The impact of eating disorders on glaucoma

Abstract

Glaucoma is a group of progressive neuropathies of the optic nerve leading to the destructionof retinal ganglion cells and their axons. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindnessworldwide, affecting over 70 million people residing in various geographical regions. Thisdisease ranks second among the causes of blindness in patients. Up to 40% of them lose theirvision within the first year of diagnosis.(1) The most common type of glaucoma affectingophthalmic patients is open-angle glaucoma, in which the iridocorneal angle is notpathologically altered, but there is an elevation of intraocular pressure due to abnormal fluidflow within the eye. The main cause of this disease is obstruction of aqueous humor outflowfrom the eye and its excessive production. Although the exact mechanism of glaucoma is notfully understood yet, several risk factors have been identified, including high intraocularpressure (IOP), age, and genetics. Materials and Methods: Review and summary of research studies available in open-sourceformat on Google Scholar, PubMed.Conclusions: There is ample evidence confirming the impact of food products on the risk ofdeveloping glaucoma or exacerbating its symptoms. However, further research is necessary todetermine the extent of their interference with this disease entity.