[Prostaglandins in ophthalmology]

Eyelash serums: A comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Eyelash serums, both prescription and over-the-counter, are gaining popularity for enhancing the appearance of eyelashes through various biologically active molecules. Categorized into prostaglandin analogs and non-prostaglandin analogs, these serums claim increased strength, length, luster, and thickness. Current United States law also requires no efficacy or safety assessments by the Food and Drug Administration before approving products for consumer use, potentially posing health risks for patients seeking over-the-counter eyelash enhancements.

AIMS

Our aims include exploring proposed benefits and adverse effects associated with eyelash serums, while providing evidence-based clinical recommendations on their use. We aim to contribute valuable insights to the understanding of eyelash serums and their respective safety considerations.

METHODS

The authors conducted a comprehensive electronic search across databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar to evaluate eyelash serum ingredients. Articles were evaluated by two independent researchers for relevance, and the ingredients discussed were analyzed and given clinical recommendations for eyelash serums based off the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.

RESULTS

Results highlight bimatoprost's efficacy, supported by numerous studies evaluating safety and adverse effects. Other prostaglandin ingredients show potential benefits, but further studies are encouraged to enhance the understanding of respective safety profiles. While non-prostaglandins ingredients show promising data, more studies are needed due to a lack of formal evidence in eyelash serum use.

CONCLUSION

As the cosmeceutical market for eyelash serums is growing, dermatologists need to be knowledgeable about evidence-based information regarding prescription and over-the-counter eyelash serum products before making recommendations to patients.

[Modern achievements in the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma]

Glaucoma is one of the most difficult and significant ocular conditions. The chronic asymptomatic course of glaucoma progression leads to irreversible deterioration of visual functions. Many aspects of its pathogenesis, the features of its clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment have been identified in recent years. The results of diagnostic methods: tonometry, perimetry, optical coherence tomography - with glaucoma do not have high specificity due to the large diversity of the population. When determining the target intraocular pressure (IOP), we look at the indicators of the choroidal blood flow and biomechanical stress of the cornea and sclera (fibrous membrane of the eye). Studying visual functions is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of glaucoma. The creation of a modern portable device based on a virtual reality helmet allows examination of patients with low central vision. Structural changes in glaucoma affect the optic disc and the inner retinal layers. The proposed classification of atypical discs allows determining the earliest characteristic changes in the neuroretinal rim for glaucoma in cases of difficult diagnosis. The complexity of the diagnosis of glaucoma is also associated with concomitant pathologies in elderly patients. In cases with comorbidity of primary glaucoma and Alzheimer's disease the structural and functional changes revealed by modern research methods for glaucoma are explained by both the process of secondary transsynaptic degeneration and the death of neurons as a result of an increased IOP. The starting treatment is and its type are fundamentally important for preserving visual functions. Drug therapy with prostaglandin analogues contributes to a significant and persistent decrease in the level of IOP, and mainly by utilizing the uveoscleral outflow pathway. Surgical treatment of glaucoma is an effective way to achieve the target IOP values. However, postoperative hypotension affects the bloodstream both in the central and peripapillary retina. Optical coherence tomography angiography helped establishe that the strongest factor that determines postoperative changes is the difference in IOP, not its absolute level.