Researchers are hoping a simple vitamin B3 supplement could one day be used to prevent glaucoma. A world first clinical trial is underway at the Center for Eye Research Australia (CERA), at Melbourne’s Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, to test the effectiveness of Vitamin B3 in glaucoma patients.
CERA Researcher Dr. Flora said that used in conjunction with other therapies, the vitamins produce the energy needed to extend the life of the cells.
“So essentially the cells at the back of the eye that are sick is a bit like having an engine that's running a bit rough. And adding the vitamin B3 to it is like adding some engine oil,” the researcher added.
The trial follows a successful study on mice in the United States, which found high doses of Vitamin B3 prevented the onset of the devastating eye disease.
Dr. Flora explained: “As there’s no cure, all our therapies are aimed at lowering the pressure in the eye, in glaucoma, and so we’re hoping that the vitamin is there to compliment these therapies to try and prevent future progression.”
Rosemary Workman, 61, noticed a defect in her peripheral vision three years ago. “There's a little bit of my visual field missing. If you think of a picture, there's a little bit that's not there, the brain usually fills in the gaps but there are occasions can notice it," she said.
Workman was diagnosed with glaucoma, a condition which affects the eyesight of 60 million people worldwide and about 300 thousand Australians, half of whom go undiagnosed.
Dr. Lui said optic nerve damage generally impacts side vision first before eye health gradually declines.
“We know that approximately one in ten Australians over the age of 80 will actually have glaucoma, but more and more, we're seeing younger people in their 40s and 50s as well, actually developing glaucoma,” Dr. Lui said.
Workman is part of Dr. Lui’s clinical trial, taking Vitamin B3 alongside eye drops twice a day, to help lower the pressure on nerve cells at the back of her eye. The clinical trials run for six months per patient, and results are expected by the end of the year.
“If we can actually show Vitamin B3 actually is helpful to patients, people can go out in the near future to buy it from pharmacies,” Dr. Lui said.
