Vitamin B and Choline, Glaucoma (one of the umbrella terms for several eye conditions that can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness ) affects about 80 million people worldwide.
- One type of eye condition that can actually damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness, is glaucoma.
- Early research has suggested that healthy eating [ high in certain nutrients ] is one way to lower one’s risk of developing glaucoma.
- Supplements with choline and B vitamins could help block the growth of glaucoma, a new study suggests in a mouse model.
Glaucoma (one of the umbrella terms for several eye conditions which can damage the optic nerve and cause blindness ) affects about 80 million people worldwide.
Glaucoma currently does not have a cure. Instead the condition is being treated with medication, surgery and even Laser to try and slow the progression.
According to earlier research, people can reduce their risk of developing glaucoma in several ways including not smoking cigarettes exercising more frequently wearing sunglasses reducing caffeine controlling blood pressure and eating a healthy diet.
Additional studies have also shown that some nutrients (e. g. omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B3, vitamin A, vitamin C, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin) may help protect a person’s eyes from glaucoma.
Now, another study just came out in the Cell Reports: Medicine book. Taking into account the mouse model Trusted Source also contributes to the field of research by explaining that taking some supplements like B vitamins and this very important ingredient choline might help stop the progression of glaucoma.
Concentrating on homocysteine, an amino acid
For this study the researchers focused on homocysteine an amino acid which the body produces naturally. It plays an important role in protein synthesis.
However prior research suggests that hyperhomocysteinemia (a condition in which there is too much homocysteine in the body) may lead to health problems such as cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and increased risk of stroke. Since vitamins B help break down homocysteine in the body, elevated homocysteine may also result from having a vitamin B deficiency.
Homocysteine levels have also been linked before to onset and progression of glaucoma in some research.
However, treating glaucoma-infected animals with higher levels of homocysteine did not lead to worsening of the ocular condition, researchers said, and no link was found between elevated levels of homocysteine in blood and the rate at which disease progresses.
In a press release, co-lead author of the study James Tribble, researcher and assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, said, “We have concluded that homocysteine is not a player in the disease process but just a spectator. “
Changes in homocysteine may indicate that the retina can’t use certain vitamins, which play a big part in a healthy metabolism – and we wanted to see if taking those vitamins as supplements might help preserve the retina by that, ” he said.
Choline and B vitamins decrease the progression of glaucoma.
It was then given supplementation of B vitamins (B6, B9 (folate) and B12) in conjunction with the nutrient food choline to the glaucoma mouse model.
The damage to the optic nerve was completely avoided in mice with a slow-growing form of glaucoma, research suggests. In addition, supplementation significantly delayed glaucoma development in mice with a more aggressive form of the condition, researchers say.
The researchers note however that ocular pressure was not controlled in all the tests of mice glaucoma model. Inhaled intraocular pressure (IOP), or eye pressure, is generally linked to glaucoma. Balancing the intraocular pressure (IOP) through medicine, laser therapy or surgery is the standard treatment for glaucoma.
That could point to an effect vitamin supplements have on glaucoma other than depressing the pressure in the eye, scientists say.
Scientists are currently launching a clinical trial of their findings on people, reports say.
Is it possible for vitamins to preserve vision?
David I. Geffen, OD, FAAO – director of optometric and refractive services at Gordon Schanzlin New Vision in La Jolla, CA – was available to answer Medical News Update questions about this study.
Geffen said, “Any new technique available to reduce the damage caused by glaucoma in any way is an amazing contribution to our ability to save eyesight. ” The study being one of the first to show that supplements help reduce glaucoma may be revolutionary. We are seeing a dramatic increase in patients with glaucoma because our population is aging.
“Any new medication is welcome because glaucoma is a degenerative disease and we don’t have a cure, ” he said. As we know, these drugs for glaucoma appear to wear off over time, so to help control that process and ultimately treat the condition we have to continue finding new ways of doing things. This treatment may be a very important part of investigating new treatments for glaucoma.
“In the future I would like to see some longer-term research with glaucoma patients, ” Geffen said. “I would also like to see studies on equivalent treatments using different supplements.
