The Valeda Light Delivery System

How does the Valeda treatment fit in with macular degeneration?

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In the aging process, the cell's energy production loses power. Energy is produced by the mitochondria. They power the exchange of waste, recycling of materials and all the housekeeping required by the retina, the light sensitive tissue. With age this loses power. We know certain genes and smoking can speed up this power down process, as well as exposure to UV light and blue light. We now know that red light and long wavelength light does the opposite. It helps these cells to recover and recharge. When they recharge, they switch on the processes needed to regenerate the cells. The earlier the stage of damage the better the results and it’s non-invasive so no needles or drops or harmful side effects. Just using the power of specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing and regeneration.

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How does the Valeda Light Treatment works?


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The device uses visible light and longer wavelengths of light that activates the mitochondria and stimulate the production of a really important enzyme called Cytochrome C oxidase. This boosts energy production and stabilizes the chemical processes. It also turns on a series of signals that switch on genes that control cell protection, regeneration and repair. Remember that the retinal tissue has the highest energy requirement of all our body tissues. You literally need energy to see. The device uses three different wavelengths which target three specific areas. There’s a yellow wavelength that removes deposits, the waste deposits and is anti-inflammatory. The red wavelength helps oxygen bind to this cytochrome oxidase to help produce energy and counteract inflammation and cell death. A third longer wavelength activates electron transfer, boosting function of the enzyme CCO.

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What are the benefits of Valeda Light Treatment?

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Results of the studies are very encouraging with 50% of patients having some improvement in vision immediately after the treatment that lasted six months. Many patients found it allowed them to function much better in their daily lives. Some were able to read more easily. Others found it helped them regain their confidence when they were out and about. Those with earliest stages of damage had more visual gain and that makes sense because with advanced cell death recovery is difficult. With treatment we can delay deterioration. This buys time to hang onto the vision and the function that remains, enabling you to retain the independence that you have. This is especially important when the other eye is already severely damaged.

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How safe is Valeda Light Treatment?


 

It’s non-invasive so there are no injections and it will do no harm. There are other treatments in the US, where they have started two new injections in the eye for dry macular degeneration, but they have to be given monthly or every two months indefinitely and there were no gains in vision or function. But there are no approved treatments in the UK at this time.

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So, what’s the future for Valeda Light Treatment?

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There are likely to be other treatments available such as gene therapies or injections into the skin like we give for diabetes, but there’s nothing proven as yet and this may take time, and time is something that we don’t have in this disease.

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Are there other light therapy options (or other devices) available at the moment?

 

There are no other proven available devices. There were some studies done by a Professor from Moorfields Eye Hospital, using a red torch and they had good results in rats, but not in humans. There’s quite a bit of physics in this delivery system. So, the power density, how bright the light needs to be, how it gets into the eye, how much it’s absorbed rather than just bouncing around and the specific wavelengths have been researched. So it’s not as easy to replicate these results just getting a red torch and trying to do it yourself.

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Overall, how do you feel about the results?

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Please click here to have a look at the press releases.

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Would you use Valeda Light Treatment on your loved ones?

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Without a doubt, yes.