Latest news with #glaucoma
Daily Mail
17-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Taking vitamin B could help to fight glaucoma, study finds
A common vitamin supplement could slow down the progression of the degenerative eye disease glaucoma, a study has found. Vitamin B, found in whole grains, dark leafy greens, such as kale and broccoli, eggs, fish and dairy, appears to diminish the damage caused by the condition. Glaucoma, which is suffered by nearly 700,000 people in the UK, is caused by an abnormality in the eye's drainage system causing fluid to build up, increasing pressure on the optic nerve. Primarily affecting older adults and those with a genetic disposition to the condition, it causes blurred vision and even blindness if left untreated. Glaucoma is usually managed by reducing the pressure through eye drops, surgery or laser treatments. The researchers gave supplements of vitamins B6, B9 and B12 to rats and mice with glaucoma. In rats with a more aggressive form of the disease, it slowed damage to the optic nerve. In mice with slower-developing glaucoma, the damage was halted completely. Scientists believe this could be due to the increased pressure in the eye changing the retina's ability to use vitamins which are crucial to maintaining healthy vision. Dr James Tribble, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which carried out the study, said: 'The results are so promising that we have started a clinical trial, with patients already being recruited.' It comes after a 2019 study showed that vitamin B3 could be effective in preventing glaucoma. Scientists at The Jackson Laboratory in Maine, US, added B3 to water given to mice which were genetically predisposed to the condition. It kept their eyes healthier for longer compared to those given plain water.
Medical News Today
13-05-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Glaucoma: Vitamin B, choline supplements may slow down progression
Two supplements may help slow down the progression of glaucoma, according to a new study. Design by MNT; Photography by& Halfdark/Getty Images Glaucoma is a type of eye disease that can injure the optic nerve and lead to blindness. Past studies show there are several ways a person can help lower their risk for glaucoma, including eating a healthy diet rich in certain nutrients. A new study has found that supplementation with B vitamins and choline may help slow the progression of glaucoma, via a mouse model. There is currently no cure for glaucoma. Medications, surgery, and laser treatments are currently used to help treat and slow the progression of the condition. Now, a new study recently published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine adds to this body of knowledge by reporting that supplementation with B vitamins and the essential nutrient choline may help slow the progression of glaucoma, via a mouse model. For this study, researchers focused on an amino acid that naturally occurs in the body called homocysteine. Homocysteine plays a crucial role in protein synthesis. Past studies have linked high homocysteine levels to the development and progression of glaucoma. However, in this current study, researchers found when mice with glaucoma were given higher levels of homocysteine, it did not make their glaucoma worse. They also discovered that increased amounts of homocysteine in the blood were not linked to how fast the disease progressed. 'Our conclusion is that homocysteine is a bystander in the disease process, not a player,' James Tribble, researcher and assistant professor at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and co-lead author of this study said in a press release. 'Altered homocysteine levels may reveal that the retina has lost its ability to use certain vitamins that are necessary to maintain healthy metabolism. That's why we wanted to investigate whether supplements of these vitamins could protect the retina,' he said. Researchers then provided supplements of B vitamins — including B6, B9 (folate), and B12 — as well as the essential nutrient choline to the glaucoma mouse model. Scientists discovered that in mice with slow development of glaucoma, the optic nerve damage was completely stopped. And in mice with a more aggressive form of glaucoma, the supplementation helped slow down the disease's progression. The researchers mentioned that in all experiments with the mouse glaucoma model, eye pressure was not treated. Glaucoma is normally associated with elevated eye pressure or intraocular pressure (IOP). A primary treatment for glaucoma is lowering the eye's IOP through the use of medications, laser treatments, or surgery. Scientists believe this shows that the vitamin supplementation may impact glaucoma in a different way than lower eye pressure. Researchers are now reportedly beginning a clinical trial to test their findings on humans. Medical News Today had the opportunity to speak with David I. Geffen, OD, FAAO, director of optometric and refractive services at the Gordon Schanzlin New Vision in La Jolla, CA, about this study. 'Any new method of decreasing the damage from glaucoma is a welcome addition to our ability to save eyesight,' Geffen commented. 'This could be revolutionary in, it is one of the first studies to show supplements will help control glaucoma. As our population is aging, we are seeing a large increase of glaucoma patients in our practice.' 'Because glaucoma is a progressive disease and we do not have a cure, any new treatment is a welcome addition,' he continued. 'We know glaucoma medications seem to be less effective over time. Therefore, we need to keep finding more new ways to help control this process and eventually cure the disease. This treatment may be an important way to look at new ways to control glaucoma.' 'In the future I would like to see some longer-term studies with glaucoma patients,' Geffen added. 'I would also like to see investigations on similar types of treatments utilizing other supplements.' MNT also spoke with Benjamin Bert, MD, a board certified ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, about this research. Bert commented that anytime we make any discoveries that show the potential to slow or prevent any damage from diseases like glaucoma is always a good thing. 'There have been other nutrition studies that have been done in the past that have shown some benefit, and so anything that we can add to what we can do on a daily basis is, of course, of great importance and great interest,' he added. 'Right now, the only treatments that we have for glaucoma specifically are eye drops and surgeries to lower the eye pressure, but we're discovering more and more that there's other things that are happening that can actually cause the progression of the glaucoma. So continuing to explore the actual background of why this damage is happening is very important to be able to develop other treatments for it, and also ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.' — Benjamin Bert, MD 'And this study, in particular, kind of identified homocysteine as one of the metabolic components that was causing some of the damage, which had been thought of before but not directly treated,' he added. 'And with the vitamin supplements showing some prevention benefit, that's an exciting thing for us to be able to have on the horizon.' Supplements Eye Health / Blindness Nutrition / Diet
National Post
13-05-2025
- Health
- National Post
BrightFocus Foundation Awards Nearly $13M to 50 Scientists for Alzheimer's, Macular Degeneration, and Glaucoma Research
Article content New grant funding supports cutting-edge scientific ideas across risk reduction, earlier detection, and new treatments for diseases of mind and sight. Article content Article content CLARKSBURG, Md. — Private research nonprofit BrightFocus Foundation today announced nearly $13 million in grants to support early investigative research into Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. This includes $7.3 million to its Alzheimer's Disease Research program, $3.8 million to its Macular Degeneration Research program, and $1.8 million to its National Glaucoma Research program. Article content 'With recent major cuts to federal research funding, private foundations like BrightFocus are more essential than ever—stepping up to keep promising research alive, nurture early-career scientists, and accelerate breakthroughs.' Guided by scientific advisory committees of world-renowned researchers in the field, BrightFocus invests in highly innovative, experimental research and creative ideas with the most promise to foster a better understanding of disease onset, improve early detection and diagnosis, develop new treatments, and—ultimately—lead to cures. This year's grants were awarded to scientists in 10 countries including the U.S. Article content 'This year's grant awards represent some of the boldest, most cutting-edge ideas in vision and brain health research,' said BrightFocus President and CEO Stacy Pagos Haller. 'With recent major cuts to federal research funding, private foundations like BrightFocus are more essential than ever—stepping up to keep promising research alive, nurture early-career scientists, and accelerate breakthroughs.' Article content BrightFocus Foundation's research programs are supported entirely by private donor contributions from the public and corporate and foundation grants; BrightFocus receives no government funding. Learn more about how to support our work. Article content A complete list of the new research projects will be available this summer on BrightFocus' website, with additional details forthcoming upon the completion of individual agreements with the partnering institutions and scientists. Article content Over 7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, a progressive, terminal brain disorder that has no known cause or cure. Unless scientists can unlock the secrets of this disease, the number of cases is expected to triple by the year 2050. Grant recipients are studying a range of approaches spanning different areas of the brain and body to better understand the disease's onset and progression. Article content Alzheimer's Disease Research grant recipients: Article content Katerina Akassoglou, PhD The J. David Gladstone Institutes Article content Federica Anastasi, PhD Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (Spain) Article content Isabelle Aubert, PhD Sunnybrook Research Institute (Canada) Article content Daniel Bos, MD, PhD Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam (Netherlands) Article content Todd J. Cohen, PhD University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Article content Joshua Emmerson, PhD Washington University in St. Louis Article content Ghazaleh Eskandari-Sedighi, PhD University of California, Irvine Article content Anllely Fernandez, PhD Indiana University Article content Hongjun Fu, PhD The Ohio State University Article content Laura Fumagalli, PhD Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (Belgium) Article content John Hardy, PhD, FRS University College London (U.K.) Article content Joseph Herdy, PhD The Salk Institute for Biological Studies Article content Sarah Elise Heuer, PhD Brigham and Women's Hospital Article content Jack Humphrey, PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Article content Ksenia Kastanenka, PhD Massachusetts General Hospital Article content Jr-Jiun Liou, PhD University of Pittsburgh Article content Jae-eun Miller, PhD Columbia University Article content Miguel Moutinho, PharmD, PhD Indiana University Article content Carolina Ochoa-Rosales, PhD Adolfo Ibáñez University (Chile) Article content Omar Peña-Ramos, PhD Baylor College of Medicine Article content Cyril Pottier, PhD Washington University in St. Louis Article content Marcos Schaan Profes, PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Article content Nader Saffari, PhD, MSc, BSc University College London (U.K.) Article content Monica Santisteban, PhD Vanderbilt University Medical Center Article content Feng Tian, PhD Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Article content Rebecca Wallings, DPhil Indiana University Article content Justyna Dobrowolska Zakaria, PhD Northwestern University – Chicago Campus Article content Damian Zuloaga, PhD University at Albany Article content Macular Degeneration Research Article content Twenty million U.S. adults have macular degeneration—the leading cause of vision loss in Americans aged 65 and older. Early detection and treatment are crucial to slowing the disease progression and preventing permanent vision loss. Grant recipients are exploring a wide range of innovative scientific approaches, from exploring ways to regenerate damaged cells to determining the influence of early-life events and lifestyle factors on disease risk. Article content Macular Degeneration Research grant recipients: Article content Mohajeet Balveer Bhuckory, PhD Stanford University School of Medicine Article content Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, PhD University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Article content Charles DeBoer, MD, PhD Stanford University School of Medicine Article content Ashley Farre, PhD University of Idaho Article content Valencia Fernandes, PhD University of California, San Francisco Article content Masayuki Hata, MD, PhD Kyoto University (Japan) Article content Ruchi Sharma, PhD National Eye Institute, NIH Article content Nobuhiko Shiraki, PhD Duke University School of Medicine Article content Daisy Yao Shu, PhD University of New South Wales (Australia) Article content Jerzy Szablowski, PhD William Marsh Rice University Article content Amir Mani Varnoosfaderani, PhD University of Chicago Article content Joëlle Elise Vergroesen, PhD Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam (Netherlands) Article content National Glaucoma Research Article content Around 4 million U.S. adults have glaucoma—a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. caused by damage to the optic nerve. Because there are often no early symptoms, as many as half of those affected may not even know they have it until irreversible vision loss has occurred. Although there is no cure, early detection and treatments can help slow the disease's progression. Article content Grant recipients are investigating a wide range of scientific approaches, including novel treatments, early detection methods, and efforts to protect and regenerate retinal ganglion cells that could preserve or restore vision. Article content National Glaucoma Research grant recipients: Article content Brad Fortune, OD, PhD Legacy Research Institute Article content Tatjana Jakobs, MD Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear Article content Colleen McDowell, PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Article content Rob Nickells, PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Article content Gavin Roddy, MD, PhD Mayo Clinic, Rochester Article content Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk, PhD University of California, Irvine Article content Dan Stamer, PhD Duke University Article content Karl Wahlin, PhD University of California, San Diego – Health Sciences Article content Pete Williams, PhD Karolinska Institute (Sweden) Article content Benjamin Xu, MD, PhD University of Southern California Article content BrightFocus encourages researchers with groundbreaking ideas to apply for a 2026 grant. Application information is available at Article content BrightFocus Foundation is a premier global nonprofit funder of research to defeat Alzheimer's, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Through its flagship research programs — Alzheimer's Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research— the Foundation has awarded over $300 million in groundbreaking research funding since its inception in 1973 and shares the latest research findings, expert information, and resources to empower the millions impacted by these devastating diseases. Learn more at Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
