• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.102-116
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• 2023

Objectives: To provide a case report of effective use of Korean herbal medicine treatment to reduce the development and progression of normal-tension glaucoma(NTG). Methods: This case involved a 52-year-old patient who had a history of excimer laser surgery at the age of 25 and was using prescriptions such as Cosopts2 and Xalatan for eye drops. We treated this patient with Korean herbal medicine treatment for 2 years and assessed the progression of NTG based on the optical coherence tomography test results that he recevied at the ophthalmology clinic every 6 months. Results: During the two years of treatment with Korean herbal medicine, it was observed that the progression of NTG was halted. However, after discontinuing the Korean herbal treatment, the progression resumed. Conclusion: Korean herbal medicine treatment was found to be effective in treating normal tension glaucoma, and a minimum treatment period of two years is necessary for an accurate evaluation of NTG.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.224-232
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• 2020

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide and is characterized by degeneration of the optic nerve. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major contributing factor to optic nerve damage. However, some patients develop glaucoma even with normal IOP. Other factors, including age, race, myopia, and nutrition, can affect glaucoma risk. Dietary fat intake and serum fatty acid composition are closely related with the fatty acid profile of the retina and thus can modulate glaucoma risk. In this study, we collected serum samples from 34 glaucoma patients (26 primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and 8 normal tension glaucoma (NTG)) and 45 healthy controls and analyzed their serum phospholipid fatty acid concentrations. The results show that the ratio of oleic acid to stearic acid (OA/SA), which is an indicator of stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity, was higher in POAG patients when compared to normal controls. The ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (EPA/AA), which is an indirect marker of eicosanoid biosynthesis, was also higher in glaucoma patients (p=0.048). These results imply that dietary fatty acid intake and serum fatty acid profile can influence glaucoma risk. Additional study is necessary to identify the relationship between fatty acids and glaucoma.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.58 no.8
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• pp.960-967
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• 2017

Purpose: To compare the macular choroidal thickness in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) with those with normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods: A total of 70 normal eyes, 74 eyes with TAO and 60 eyes with NTG were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) (Cirrus HD-OCT, Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA, USA). Macular choroidal thickness was assessed using enhanced depth imaging. The average macular choroidal thickness was defined as the average value of three measurements: at the fovea and at the points located 1.5 mm in the nasal and temporal directions from the fovea. Generalized estimating equations were used to uncover factors affecting the average macular choroidal thickness. Results: The average, superior and inferior quadrant retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses were significantly thinner in the NTG group compared with the TAO and control groups (p < 0.001). The average macular choroidal thickness of the TAO group, NTG group and controls was $281.01{\pm}60.06{\mu}m$, $241.66{\pm}55.00{\mu}m$ and $252.07{\pm}55.05{\mu}m$, respectively, which were significantly different (p = 0.013). The subfoveal, nasal and temporal side choroidal thicknesses were significantly thinner in the NTG group compared with the TAO group (p = 0.014, 0.012 and 0.034, respectively). Subjects with TAO were associated with a thicker average macular choroidal thickness compared with the NTG group after adjusting for age, sex, spherical equivalent and intraocular pressure (${\beta}=32.61$, p = 0.017). Conclusions: Macular choroidal thickness was significantly thicker in patients with TAO compared with those with NTG. Further evaluation is required to determine if a thick choroid in subjects with TAO has any role in glaucomatous optic neuropathy.