DIETEARY AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES AND MYOPIA PROGRESSION

This article summarizes factors in the environment and diet that influences the progression of myopia.

VITAMINS AND THE EYE

Some points from this supplementary article in Review of Optometry.

Vitamin A: The blue Mountains Eye study found that elevated beta carotene intake was assoicated with an increased risk of macular degeneration.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): Deficiency can cause red eye, photosensitivty, and dry eye.

Vitamin B7 (biotin): deficiency can lead to dry scalp, dandruff, or hair loss.

Vitamin B9 (folate): unmetabolized folic acid can accelerate cardiovascular and ophthalmic vascular disease. 

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): Provides relief for patients with pernicious anemia, megaloblastic anemia, and sickle cell anemia.

Vitamin C:Assists in collagen fomation and wound healing, including that of the cornea.  Deficiency results in slow healing, frequent infections, low platelets, retinal microaneurysms, and cataracts.

Vitamin D: Crucial for patients facing uveitis/ retinitis, MS, herpes simplex and zoster, neovacularization jin AMD, and patients at risk for diabetes. 

Vitamin E: Increases tear production, retard cataract formation, reduce propensity for diabetic retinopathy.

Magnesium: Deficiency has been linked to retinopathy, acephalgic migraines, twitching eyelids, and glaucoma.

Selenium: Helps protect patients against AMD

Cequa for Dry Eye

Sun Pharmaceutical announced that its dry eye drug Cequa (cyclosporine ophthalmic solution) 0.09% is now commercially available the United States. Cequa, which offers the highest concentration of cyclosporine for ophthalmic use approved by the FDA, is indicated to increase tear production in patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca (dry eye). Cequa is the first and only FDA-approved cyclosporine treatment delivered with nanomicellar (NCELL) technology, which helps to improve the bioavailability and physicochemical stability of cyclosporine, resulting in improved ocular tissue penetration.