do not have an efficient way to slow down the progression of glaucoma. The only way is to reduce eye pressure.

“But for some patients, even though we’ve reduced the eye pressure, the damage progresses, and they still lose vision. So, we need better methods.”

The researchers used a combination of 3D modeling and fluorescent dye to trace the path of blood flow through the eye under various amounts of pressure. They found even mildly elevated eye pressure can distort blood vessels and lead to hypoxia, an oxygen deficit. Extreme eye pressure led to hypoxia in approximately 30% of the lamina cribrosa tissue.

“The eye can weather a short-lived increase in eye pressure,” said Ian Sigal, associate professor of ophthalmology and bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh. “For instance, when we rub our eyes lightly. But a chronic increase of weeks, months or years can cause substantial damage.

“The vision loss resulting from this damage cannot be recovered. Hence, it is crucial to find ways to detect the disease and prevent the damage before it happens.”

Previous research has correlated elevated eye pressure with glaucoma, but did not explain how those issues were related, Lu said.

“Most glaucoma research is based on statistics, which can give you a correlation,” he said. “But it was actually very difficult to discover the mechanics of it.

“By combining imaging techniques with 3D modeling, we gained a more comprehensive understanding of blood flow and oxygen distribution in the eye.”

Treatment options are available for elevated eye pressure, but they are most effective for patients who undergo regular eye examinations and are diagnosed early, especially if they are at risk of developing glaucoma, Hua said.

Risk factors include medical conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, a family history of the disease and race, as studies show that Black and Latino individuals are more likely to be affected.

“We really want to raise awareness of this issue,” Hua said. “A lot of people know the risk of high blood pressure, but we want to also raise the importance of elevated eye pressure.” 

Reference:

Yuankai Lu, Impact of Elevated Intraocular Pressure on Lamina Cribrosa Oxygenation: A Combined Experimental–Computational Study on Monkeys, Ophthalmology Science, DOI10.1016/j.xops.2025.100725 

A new study published in The Journal of Urology found that low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave therapy (LI-SWT) did not significantly improve erectile dysfunction (ED) in men post-radical prostatectomy when compared to a sham procedure. Fewer than 20% of men in the LI-SWT group achieved erections sufficient for sexual intercourse. 

Even with nerve-sparing procedures, ED is still a serious side effect following radical prostatectomy. According to a 2009 meta-analysis, 58% of patients recovered their erectile function overall following prostatectomy, meaning that a sizable portion of patients still experienced ED after the procedure.

Due to the poor efficacy of current therapies, innovative strategies are desperately needed. For many years, a variety of medical specialties have employed extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT). By encouraging neoangiogenesis and nerve regeneration, low-intensity extracorporeal shock wave treatment has demonstrated potential for vasculogenic ED.

Furthermore, there is evidence that shock wave treatment may enhance the way phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors work. Although there is little research on LI-SWT’s effects following prostatectomy, the findings are promising. The precise mode of action is still uncertain, though. Thus, to fill a significant need in the available rehabilitation alternatives, this study assessed whether LI-SWT might enhance erectile function in individuals who had undergone a prostatectomy.

A total of 75 subjects in all were randomly assigned to either LI-SWT or a sham therapy. A zero-inflated negative binomial model was used to assess the IIEF scores, and suitable nonparametric techniques, such as binary transformation for clinically significant outcomes, were used to the ordinal EHS data.

With a ratio of 1.2 (95% CI: 0.1-2.4, P =.469), the zero-inflated model for IIEF scores revealed no discernible difference between treatment groups. The LI-SWT group’s estimated median IIEF score at 24 weeks after treatment was 4, whereas the sham group’s was 4. With median scores at 24 weeks of 2 in the LI-SWT group compared to 2 in the sham group, there was no discernible treatment benefit for EHS.

At 24 weeks, 18% (95% CI: 9%-34%) of patients in the LI-SWT group and 26% (95% CI: 14%-43%) of patients in the sham group had sufficient erection hardness (EHS ≥3) (P =.552). Overall, the results support that LI-SWT is not likely to be a successful therapeutic option for ED following a prostatectomy. 

Reference:

Pedersen, T. B., Secher, C., Moumneh, A., Hvid, N., Lund, M., Fojecki, G., & Lund, L. (2025). A prospective randomized study on low-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy. The Journal of Urology, 214(2), 156–166. https://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000004576

New Delhi: Delhi Police has issued a lookout circular (LOC) against Vicky Ramancha, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a pharmaceutical company, for allegedly duping a US-based firm of over Rs 180 crore in a fraudulent Ozempic supply deal.