Adults at risk of or diagnosed with the incurable sight-destroying disease, macular degeneration, could soon delay or prevent effects of the condition with the discovery of a new drug. Researchers have found that the drug levodopa, also known as l-dopa, commonly used for Parkinson's disease, can significantly regulate and prevent the most common cause of blindness in adults.

Age-related macular degeneration can progressively destroy the visual capacity of an individual. To date, the eye disease is considered incurable.

As no known cure is available, experts only advise patients to take appropriate diet and exercise and to avoid smoking and ultraviolet light to reduce the risk and possibly slow the progression after diagnosis, according to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.

However, researchers from the University of Arizona have found that patients who take l-dopa for Parkinson's disease are at lower risk of developing macular degeneration. The study reveals that l-dopa has significantly delayed the development of macular degeneration eight years later than those who had never taken the drug.

"It is likely that this will lead to a way to prevent age-related macular degeneration, and it may also lead to treatment for macular degeneration in the future," said lead researcher Brian McKay, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Vision Science and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the UA College of Medicine.

The drug is a synthesised form of a chemical naturally present in the human or animal body. l-dopa can help maintain a healthy macula, the part of the retina providing visual sharpness.

Researchers said that the drug may also help patients with other eye diseases linked to retinal degeneration like retinitis pigmentosa, which could lead to blindness. The study was published in the American Journal of Medicine.

The findings come from the initial analysis of health records of 37,000 clinical patients and a further review of records of 87 million patients from an insurance industry database. The result shows that l-dopa significantly prevented and delayed the "wet" form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This form of the disease is far less common than "dry" AMD, but it covers about 90 percent of AMD-caused blindness, researchers said.

"Imagine telling patients we potentially have medication that will allow them to see and continue enjoying life, their family and perform everyday activities as they age. That is very powerful," said researcher Murray Brilliant, director of the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation Centre for Human Genetics in the U.S.

However, the scientists noted that further research is required to determine how to maximise the effectiveness of l-dopa as a protective treatment. They believe that it could potentially lead to the development of new drugs or combination therapies for AMD patients.

The researchers will be conducting a clinical trial to validate the findings, but it is already expected to “change lives of millions of people worldwide impacted by AMD,” according to Dr Kenneth Ramos, Associate Vice President for Precision Health Sciences at the UA Health Sciences.

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