Glaucoma is often called the “silent thief of sight” because it can slowly damage vision without causing obvious symptoms in its early stages. The disease affects the optic nerve, which carries visual information from the eye to the brain.
Once this nerve is damaged, the lost vision usually cannot be restored. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide, making early diagnosis and treatment extremely important.
One of the biggest risk factors is high pressure inside the eye, known as ocular hypertension. Although eye drops, laser treatment and surgery can help control eye pressure, some patients still lose vision over time, so researchers continue searching for better ways to protect the eyes.
A new study suggests that nicotinamide, a form of vitamin B3, could become an important addition to future glaucoma prevention. The research, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, found that people with high eye pressure who took nicotinamide were much less likely to develop primary open-angle glaucoma, the most common form of the disease.
Scientists now believe glaucoma is more than simply an eye pressure problem. Growing evidence suggests it is also linked to changes in the way retinal cells produce energy.
As people age, levels of a molecule called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide decline naturally. This molecule is essential for producing energy inside cells and repairing damaged DNA. Lower levels may leave the optic nerve more vulnerable to injury.
Nicotinamide helps the body replenish this important molecule. Researchers believe it may improve the health of retinal cells, support blood flow in the eye and make nerve tissue more resistant to damage.
Earlier studies mainly examined whether nicotinamide could help people who already had glaucoma. This new research asked a different question: could it delay the disease before it even begins?
To investigate, researchers analysed anonymous electronic health records collected from 67 healthcare organisations across the United States between 2006 and 2026. They identified 2,920 people with ocular hypertension who had not yet developed glaucoma. Half had taken nicotinamide while the other half had not.
The investigators carefully matched participants based on age, sex, medical history and eye condition so that the two groups were as similar as possible. They then followed both groups for an average of 3.7 years.
The results were encouraging. Only 3.5 percent of people taking nicotinamide developed glaucoma compared with 9 percent of those who did not. This represented a 66 percent lower risk of developing the disease. People taking nicotinamide were also less likely to need prescription eye drops to reduce eye pressure or laser treatment later on.
The protective effect appeared even among patients who started taking nicotinamide after learning they had ocular hypertension. Although the study cannot prove the vitamin directly prevented glaucoma, the consistent findings suggest it may offer important protection.
Researchers caution that nicotinamide should not replace standard glaucoma care. Regular eye examinations, monitoring eye pressure and following medical advice remain essential. Larger clinical trials are now needed to determine the safest dose, long-term effects and whether the vitamin truly causes the observed benefits.
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.
Source: JAMA Ophthalmology study.
