According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, and even 10% of patients who receive treatment still suffer some loss of vision. More than 3 million people in the U.S. have this condition, but only about half know that they have it. Early treatment is key, but the disease does not result in noticeable symptoms.
Researchers at Washington State University have come up with a way to use wearable sensors to closely monitor the walking gait of a patient. Analysis of the is data could be useful in the early detection of glaucoma. This is because patients with the disease tend to compensate for small reductions in their peripheral vision, walking more slowly, swaying, and bumping into obstacles. This data could also be helpful in identifying patients who are at greater risk of falling.
The research has led to clinical trials being held in partnership with a group from the University of California, Los Angeles. If the process is reliable and useful, it is possible that it could become part of a remote health monitoring system, using wearable Health Tech devices to track a variety of physical measures from subjects to provide early detection of glaucoma along with other health risks.