Vitamin E Aids Glaucoma Treatment


Scientists in America have found that applying vitamin E to medicated contact lenses can dramatically improve the success of common glaucoma treatments. The scientists have produced research that shows that adding vitamin E to medicated contact lenses acts to keep medication in the eye for longer and greatly increases the effects of the medication. It is hoped that this research will be used to develop much improved treatments for glaucoma and other serious eye diseases.

The research team, lead by Anuj Chauhan, found that adding vitamin E to medicated contact lenses kept medication in the eye for up to 100 times longer than medication administered by eye drops. Chauhan claims that eye drops are an ineffective way of treating eye diseases as much of the medicated drops are immediately washed away by tears. In fact, Chauhan argues that up to 99% of the medication in eye-drops can fail to reach the affected eye tissue. This wasted medication often fails to reach the inner eye and enters the body’s blood stream instead, often causing unwanted side effects. The researchers found that Vitamin E could be used to create clusters or ‘transport barriers’ that work to slow the movement of drugs from the medicated contact lenses and into tears that carry medication away from the eyes.

Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant that, in small doses, also acts to protect the eye by blocking the sun’s harmful UV rays. It is hoped that this new research will be used to effectively treat glaucoma and other serious eye conditions. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness and is thought to affect 67 million people worldwide. The research could also be used to develop treatments for cataracts, dry eye and more.

4th April 2010

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