QOL and QOV

2020/11/20

It is said that 80% to 90% of the information we receive in our daily lives comes from our eyes. Because we take in so much information through our eyes, we tend to take it for granted and forget its value, only truly realizing its importance when our visual function declines.

In Japan today, glaucoma is the leading cause of acquired blindness, affecting approximately 5% of people aged 40 and over, or one in 20 individuals (Tajimi Study). Glaucoma is a disease in which the optic nerve on the retina is damaged, leading to a gradual loss of the field of vision. While it has long been attributed to an imbalance between the production and drainage of aqueous humor, leading to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and optic nerve damage, it has been reported that normal-tension glaucoma—where IOP remains within the normal range—accounts for 72% of all glaucoma cases. Consequently, there is a demand for the development of glaucoma treatments with new mechanisms of action in addition to existing IOP-lowering drugs.

On the other hand, globally, cataracts account for more than 50% of the causes of acquired blindness. In Japan, thanks to the efforts of ophthalmologists and ophthalmic equipment manufacturers, cataract surgery has become widely available—now even as a day procedure—and blindness caused by cataracts is limited to about 3%. However, cataracts are a common condition among the elderly, and it is said that almost the entire population will develop them by their 80s. Furthermore, the lack of established effective drug treatments for cataracts will likely become a major issue for Japan as it moves toward becoming a super-aging society.

Tracing the history of medicine, the field of ophthalmology has consistently provided cutting-edge treatments, including transplant medicine through corneal transplants, cataract treatment using intraocular lenses (artificial organs), treatment for age-related macular degeneration using iPS cells, and corneal regenerative medicine. Furthermore, as medical technology advances, average life expectancy has increased, and the effectiveness of treatments for intractable diseases has improved. Consequently, extending healthy life expectancy and maintaining Quality of Life (QOL) will become crucial challenges. To achieve this, improving the quality of visual function—that is, Quality of Vision (QOV)—is essential.

Isn't the work of a researcher, such as writing papers and creating slides, one that strains the eyes? It is important to think about your eyes and give them a rest once in a while. This is truly a "Researcher's Eye."