Kolkata, Jul 4 (PTI) Genetic testing should become an integral part of routine glaucoma care in India to facilitate early diagnosis, personalised treatment and family-based screening, doctors and experts said at a multidisciplinary conference here on Saturday.
Ophthalmologists, geneticists, researchers, policymakers and industry representatives had gathered at the Genetics-enabled Social Innovation for Glaucoma Health & Treatment (GENE-SIGHT) 2026 in Kolkata.
Experts said advances in genomics have reached a stage where they can significantly improve glaucoma management, but wider adoption would require collaboration among healthcare providers, researchers, industry and policymakers.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof Arijit Mukhopadhyay, Professor of Precision Health at the University of Salford, UK, said genetics could play a crucial role in identifying individuals at high risk before irreversible vision loss occurs.
“Glaucoma is often called the ‘silent thief of sight’ because irreversible damage occurs long before patients notice symptoms. Genetics offers us the opportunity to identify individuals at increased risk before vision is permanently lost. The future of glaucoma care lies in prediction, prevention and precision – not simply treatment after damage has occurred,” he said.
The conference featured discussions on the journey from laboratory research to clinical implementation and public policy.
Prof Sushmita Kaushik, President of the Indian Pediatric Glaucoma Society, said genetic information was becoming increasingly valuable in managing complex glaucoma cases, where conventional diagnosis alone may not provide all the answers.
The participants also deliberated upon the need for evidence-based clinical guidelines, clinician training, stronger public-private partnerships, reimbursement mechanisms and greater public awareness to support wider adoption of genomic medicine. PTI SCH RBT
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