THEGLAUCOMAFOUNDATION

NEWSLETTER

S U M M E R 2 0 1 0

As of mid-June, 11 states and DC havepending legislation or ballot measuresthat would allow patients to usemarijuana as medicine for certainconditions or illnesses. Another 14states have already legalized themedical use of marijuana. In many ofthese states, the illnesses cited includeglaucoma among other conditionsranging from cancer to multiplesclerosis, arthritis, migraines, severenausea and seizures.

Glaucoma is often cited by advocatesof legalization because marijuana canlower the pressure inside the eye, andelevated intraocular pressure can leadto damage of the optic nerve and lossof vision. But medical experts believethat marijuana could actually proveharmful for glaucoma patients.

"We are afraid that people will self-treat their glaucoma with marijuana,”says Dr. James Tsai, chairman of TGF’sMedical Advisory Board andchairman of the Department ofOphthalmology and Visual Science atYale University School of Medicine.“They think that even if thisunconventional therapy doesn'twork, it can't possibly hurt theirdisease. However, studies suggest thatit might in fact be damaging.”

Glaucoma experts believe it is ill-advised to use marijuana to treat thedisease for two reasons. Marijuanaonly lowers pressure for several hours,requiring patients to continuouslymedicate day and night. Failing to doso can lead to a rebound spike in eyepressure, which can be damaging.There is also growing evidence that

inadequate blood supply to the opticnerve may contribute to glaucomadamage. Since marijuana givensystemically is known to lower bloodpressure, it is possible that such aneffect could lead to optic nervedamage. Moreover, marijuana’s moodaltering effects would prevent thepatient who is using it from driving,operating heavy machinery, andfunctioning at maximum mentalcapacity.

The American Glaucoma Society wasconcerned enough that it publishedan editorial in the February issue ofthe Journal of Glaucoma, warningagainst marijuana use to treatglaucoma. “Marijuana, or itscomponents administered system-ically, cannot be recommendedwithout a long term trial whichevaluates the health of the opticnerve,” said the editorial.

“Although marijuana can lower theintraocular pressure (IOP), its sideeffects and short duration of action,coupled with a lack of evidence thatits use alters the course of glaucoma,preclude recommending this drug inany form for the treatment ofglaucoma at the present time.

“Unless a well tolerated formulationof a marijuana-related compoundwith a much longer duration of actionis shown in rigorous clinical testing toreduce damage to the optic nerve andpreserve vision, there is no scientificbasis for use of these agents in thetreatment of glaucoma.”

Marijuana for GlaucomaPatients Beware!

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Dear Friends:

It may still be summer, but we are looking ahead to the fall, planning TheGlaucoma Foundation’s 17th Annual Think Tank, the primary research event ofour calendar year. This annual scientific gathering is the only forum for acommunity-wide discussion on developing new approaches to preventing andcuring blindness from glaucoma. It seems the ideal forum for the glaucomacommunity to discuss the “Complex Genetics and Genomics of Glaucoma,” thisyear’s timely theme.

Bringing together people working in glaucoma research and other areas ofophthalmology with scientists working in other disciplines has been the ThinkTank’s unique formula to stimulate discussion that can lead to novel researchideas.

Last year’s Think Tank focused on exfoliation syndrome (XFS), the mostcommon type of secondary glaucoma with an aggressive course and resistanceto medical therapy. It is most encouraging that two of six new research grantsjust approved by the Board of Directors will be used to study aspects of thissyndrome.

The approval in June of these six grants, totaling $260,000 in funding, is arecord number of grants awarded by TGF in one grant cycle. The projects willbe conducted at university centers in Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Durham, NC;Honolulu, HI; Quebec, Canada and Mainz, Germany.

Private funding remains critical to funding the types of innovative projects thatThe Glaucoma Foundation has historically encouraged. We are most gratefulfor the ongoing support from so many. And it is gratifying that already in 2010we have received $500,000 in bequests from friends and others not previouslyknown to us – individuals who have sought out The Foundation because theyshare our ultimate mission of eradicating blindness from glaucoma.

As we work toward finding new treatments and hopefully a cure, we continueto reach out to glaucoma patients through our website, newsletter,educational programs and online support groups. Most recently, we havelaunched a monthly electronic newsletter to update the glaucoma communitywith valuable news and information.

We value the role that you, our long-time friends, play in all these efforts andare grateful for your ongoing commitment.

Sincerely,

Scott R. ChristensenPresidentChief Executive Officer

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gregory K. Harmon, MDChairman of the Board

Joseph M. LaMottaChairman Emeritus

Robert Ritch, MDMedical Director, Vice President & SecretaryProfessor & Chief, Glaucoma ServiceThe New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

William C. Baker

Salvatore P. CiampoSenior DirectorAlbert Einstein College of Medicine

Joseph M. CohenChairmanJ.M. Cohen & Company

Peter J. Crowley

David G. CushmanPresidentD.A. Cushman Realty Corporation

Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, PhDAssociate ProfessorMassachusetts Institute of Technology

David FellowsPresident, Vision Care New VenturesVistakon

Murray Fingeret, ODProfessorSUNY College of Optometry

Barry FriedbergFriedbergMilstein, LLC

Ilene Giaquinta

Debora K. Grobman, Esq.

Barbara W. Hearst

Chuck F.V. ImhofStaff Vice President, New York SalesDelta Airlines, Inc.

Gerald Kaiser, Esq.

Paul L. Kaufman, MDPeter A. Duehr Professor and ChairDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Theodore Krupin, MDProfessor of OphthalmologyNorthwestern University Medical School

Susan LaVentureExecutive DirectorNational Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments

Martin R. LewisMartin R. Lewis Associates

Jeffrey M. Liebmann, MDClinical Professor of OphthalmologyDirector, Glaucoma ServiceManhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital

Maurice H. Luntz, MDEmeritus Clinical ProfessorThe Mount Sinai School of MedicineEmeritus Director Glaucoma ServiceManhattan, Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital

Kenneth Mortenson

Susan A. Murphy

Sheldon M. Siegel

James C. Tsai, MDChairman of the Medical Advisory BoardProfessor & ChairmanDepartment of Ophthalmology & Visual ScienceYale School of Medicine

Mary Jane Voelker

Irving Wolbrom

Alcon Laboratories, Inc.Robert WarnerVice President, U.S. Pharmaceutical Products

Allergan, Inc.Julian GangolliCorporate Vice PresidentPresident, North American Pharmaceuticals

Pfizer, Inc.Tracy M. ValorieSenior DirectorWorldwide Commercial Lead OphthalmicGlaucoma Asset Lead, Pfizer Ophthalmics

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Scott R. Christensen

Letter from the President

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Doctor, I Have a Question. DIHAQQuestions answered by:Dr. Murray FingeretMember, TGF Medical Advisory BoardProfessor, SUNY College of OptometryChief, Optometry Section, VA NYHHCS, Brooklyn Campus

Can glaucoma be prevented? Most types of glaucoma cannot be

prevented. And while vision loss due toglaucoma can not be recovered, further visionloss can hopefully be prevented withappropriate treatment. Early detection,ongoing treatment and monitoring are keyfactors to limiting damage from the disease,which lasts a lifetime. Some types of secondaryglaucoma, for example resulting from an eyeinjury, such as being hit in the eye by a ball, orfrom certain diseases, such as diabetes, may bepreventable with measures such as protectiveeyewear to avoid eye injuries and propermanagement of diabetes.

Do eye drops lose theireffectiveness over a longperiod of time?

Different drops work for different lengths oftime in various people. Although dropssometimes work for decades, over time someof the medications you are using may start towork less well or the reduced effect of thedrop may simply reflect the progression of thedisease process. For this reason, it is importantto have regular checkups so adjustments toyour treatment can be made by your physicianbefore your condition worsens. Adjustmentsmay include changing the drops you are usingor using a different combination of drops thatmay be more effective in controlling thepressure in your eye.

What can I do for my dryeye condition?

Dry and irritated eyes, particularly commonamong older people, can be related to a hot,dry climate, airplane travel, too many hours infront of a computer screen, or even takingsome types of glaucoma medications. The maintreatment for relief is the use of lubricatingartificial tears, available as over-the-countereye drops, to replace natural tears and alsoprovide an artificial protective coating for theeye. Leave at least five minutes betweenapplications of the eye drops used to treatglaucoma and the artificial tears, in order tokeep from washing the glaucoma drop out ofthe eye. Generally, the artificial tears should beused after the glaucoma eye drops. For moresevere cases, a thicker gel or ointment can beused at night or a prescriptive artificial tear isavailable.

Are diabetics at greater riskfor glaucoma?

While the link between diabetes and primaryopen-angle glaucoma (POAG), the mostcommon form of the disease, hasn’t beenproven conclusively, some new studies arepointing in that direction. There’s also oneform of the disease, neovascular glaucoma,that is known to be directly related todiabetes. The most important thing anyonewith diabetes can do is to get regular annualeye exams for glaucoma and other serious eyediseases associated with diabetes.

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THE LIFESTYLE CONNECTION

Several important federally-fundedglaucoma clinical trials haverecently released new reports ontheir findings.

The Ocular Hypertension TreatmentStudy (OHTS), sponsored by theNational Institutes of Health (NIH)-National Eye Institute (NEI), ranfrom 1994 until 2009. The studyexamined the value of earlier vs.later treatment in preventingprimary open-angle glaucoma inindividuals with ocularhypertension – i.e. individualswhose eye pressure (IOP) is higherthan normal but who have no opticnerve damage or visual field loss.

For the first seven years, half of the subjectswith elevated IOP received eye drops. Theother half were closely monitored but receivedno medication. That first phase determinedthat eye drops to lower IOP reduce the chanceof developing glaucoma by more than 50percent.

Reporting on the study’s second phase,researchers have now determined that forsome people, close monitoring is anappropriate option to medication if noglaucoma damage has occurred. Patients athigher risk, such as those who have elevatedpressure and another risk factor, should betreated with pressure-lowering drops.

The key risk factors considered: the patient’sage (older age increases risk), more elevatedIOP, cup/disc ratio (a measure of theappearance of the optic nerve visible insidethe eye – higher values increase the risk),corneal thickness (thinner corneas increase therisk) and pattern standard deviation (ameasurement derived from computerizedvisual field tests).

Individuals of African ancestry as a groupappear to have thinner corneas and a slightlydifferent anatomical structure of the opticnerve than other ethnic backgrounds. Because

of elevated risk, screeningand close monitoring forglaucoma are particularlyappropriate.

TGF board member Dr.Jeffrey M. Liebmann,principal investigator at theNew York Eye and EarInfirmary clinical site of thestudy, stressed theimportance of regular eyeexaminations and talking toyour doctor about your riskfor developing the diseaseand whether you shouldhave preventative treatment.

The coordinating study center for thisnationwide project was at WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.

The NEI-funded African Descent and GlaucomaEvaluation Study (ADAGES), begun in 2002, isdesigned to identify factors that account fordifferences in the onset of glaucoma and itsrate of progression between individuals ofAfrican and European descent.

Clinical observations demonstrate that primaryopen-angle glaucoma (POAG), the mostcommon form of the disease, appears 10 yearsearlier in persons of African ancestry andprogresses more rapidly. Glaucoma is aboutfour times more common in African-Americans.

Among the goals of the study is gatheringinformation to determine which advancedimaging techniques can best detect damage tothe optic nerve related to glaucoma. Anobjective is to define differences in optic disc,retinal nerve fiber layer, and macular structurebetween participants of African and Europeandescent. Dr. Christopher Girkin of theUniversity of Alabama, one of the lead investi-gators, predicted that developments inimaging will one day enable researchers toview individual cells in the eye and determinephysiological changes that could be associated

Clinical Trials Update

continued on page 64

THE LIFESTYLE CONNECTION

While the keys of glaucoma therapy arelowering intraocular pressure (IOP) withmedication, laser treatment or surgery, there issome evidence that a regular aerobic programcan help support your medical therapy.

Studies have looked at different types ofaerobic exercise – bicycling, brisk walking,jogging, swimming, gym conditioning – anddetermined that IOP falls substantially withaerobic type exercise three times a week, withelevated heart and respiratory rates sustainedfor 20 to 30 minutes. Some studies also havefound that exercise improves blood flow to theretina and optic nerve. But there’s a catch. Thebenefit continues only as long as you continueexercising. In a study of sedentary glaucomasuspects, just three weeks of deconditioningundid the beneficial effects.

There are also some types ofexercise to avoid as they mayhave a negative impact on IOP.Exercises in which you stand onyour head or shoulders orinvert your body – as in upside-down yoga positions, scubadiving and bungee jumping –should be avoided as they canraise IOP. Exercises in which youinhale and then hold yourbreath – as in weightlifting –appear to have a negativeimpact on IOP as well.

Also, some forms of glaucoma(such as closed angle) are not

responsive to the effects of exercise and others(such as pigmentary glaucoma) may develop atemporary increase in IOP after vigorous high-impact exercise.

The bottom line? While a regular program ofmoderate exercise will have multiple benefitsfor your overall health, always check with yourophthalmologist and your general physicianbefore starting any new exercise regime!

And remember that while drinking plenty offluid is important before, during and afterexercising, drink fluids slowly. Drinking a quartof water within 15 to 30 minutes can cause arise in IOP. Use common sense as to how fast itgoes down!

Exercise and GlaucomaStaying Fit is Good for your Eyes

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Patient Support in the MidwestLiane Seyk, who heads upTGF’s Midwest chapterefforts, got involved withthe Foundation someyears ago, when shebrowsed the websiteregarding her ownglaucoma. That led to herattending TheFoundation’s annual

Scientific Think Tank, and to her interest in startingup a program in the Chicago area, where she lives.

“Patients should be educated consumers,” she says.“Too many don’t know what to ask their doctors orare afraid to ask important questions. Chapterprograms can help them be knowledgeable abouttheir disease. That’s very important to me.”

But setting up chapter programs is not easy. Thekey, Seyk believes, is to reach out to the medicalcommunity, to forge a relationship and convincedoctors that collaborative efforts will benefit theirpatients. The first step, perhaps the most difficult, isto have a doctor or medical group let their patientsknow that such support exists in their community.

Her greatest success has been in Madison, Wisconsin,home of the University of Wisconsin, where her ownophthalmologist works and resides and where aclinic exists. “We’ve had over 100 patients involvedand get an average of 40 to 50 people to come toour programs, where different speakers address avariety of pertinent issues.” The three most popular,according to Ms. Seyk, are discussions about thenature of glaucoma, about glaucoma medicationsand about cataracts and glaucoma. These programsalso serve to introduce the community to TheGlaucoma Foundation and its role in fighting thedisease and educating the patient community.

Efforts continue in the Chicago area, with plans tobegin a program on Chicago’s South Side to makecontact with African-American residents, who are atparticularly great risk for the disease.

If you’re interested in starting a chapter in your city,please contact Kira Zmuda (kzmuda@glaucomafoun-dation.org) to learn more.

CHAPTERC O R N E Rwith disease progression and visual impairmentfar earlier. “For the new technologies to be usefulin providing more efficient and high quality careto at-risk minority populations,” he says, “it iscritical that long-term studies using these devicescontinue to determine how best to detectprogressive injury in this chronic blinding disease.”

Dr. Liebmann, who is co-investigator in theADAGES study, underscores the need for long-term glaucoma studies. “Glaucoma is the mostcommon neuro-degenerative disease,” he says.“But because it progresses slowly, it never got theattention it deserves. More clinical trials areneeded. Patients should encourage theirglaucoma physicians to encourage legislators toadvance the funding for long-term projects.”

Another population-based study is the LosAngeles Latino Eye Study, (LALES), which beganin 2002 as the nation’s largest and most compre-hensive study of vision among Latinos. “This studyhas shown that Latinos develop certain visionconditions at different rates than other ethnicgroups, said Rohit Varma, MD, of the Doheny EyeInstitute, University of Southern California, andprincipal investigator of the study.

In 2004, the study released its first report aboutthe prevalence of open-angle glaucoma andocular hypertension in Latinos. Although manypopulation-based studies had documented theprevalence of glaucoma in black and non-Hispanicwhites, few had focused on Latinos, the fastestgrowing segment of the U.S. population. Thestudy reported that Latinos in the study, with apredominantly Mexican ancestry, have rates ofopen-angle glaucoma comparable to those of U.S.blacks and significantly higher than those seen innon-Hispanic whites. Latinos also have acomparable high prevalence of ocularhypertension.

A second phase report, released this May, foundthat Latinos have higher rates of developingvisual impairment, blindness, diabetic eye diseaseand cataracts than non-Hispanic whites. Glaucomawas not addressed in the new report – a paper onthe incidence of glaucoma is currently beingprepared, according to Dr. Varma.

Clinical Trials continued from page 4

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pursuit of new treatments and cures for glaucoma.Enclosed is my tax-deductible gift of:

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New TGF Board Member

Salvatore P. Ciampo Salvatore P. Ciampo is Senior Directorof Facilities Management at the AlbertEinstein College of Medicine of YeshivaUniversity in the Bronx, New York. Hehas been in the higher educationfacilities and construction field for over25 years. Before coming to Einstein, he

was Vice President of Health Care and Education for areal estate and construction consulting firm, HE2 ProjectDevelopment LLC. He previously spent 23 years at St.Johns University, culminating in the position of AssociateVice President of Facilities and Construction.

Mr. Ciampo participates in charitable endeavors such asthe Boy Scouts of America and the Theodore RooseveltCouncil, where he currently serves as the Vice Presidentof Program. He participates in civic organizations such asthe Lions Clubs International, where he has been amember for over 25 years.

New Medical Advisory Board Member

Dr. Jillia Edris BirdDr. Jillia Edris Bird, OD, has been a soloprivate optometric practitioner in St.John’s, Antigua, since 1991. Shereceived a BSC (Chemistry/AppliedChemistry) degree from the Universityof the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, in1979, and her OD/MS (Visual Sciences)

from the State University of New York College ofOptometry in 1989.

Immediately following her studies, Dr. Bird served fortwo years as assistant to the clinical investigator of theState University of New York at Stony Brook’s GlaucomaPopulation Study, working on the Barbados Eye Study inBridgetown, Barbados.

She is president-elect of the Caribbean OptometristsAssociation (CARIOA) and president and founder of theAntigua and Barbuda Glaucoma Support Group. Aboard member of the World Glaucoma PatientAssociation, Dr. Bird has worked closely with TheGlaucoma Foundation as the Caribbean Co-coordinatorof the World Glaucoma Week Committee. Dr. Bird is alsoa member of the ALDOO (Latin American OptometricAssociation) Health Committee.

Board News

Eye to Eye is published three times per year by The Glaucoma Foundation.

Editor: Gabrielle Bamberger Designer: Lisa Grey

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Vincent Raymond, MD, PhD*Professor, Depts. of Ophthalmology andMolecular MedicineUniversité Laval Hospital (CHUL)Québec City, Canada

Characterization of Modifiers forOpen-Angle Glaucoma by CandidateGene Screening and Genome WideLinkage StudyDNA mutations often causeglaucoma. To date, four glaucomagenes have been discovered:myocilin, optineurin, WDR36 andneurotrophin-4. One of these,WDR36, may be a gene that alsoaffects the severity of glaucoma. Anearlier finding raised the possibilitythat “good” genes, namedprotective modifier genes,maintained healthy vision bycounteracting the effects of the“bad” genes. The goal of thisresearch is to discover thesemodifier genes. The project will firsttest if WDR36 is really a modifierand then localize other modifiergenes. We will then characterizethese genes by exploiting powerfulmethods in the new field ofgenomics. Identification of these“healthy” protective modifier genesshould offer new approaches totreat and perhaps preventglaucoma.

Deepak Shukla, PhD*Associate Professor, Dept. ofOphthalmology and Visual SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Chicago

Novel Peptides to UnderstandHerpetic Damage to HumanTrabecular Meshwork via Actin RichNanotubular Structures The cells of the trabecularmeshwork help regulate the normalintraocular pressure. Herpes viruscan infect and destroy these cellsand also the optic nerve, causing

serious damage. Our goal is tounderstand how the virus infectsthese cells and then design newagents to block that process. Toachieve this goal we have identifiedcertain cellular receptors that helpthe virus invasion process byforming nano-size structures forvirus spread from cell to cell. Weplan to destroy the ability of thevirus to form such structures, usingsmall but highly potent peptidesthat will affect multiple pathways invirus spread process. These peptideswill be isolated by a specializedprocess and then tested for theirability to prevent the damage to thetrabecular meshwork cells by ocularHerpes infection.

Franz H. Grus, MD, PhD Dept. of OphthalmologyUniversity Medical Center of the JohannesGutenberg University Mainz, Germany

Detailed Analysis of the AutoimmuneComponent of Normal-TensionGlaucoma Via Microarray Screening The immune system of glaucomapatients can attack some of thebody’s own ocular proteins. We willattempt to detect antigens specif-ically affected by antibodies innormal-tension glaucoma (NTG)patients. We will conduct a highlyprecise microarray approachanalyzing the antibody patterns andespecially the reactivities ofdifferent antibody subclasses instudy groups from Germany and theU.S. Results of this study will givemore detailed insights on antibodyclasses involved and drawconclusions on further componentsof the immune system in glaucomapathogenesis.

Spring 2010 Research Grants

* Renewal Grant8

Letter from the President

Spring 2010 Research Grants Katalin Csiszar, PhD Professor, Dept. of Anatomy, Biochemistry &PhysiologyJohn A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawaii

LOXL1-Associated Pathomechanisms inPseudoexfoliation GlaucomaThis study aims to uncover the associationbetween the LOXL1 gene that results in thedevelopment of exfoliation syndrome (XFS)and exfoliative glaucoma (XFG). LOXL1 is amajor genetic risk factor for XFS and XFG, butits exact role remains unknown. We will testthe hypothesis that disease risk alleles ofLOXL1 affect interactions of the LOXL1protein with two regulatory proteases, BMP1and Cathepsin B, adversely influencing LOXL1activation or degradation with the consequentdevelopment of XFG. It is anticipated that thenew data will identify the mechanismresponsible for the development of XFS andadvance the development of noveltherapeutic approaches for the treatment ofXFG.

Bruce R. Ksander, PhD Associate Professor, Schepens Eye Research InstituteHarvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Fas/FasL is a Critical Regulator of Apoptosisand Retinal Degeneration in GlaucomaRetinal ganglion cells are the cells thattransmit visual images through the optic nerveto the brain and that die in glaucoma. It isunclear to scientists exactly why these cells die.One of the signals that causes cells to die(called Fas Ligand or FasL) can be expressed intwo different forms. The first triggers the cellsto die, and the second prevents the cells fromdying. Whether the retinal cells die ultimatelydepends upon which form of this signalprevails. We have developed mice that aregenetically altered so that they produce onlythe signal that triggers cell death. If thesepredictions are correct, then these mutantmice will display an accelerated and moresevere form of glaucoma. Future studieswould then be directed at developing mutantmice that only express the signal that blockscell death. These mice should be resistant toglaucoma.

Yutao Liu, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of MedicineDuke University, Durham, North Carolina

Roles of Regulatory Variants for LOXL1 inPseudoexfoliation GlaucomaExfoliation syndrome is the single most identi-fiable cause of open-angle glaucoma in theworld. Coding variants in the lysyl oxidase-like1 (LOXL1) gene are associated with theincreased risk of exfoliation glaucoma acrossmany different populations. New evidencesuggests that the coding variants currentlyknown are not the major cause of exfoliationglaucoma. This project will study the part ofthe LOXL1 gene that regulates its activity andmay be responsible for causing exfoliationglaucoma. This is a crucial step inunderstanding how exfoliation glaucomadevelops and will lead the way to newtreatment approaches.

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A copy of The Glaucoma Foundation’s annual financial report may be obtained upon request by writing to The Foundation at 8o Maiden Lane, Suite 700, New York, NY 10038 or by residents of the states listed below from the appropriate state agency.Florida: A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free within the State .Registration Number - CH7263. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, orrecommendation by the State. Maryland: Information filed under the Maryland Charitable Organizations Laws can be obtained for the cost of postage and copies from the Office of the Maryland Secretary of State, Statehouse, Annapolis, MD 21401 or bycalling 410-974-5534. Mississippi: Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office, Charities registration, PO Box 136, Jackson, MS 39205-0136, 601-359-1633.New Jersey: Information filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation may beobtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 201-504-6215. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement. New York: A copy of the last annual report filed may be obtained upon request in writing tothe Office of the Attorney General, Department of Law, Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271. North Carolina: A copy of the license to solicit charitable contributions as a charitable organization or sponsor and financial information maybe obtained from the Department of Human Resources, Solicitation Licensing Branch, by calling 919-733-4510. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State. Pennsylvania: The official registration and financialinformation of The Glaucoma Foundation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. Virginia: Official registration and financialinformation of The Glaucoma Foundation may be obtained from the State Division of Consumer Affairs, Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209. Washington: Registration and financial report informationmay be obtained from the Charities Division, Office of the Secretary of State of Washington, Olympia, WA 98504-0422 or by calling 1-800-332-4483. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may obtain a summary of the registration and financialdocuments from the Secretary of State, State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305. Registration does not imply endorsement.

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The Glaucoma Foundation80 Maiden Lane, Suite 700 New York, NY 10038www.glaucomafoundation.orgT212.285.0080 F212.651.1888

Change

Lunch and Learn Helps Train Senior VolunteersTGF’s Lunch and Learn Program has recently helped train 160 senior volunteers in New York City sothey can educate other seniors about glaucoma. In May, Board Members Dr. Maurice Luntz and DeboraK.Grobman, Esq. conducted two workshop presentations sponsored by the Health Promotion ServicesUnit of the New York City Department for the Aging.

The unit, which works with 1,100 volunteers, trains “Save a Life” messengers to lead a variety ofprograms on health issues at over 200 senior centers, senior residences and other sites throughout theboroughs of New York City. Three years ago, the unit began inviting volunteers to workshops onvarious health issues. The first year’s topic was colon cancer; the second,osteoporosis; and this year it is glaucoma.

The seniors are asked to speak to others – to go into the field toeducate those volunteers not at the workshops. “While the subject is alittle complicated,” says Harriet Stollman, Director of DFTA's HealthPromotion Unit, “the senior volunteers learned the important fact thatglaucoma has no early symptoms and left untreated, glaucoma can leadto blindness.”