Eye Health Fact Check: What You Need to Know About Focuson?

Have you ever seen an advertisement promising vision restoration without surgery, with just one product? It sounds tempting, especially if you or your family are struggling with eye problems. One product that has caught the public's attention is Focuson, and the Indonesian Ophthalmologist Association (PERDAMI) has issued an official clarification regarding Focuson's formula.

So, what do people really need to know? And why do claims about eye health products need to be backed by scientific evidence?

Getting to Know PERDAMI's Statement on Focuson

In an official statement, PERDAMI highlighted claims about Focuson, which purportedly had extraordinary properties for improving vision and treating various eye conditions. Claims circulating at the time included myopia, glaucoma, cataracts, uveitis, retinal detachment, keratitis, conjunctivitis, and a number of other eye conditions.

The primary concern isn't just the product name, but how the public perceives a health claim. In medicine, a treatment or therapy cannot be judged solely on testimonials, advertisements, or convincing-sounding statements. Its effectiveness and safety must be supported by adequate scientific evidence.

Why is Scientific Evidence Important in Eye Treatment?

PERDAMI explains that disease management in medicine is based on the principles of evidence-based medicine. This means the process requires scientific research and clinical trials conducted in stages.

This approach is important because each eye disease has different characteristics and mechanisms. Myopia (nearsightedness or nearsightedness), for example, certainly has different characteristics than cataracts or glaucoma. Therefore, one treatment method cannot automatically be used to treat all of these conditions.

In other words, when we find a product or treatment method that claims to be able to treat multiple eye diseases at once, we should not immediately consider the claim as medical fact.

Not All Products or Supplements Have the Same Benefits

We also need to understand that research on nutrition and eye health does exist. However, research results must be interpreted according to the type of disease, product composition, dosage, patient group, and intended use.

One example of a large study is the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) conducted by the National Eye Institute. The study tested a specific vitamin and mineral formula in patients with macular degeneration (vision loss in older adults). The results showed that the AREDS/AREDS2 formula may help reduce the risk of progression from intermediate to advanced macular degeneration in certain groups of patients. However, the formula was not proven to prevent macular degeneration and did not provide any benefit for cataracts in general.

This example demonstrates one important point: scientific evidence for an ingredient or therapy does not automatically mean that all products with similar ingredients can be claimed to have the same benefits for all eye diseases.

In fact, the National Eye Institute emphasizes that the use of AREDS or AREDS2 supplements needs to be tailored to the patient's condition and should be discussed with a doctor.

Therefore, we need to be careful when we find claims that are too broad, especially if one product is said to be able to treat many diseases with different causes and characteristics.

To avoid making the wrong choice and being exposed to misleading information, here are some practical guidelines you can apply when reading online health product offers:

• Check the Official Distribution Permit (BPOM): Ensure the product is registered with the BPOM. Remember, a distribution permit for food supplements is different from a distribution permit for drugs designed to treat diseases.
• Differentiate Testimonials from Clinical Trial Results: Subjective testimonials (such as “eyes feel fresher”) cannot be equated with medical research evidence that tests the effectiveness and safety of treatment therapy in patients.
• Prioritize Medical Consultation: Do not stop or delay treatment with an eye doctor just because you are tempted by promotions for certain products.

Ultimately, good health information isn't just information that's easy to believe, but information that can be medically validated. By being more critical of health claims and having regular eye exams as needed, we can take more informed steps to maintain healthy vision.

Atsarina Luthfiyyah (Senior Editor)