OMEGA 3: recent researches correlated the action of fatty acids to the reduction of intraocular pressure - iop

"It only takes three months of treatment with omega-3 supplements to reduce eye pressure by 8%, the main risk factor for glaucoma, a disease that affects the optic nerve causing irreversible damage at sight . "

This figure emerged from recent research that was conducted on a sample of 500 healthy young Australians. Research involving healthy young Australians paves the way for new studies on the treatment and prevention of glaucoma which is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world.

What is glaucoma?

Glaucoma is a degenerative disease that affects the optic nerve and represents the second leading cause of blindness in the world after cataracts .
The high intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main modifiable risk factor for glaucoma, making the reduction of IOP the primary objective of disease prevention.
The eye pressure is determined by the amount of aqueous humor or a transparent liquid found in the visual apparatus.
The pressure is directly proportional to the amount of liquid present inside of the eyeball: the normal reference values ​​for eye pressure are between 12 and 22 mmHg.

Among the causes of increased eye pressure are aging and an unbalanced diet (very common in Western populations).
The study was conducted on the basis of a survey of objective data: populations with a high consumption of fish and therefore a greater intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids taken with the diet have an average value of eye pressure clearly lower than the western average

In addition to being involved in supporting normal cardiovascular activity, hyperlipidemia and inflammatory conditions, omega-3s seem to have positive effects on the condition of the eyes.
Diets rich in omega-3, in fact, are associated with a lower risk of different eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration.

Previously published studies have also reported that an omega-3 deficiency may predispose to conditions such as dry eye and glaucoma.
A further study conducted in Europe on a statistical sample of over 18,000 individuals showed a direct correlation between the ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 consumed and the incidence rate of glaucoma, especially in older people (+70).

Not only that, also the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey , following some research conducted on a sample of about 3500 subjects reported that the increase in daily consumption of EPA and DHA, is associated with a lower risk of development of glaucoma; the data emerged also showed that the risk of the disease is almost three times greater in subjects who consume scarce amounts of omega-3, compared to those who consume the most.