A new study from researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has found that a combination of common vitamins may help slow down or even stop glaucoma, a serious eye disease that is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide.
The findings have raised hope that future glaucoma treatment may go beyond simply lowering pressure inside the eye and instead directly protect the retina and optic nerve.
Glaucoma affects millions of people around the world. The disease slowly damages the optic nerve, which is responsible for carrying visual information from the eye to the brain.
In many cases, glaucoma develops so gradually that people may not notice vision problems until significant damage has already occurred. Once vision is lost from glaucoma, it usually cannot be restored.
The most common risk factor for glaucoma is high pressure inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure. Current treatments mainly focus on reducing this pressure through eye drops, laser treatment, or surgery.
These methods can slow the disease for many patients, but they do not work equally well for everyone. Some people continue to lose vision even when their eye pressure appears to be controlled.
Because of this, scientists have been searching for other possible causes of glaucoma and new ways to protect the eye.
The new research focused on the retina, the thin layer of light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. The retina converts light into signals that are sent to the brain through the optic nerve, allowing people to see. Researchers believe that problems with how the retina produces and uses energy may contribute to glaucoma damage.
For many years, scientists suspected that a substance called homocysteine might play an important role in glaucoma. Homocysteine is a natural substance produced during metabolism, the process the body uses to convert food into energy. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to several diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
However, when the researchers studied rats with glaucoma, they found that high homocysteine levels did not make the disease worse.
They also studied people with glaucoma and discovered that those with higher homocysteine levels did not experience faster vision loss. In addition, people who were genetically more likely to have high homocysteine levels were not more likely to develop glaucoma.
These findings suggested that homocysteine itself is probably not causing the disease. Instead, the researchers believe it may simply be a sign that something else is wrong inside the retina.
The team then looked more closely at metabolism inside retinal tissue. They discovered that glaucoma appears to involve changes that reduce the retina’s ability to properly use certain vitamins needed for healthy metabolism. As a result, the retina may not produce energy efficiently, making it more vulnerable to damage over time.
Dr. James Tribble, one of the lead researchers and an assistant professor at Karolinska Institutet, explained that altered homocysteine levels may point to reduced vitamin-dependent metabolic activity in the retina. This led the researchers to ask whether replacing these vitamins could help restore retinal health.
To test this idea, the scientists gave mice and rats with glaucoma a combination of vitamin B6, vitamin B9, also known as folate, vitamin B12, and choline. These nutrients are all important for normal metabolism and healthy nerve function.
The results surprised the researchers. In mice with slower-progressing glaucoma, optic nerve damage stopped completely after treatment. In rats with more aggressive glaucoma, disease progression slowed significantly.
One of the most important findings was that the vitamin treatment worked without lowering eye pressure. This suggests the vitamins may protect the eye through a completely different pathway than current glaucoma treatments.
Instead of targeting pressure, the vitamins appear to support the retina’s metabolism and improve the health of nerve tissue directly.
The findings were considered so promising that researchers have already launched a clinical trial in Sweden. The study is now recruiting patients at S:t Eriks Eye Hospital in Stockholm.
The trial includes people with primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma, as well as pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, a faster and more aggressive form of the disease.
If the trial shows similar benefits in humans, the discovery could lead to a major change in glaucoma treatment. Instead of focusing only on reducing eye pressure, doctors may also aim to improve the metabolic health of the retina and optic nerve.
Scientists say the research reflects a growing understanding that many diseases affecting the brain and nerves may be closely connected to metabolism and nutrient use inside cells. Since the optic nerve is part of the nervous system, protecting its energy supply may help prevent long-term damage.
The possibility that simple vitamin supplements could help preserve vision is especially exciting because these nutrients are already widely available and generally well tolerated. However, researchers stress that more studies are needed before patients should start using vitamin supplements specifically to treat glaucoma on their own.
Doctors also remind people that regular eye examinations remain extremely important, especially for older adults and people with a family history of glaucoma. Early detection is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of severe vision loss.
Researchers are continuing to explore how diet, vitamins, and metabolism affect eye diseases. Some previous studies have suggested that vitamin B may help protect against certain forms of vision loss, while the MIND diet may lower the risk of eye disease and brain-related conditions.
The new study adds to growing evidence that supporting the body’s metabolism may become an important strategy for protecting vision and slowing neurodegenerative diseases in the future.
If you care about eye health, please read studies about how vitamin B may help fight vision loss, and MIND diet may reduce risk of vision loss disease.
For more information about eye disease, please see recent studies about how to protect your eyes from glaucoma, and results showing this eye surgery may reduce dementia risk.
The research findings were published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
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