Glaucoma is an eye disease that begins when you have an eye pressure that is too high for your eye. This can occur if the fluid that fills the front chamber of your eye does not drain out as fast as your eye produces the fluid. High pressures can lead to vision loss. Some glaucoma patients continue to lose vision even with treatment, but supplements, such as citicoline, show promise for improving vision changes related to glaucoma.
Effects
You will not typically have any outward symptoms from glaucoma, but the high pressure will cause the fluid inside your eye to press against your blood vessels, reducing the flow of blood to your optic nerve. This process will gradually damage the nerve fibers of the optic nerve, damaging side, or peripheral, vision. If you do not have treatment, or if the treatment does not reduce eye pressure enough, the vision damage will progress until you have severe vision loss or blindness.
Citicoline
Citicoline, also known by names, such as cytidine 5-diphosphocholine or CDP-choline, is a naturally occurring chemical found in the brain. The chemical aids in the action of neurotransmitters and brain function. As a treatment, citicoline appears to be safe for use and shows potential in helping people who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer's. In addition, people who have brain injuries may have an accelerated rate of improvement when doctors order citicoline as part of the recovery treatment.
Vision
A 2008 study conducted by researchers of the G. B. Bietti Eye Foundation in Rome concluded that citicoline could help improve vision in glaucoma patients. The researchers determined that stopping the citicoline dosage will reverse the improvement, causing a decrease in vision. This study demonstrates citicoline's potential for helping people who suffer from vision loss from glaucoma.
Treatment
As of 2011, citicoline is not a standard, recommended treatment for glaucoma or vision loss associated with glaucoma. Your doctor will recommend prescription medications to lower your intraocular pressure, reducing your risk for damage to your side vision. Other treatment options may include laser or surgical procedures that aim to help the fluid drain from your eyes. If you feel that citicoline may have some benefits for you, talk with your doctor. She can help you evaluate the possible effects against the concerns and risks associated with using citicoline in glaucoma patients.
References
- National Eye Institute: Facts About Glaucoma
- "Methods & Findings in Experimental & Clinical Pharmacology"; Citicoline: Pharmacological and Clinical Review, 2006 Update; JJ Secades and JL Lorenzo; September 2006
- "Progress in Brain Research"; Evidence of the Neuroprotective Role of Citicoline in Glaucoma Patients; V Parisi, et al.; 2008
