On Friday, Jan. 17, at the 2025 Global Specialty Lens Symposium (GSLS), Mile Brujic, OD, hosted a course titled "The Crossroads of Presbyopia: Bringing Innovation to Clinical Practice," which aimed to shed light on the latest advancements and challenges in presbyopia management.

The course delved into the mechanisms of presbyopia, a common age-related condition affecting the eye's ability to focus on near objects. Attendees explored the concept of the "near triad," comprising accommodation, convergence, and miosis—fundamental elements in understanding how presbyopia develops.

“For presbyopic patients who want to minimize their dependency on glasses, there are major advances in contacts and pharmaceuticals,” said Dr. Brujic. “Keep up to speed on advances in the space to make sure that you are providing your patients the latest innovations. [Patients] always want to know whether there have been advances that help correct presbyopia.”

Dr. Brujic explored how lens stiffness increases with age, citing research that revealed a tenfold rigidity in the lens nucleus over 50 years of age. The implications of this on visual performance were discussed, alongside innovative solutions aimed at addressing these challenges.

The course outlined strategies to optimize the performance of multifocal lens designs, including clinical pearls such as assessing near vision and managing patient expectations. The latest advancements, such as toric multifocal lenses and the introduction of OptiSync technology, were presented as breakthroughs in achieving superior vision correction for presbyopic patients.

A discussion about miotics covered different mechanisms of action, including iris sphincter muscle activation and dilator muscle inhibition. The course highlighted promising results from clinical trials, such as improved near visual acuity and the balance of near vision enhancement while minimizing night-time vision risks.

In addition to lenses and pharmacological approaches, the course addressed environmental and geographic factors influencing presbyopia's onset.