Dr. Grossman’s Blog

Image courtesy of Vision2020.org

Today, Thursday, October 14 is World Sight Day.  Included on the World Health Organization’s official calendar, one of the main goals of this yearly occasion is to raise public awareness of blindness & vision impairment as major international public health issues.

Across the developing world, blindness is a huge issue.  Ninety percent of the world’s vision impaired people live in low income countries.  But so many eye problems – 80% according to World Sight Day organizers -  are preventable.  Vision2020 is dedicated to helping people across the globe.  Visit their site for details: http://www.vision2020.org/main.cfm

My work is dedicated to helping you prevent eye conditions that could lead to serious visual impairment such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or cataracts.

Take some time on this World Sight Day to educate yourself on how diet, exercise, supplementation, and an evaluation of your lifestyle habits could help you preserve the precious gift of sight.  Visit our page on preventing eye disease.

Request free eye exercises and tips tailored to your eye condition.

Photo by Dean+Barb

A British study finds a correlation between “social deprivation” and the development of glaucoma.

The researchers specifically looked at acute primary angle closure and used Index of Multiple Deprivation and Townsend scores to determine a relationship between glaucoma patients conditions and socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. Source: http://bjo.bmj.com/content/94/10/1304.abstract

At Natural Eye Care, we believe that eye conditions like glaucoma are preventable with a combination of education, proper diet, regular exercise, stress management, and lifestyle changes.

Learn more about how to prevent glaucoma naturally at our website.

Those who use computers heavily are at greater risk for glaucoma than the general public, particularly those who are short-sighted. Glaucoma is an insidious disease characterized by the decrease of peripherial vision eventually leading to severe vision loss.

A 2004 cross-sectional study in 9124 Japanese workers indicated that there was a possible association between heavy computer users and glaucomatous visual field abnormalities. In other words – people who computers heavily (ie. programmers, software engineers, gamers) could be jeopardizing their sight.

The study looked at typical daily computer use, as well as long-term computer use history. More than 500 participants (5.4%) had problems with peripheral vision. Of that group, one third were found to have glaucoma … perhaps more than a third, since some workers with peripheral vision problems didn’t receive all the testing to accurately diagnose glaucoma.

Still, it may not be necessary to quit your day job or to give up your favorite hobby.  Glaucoma can be prevented.  Changes in diet and lifestyle can reduce your risk of glaucoma and other eye diseases and improve your overall health.  For more details, please visit our pages on glaucoma prevention.

A recent study out of the Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at the University of Toronto New indicates that glaucoma patients can reduce intraocular pressure by sleeping with their head elevated at a 30-degree angle as opposed to sleeping with their heads flat on a mattress.  Study participants exhibited no differences in blood pressure or ocular perfusion pressure between the two positions. (Published in Ophthalmology 2010 Feb 24.)

Technically, glaucoma is due to damage to the optic nerve, sometimes as a result of increased pressure of the aqueous humor, the clear, watery fluid that circulates in the chamber of the eye between the cornea and the lens. But the term glaucoma is now defined as a collection of diseases that causes optic nerve damage. As a result, the diagnosis is no longer solely based on whether a person’s intraocular pressure (IOL) is elevated or not.

For more about glaucoma causes, symptoms, and remedies, please visit our website.

One of the major causes of chronic glaucoma is a high level of stress in one’s life. Stress causes us to breath shallowly; this reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream which in turn cause venous backflow in the head. This effects the eyes ability to revolve eye fluids, which results in increased pressure. Although we do not know exactly how the optic nerve is damaged in glaucoma, one common factor in all cases of glaucoma is a lack of bloodflow to the retina and optic nerve. This results in retinal nerve cell death, enlargement of the optic cup, and loss of vision.

For more information on the causes of glaucoma and tips on how to achieve a healthier lifestyle for the good of your eyes and your overall health, please visit: www.naturaleyecare.com

Researchers tie blood pressure and ocular perfusion pressure to glaucoma

Although intraocular pressure (IOP) is considered a primary risk factor for the development of glaucoma, there is evidence to suggest that glaucoma may continue to progress despite lowering patients’ IOP to targeted levels.

Several recent studies point to vascular risk factors in the development of glaucoma. This new research indicates that blood pressure (BP) and ocular perfusion pressure have become increasingly important in understanding and treating glaucoma.

Although doctors cannot currently visualize ocular blood flow directly, they can easily measure glaucoma patients’ BP and IOP to calculate their ocular perfusion pressure and quantify the vascular changes.

An article published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology explores the relationships between BP and IOP, BP and glaucoma, and perfusion pressure and glaucoma. Study authors suggest that ocular perfusion pressure and its fluctuation may be parameters that need to be measured in the treatment of glaucoma patients.

Learn more about glaucoma, including self-help tips

SOURCE: Blood Pressure and Glaucoma, Costa, et al, Br J Ophthalmol, 30 March 2009, doi:10.1136/bjo.2008.149047.

At the American Glaucoma Society meeting, Dr. JoAnn A. Giaconi reported that women who reported eating greater amounts of fruits and vegetables appeared to have a lower likelihood of developing glaucoma.

The foods that seemed especially protective included fresh oranges, peaches, spinach, collard greens, and kale.

Dr. Giaconi presented results from a review of data from the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.  In this study involving a subset of 584 black women, glaucoma was diagnosed in at least one eye in 77 participants.  Disc photos and suprathreshold visual fields were evaluated in conjunction with Block Food Frequency Questionnaires on the participants’daily food consumption.

The results?

• Eating three or more servings of fruit or fruit juices daily decreased the odds of black women developing glaucoma by 79%
• Eating one serving of collard greens or kale decreased the odds of glaucoma by 57%
• Eating more than two servings per week of fresh oranges and peaches also significantly decreased the chance of developing glaucoma.

Researchers believe that the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables (vitamin A, alpha- and beta-carotene, folate, lutein, zeaxanthin) can potentially block oxidation stress that can lead to cell damage in glaucoma.

Read other studies about the benefits of consuming antioxidants

SOURCE:  Giaconi JA, et al. Nutritional associations with glaucoma among older black women. Paper presented at: The 18th Annual AGS Meeting; March 8, 2008; Washington, DC.

Researchers at the Department of Ophthalmology and Jules Stein Eye Institute, University of California-Los Angeles, recently studied the association between consumption of fruits and vegetables and the presence of glaucoma.

1,155 women located in multiple centers in the United States participated in this cross-sectional cohort study. Glaucoma specialists evaluated the women for glaucoma; consumption of fruits and vegetables was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire.

Among the 1,155 women studied, 95 (8.2%) were diagnosed with glaucoma. Analysis of the relationship between selected fruit and vegetable consumption and glaucoma showed:

• Glaucoma risk was decreased 69 percent in women who consumed at least one serving per month of green collards and kale compared with those who consumed fewer than one serving per month.
•  Glaucoma risk was decreased 64 percent in women who consumed more than two servings per week of carrots compared with those who consumed fewer than one serving per week.
• Glaucoma risk was decreased 47 percent in women who consumed at least one serving per week of canned or dried peaches compared with those who consumed fewer than one serving per month.

Although researchers note that more studies are needed to investigate the relationship between nutrition and glaucoma, research to date does indicate that a higher intake of certain fruits and vegetables may be associated with a decreased risk of glaucoma.

Learn more about glaucoma

Read other studies about nutrition and glaucoma

SOURCE: “Glaucoma risk and the consumption of fruits and vegetables among older women in the study of osteoporotic fractures”, Coleman, et al, Am J Ophthalmol. 2008 Jun;145(6):1081-9.

A study by Alcon Research Ltd. and the University of Iowa suggests that increased expression of the protein sFRP-1, an inhibitor of cell signaling through WNT proteins, may be responsible for elevated IOP in individuals with glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness throughout the world. An important risk factor for the disease is an increase in the intraocular pressure (IOP). IOP, the fluid pressure in the eye, is determined by the rate of production of the clear fluid in the eye and the rate at which this fluid flows out of the eye. Although it is thought that impaired outflow of fluid from the eye causes the increased IOP in individuals with glaucoma, the exact molecular mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood.

Researchers found increased expression of sFRP-1 in eye tissue from patients with glaucoma; when they treated donor human eyes with sFRP-1 ex vivo, these eye tissues had less outflow of fluids compared to untreated eyes. The sFRP-1-treated donor eyes also had reduced expression of a WNT-related protein.

To further support this relationship, mice manipulated to express sFRP-1 in the eye displayed increased IOP. When a downstream suppressor of WNT signaling was inhibited, the problem was resolved.

The authors believe that restoring WNT signaling might provide a new method for treating patients with glaucoma in the future.

Read more about glaucoma, including information on lifestyle choices and nutrition for maintaining healthy vision.

SOURCE: “Increased expression of the WNT antagonist sFRP-1 in glaucoma elevates intraocular pressure”, Wang, et al, Journal of Clinical Investigation, 118(3): 1056-1064 (2008).

Researchers in Italy have released a study indicating that nutritional supplements of bilberry and French maritime pine bark can help reduce intra-ocular pressure (IOP). While several factors contribute to the development of glaucoma, elevated IOP is one of the greatest risks. An improved ocular blood flow may help prevent glaucoma.

Authors of the study from the University of Chieti-Pescara in Italy studied thirty-eight subjects with intraocular hypertension. Twenty subjects were given bilberry and French maritime pine bark; eighteen subjects were not treated. The visual acuity, IOP, and ocular blood flow were measured at two, three, and six months. After two months, the group taking the supplements showed a decrease in the mean IOP. No side effects were observed and ocular blood flow improved.

Having reviewed the results, these researchers believe that food supplements of bilberry and pine bark may represent a safe preventative intervention for lowering the risk of developing glaucoma by supporting a healthier pressure in the eyes.

Read more research on glaucoma

Learn about bilberry and other natural supplements for healthy vision

SOURCE: “Effects of Mirtogenol on ocular blood flow and intraocular hypertension in asymptomatic subjects”, Robert Steigerwalt Jr., et al, Molecular Vision 2008; 14:1288-1292.