Exercise may help slow or prevent vision loss

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In a new study, researchers found that exercise can slow or prevent the development of macular degeneration and may benefit other common causes of vision loss, such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.

They found that exercise reduced the harmful overgrowth of blood vessels in the eyes of lab mice by up to 45%.

This tangle of blood vessels is a key contributor to macular degeneration and several other eye diseases.

The study represents the first experimental evidence showing that exercise can reduce the severity of macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss.

The research was conducted by a team from the University of Virginia School of Medicine

Ten million Americans are estimated to have the condition.

There has long been a question about whether maintaining a healthy lifestyle can delay or prevent the development of macular degeneration.

The way that question has historically been answered has been by taking surveys of people, asking them what they are eating and how much exercise they are performing.

In the study, the research found that the bar for receiving the benefits from exercise was relatively low; more exercise didn’t mean more benefit.

An initial test comparing mice that voluntarily exercised versus those that did not found that exercise reduced the blood vessel overgrowth by 45%. A second test, to confirm the findings, found a reduction of 32%.

The scientists aren’t certain exactly how exercise is preventing the blood vessel overgrowth. There could be a variety of factors at play, they say, including increased blood flow to the eyes.

They noted that the onset of vision loss is often linked to a decrease in exercise.

The team’s next work may involve developing a method that will give people the benefits of exercise without having to exercise.

Many old people with macular degeneration may not be capable of conducting the type of exercise regimen that may be required to see some kind of benefit.

One author of the study is researcher Bradley Gelfand of UVA’s Center for Advanced Vision Science.

The study is published in the scientific journal IOVS.

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