Glaucoma Beyond Intraocular Pressure: A Multifactorial Neurodegenerative Disease

Glaucoma has long been treated as a plumbing problem — too much pressure inside the eye. But a growing body of research reframes it as a slow neurodegenerative disease of the optic nerve, where intraocular pressure is one important driver among several. In this episode, Dr. Saikumar Gandapodi joins us to unpack what that shift means for patients.We explore why some people keep losing vision even when their pressure looks controlled, and what the evidence actually shows about ocular blood flow, mitochondrial stress, and the survival of retinal ganglion cells. Dr. Gandapodi explains Netra Restoration Therapy as an integrative, adjunct approach built around neuroprotection and whole-person care.Throughout, the conversation stays grounded: what's established, what's still emerging, and where lowering pressure remains the foundation of care. This is a research-driven look at where glaucoma treatment may be heading.