Mirtogenol™ may prevent glaucoma

Glaucoma is reported as one of the main causes of blindness, affecting 2.22 mil US citizens at the moment but expected to increase by 50% by 2020. While nutritional interventions have been shown to be helpful for other degenerative eye disease to date, there no natural nutritional prevention was indentified to lower the risk of developing glaucoma. A new study has today found that the combination of two well known natural extracts much employed in eye health may reduce the intraocular pressure thus reducing the risk to develop glaucoma.

Mirtogenol™ is an innovative combination of standardized bilberry extract Mirtoselect​®​ and pine bark extract Pycnogenol​®​. Previous studies on both ingredients had demonstrated benefits for eye health: Mirtoselect® was found to stabilize retinal capillaries, whereas Pycnogenol® supports vascular function by enhanced generation of nitric oxide.

Mirtogenol™ promotes the normalization of high intraocular pressure by lowering aqueous humor release from ciliary body. The clinical study [Robert Steigerwalt et al. “”Effects of Mirtogenol on ocular blood flow and intraocular hypertension in asyntomatic subjects”, Molecular Vision 2008, 14, 1288-1292​] has shown Mirtogenol™ to reduce IOP in 95% of the treated patients from 26 to 22 mm Hg within two months. Patients have not shown a sudden increase of IPO after discontinuation of the treatment.

This study is the first demonstration showing that dietary intervention can help control IOP and ocular blood flow increase in asymptomatic patients and, if taken over time, may prevent the evolution to glaucoma.

To know more, check www.indena.com​ or contact us.