It sounds amazing — prescription eye drops that can improve your close-up vision, so you can get rid of those reading glasses. That’s the claim made for Vuity, the first FDA approved drug to treat presbyopia.
“For some people, this might be effective. I think for most people, particularly older people, it probably won’t be. It has some problems associated with it,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. “It may not work as well for older adults, especially those people with cataracts. You just won’t be able to see as well because the medication itself causes the pupils to constrict, so there’s less light coming in.”
What about side effects?
“The most common side effects are eye redness and headache,” Dr. Swartzberg said. “Some people complain of a burning sensation when they put the drops in. The company is actually working on a way to make it less uncomfortable.”
Is Vuity safe?
“Pilocarpine, the active ingredient in the medication, has been around for decades and has not presented a problem. But in terms of using it for vision, no long-term studies,” Dr. Swartzberg noted. “Personally, I’d probably give it some time before embarking upon using this.”
More Info: Use this link for free access to read the Wellness Letter’s story on Vuity until January 20, 2023.
