As people grow older, many begin to notice their eyesight getting worse.
Reading small text becomes harder, and colors may seem duller. These changes are a natural part of aging.
But what if we could slow down or even reverse some of this vision loss? A new study by scientists from the University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine), may have found a way to do just that.
The researchers, working with teams from the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Health and Medical University in Germany, studied how changes in the eye affect vision in older adults. They focused on a specific part of the eye called the retina, which helps us see.
As we age, the retina tends to work less well, leading to vision problems and diseases like age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. AMD is a common condition in older people that can cause serious vision loss.
The scientists discovered that a natural substance found in our eyes, called ELOVL2, plays a big role in how our vision changes with age. In earlier work, they found that when this substance is not active, vision gets worse.
But when it is active, the eyes make more of a healthy fat called DHA. DHA is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that supports eye health. In mice, boosting this substance improved their vision.
In their new study, instead of trying to increase the activity of ELOVL2 directly, the team tried a different approach. They gave older mice special fatty acids that the body usually makes using ELOVL2. The idea was to give the mice what their bodies could no longer make on their own.
The results were exciting. The fatty acid injections helped improve the vision of older mice. This suggests that one day, people might be able to receive similar treatments to help with age-related vision loss.
Interestingly, the researchers also tested DHA on its own, but it didn’t work as well. This shows that not all healthy fats are the same, and some may be more useful than others in treating eye problems.
Even more, the study found that certain versions of the ELOVL2 gene are linked to a faster progression of AMD. This means some people may be more likely to lose their vision as they age. Knowing this could help doctors identify who is at higher risk and may benefit most from early treatment or prevention strategies.
The researchers also looked beyond vision. In another study, they worked with scientists from UC San Diego to explore whether the same fatty acids might help the immune system.
They discovered that when the body lacks ELOVL2, the immune system ages faster. This could lead to problems like blood cancers. But with the right fatty acid supplements, it might be possible to slow down this immune aging too.
In the end, this study shows real promise. It suggests that a simple treatment using fatty acids could help people keep their vision as they grow older. It also opens the door to using similar treatments to boost the immune system and fight aging in other parts of the body.
The findings show that ELOVL2 is a very important part of how our bodies age. Supporting this gene or giving the body the compounds it can no longer make might be a key strategy for healthier aging. But more research is still needed to test these treatments in people.
This study reminds us that getting older doesn’t always have to mean losing our abilities. With science, we may one day be able to keep our bodies — and our vision — younger for longer.
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