The study, funded in part by the supplement manufacturer, found that oral treatment with a combination of DHA and citicoline significantly improved vision and the rate of progression in glaucoma patients after three months of treatment.
The NI Awards judges praised the study for its focus on an area of health that has not previously been widely investigated, and also noted its robust methodology, featuring a randomised controlled trial with a strong sample, and its impressive results.
“We are incredibly happy to receive this honor,” said Leia Garrot, medical director at BrodyLab, following the awards ceremony in Geneva on May 15. “This was our first time participating in the competition, and it was really well run. Our team is excited about this award and the opportunity to share the outstanding results of our research.”
antioxidant effect
Glaucoma is a progressive optic nerve disorder that affects 57.5 million people worldwide. It is the second leading cause of blindness after cataracts. Blindness caused by glaucoma is usually irreversible.
The study authors noted that in clinical practice, many patients with glaucoma are recommended to take dietary supplements containing vitamins, citicoline, and ginkgo biloba.
Citicoline is an essential mediator in the synthesis of cell membrane phospholipids and may be a neuroprotective or neuromodulatory agent. It is used in some countries to promote recovery from stroke lesions and to treat neurodegenerative diseases. On the other hand, DHA is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with widely documented antioxidant properties.
Research details
This prospective, randomized, single-blind study aimed to evaluate the effects of citicoline, vitamin C, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in patients with glaucoma.
The researchers randomly assigned 73 patients with glaucoma to one of four groups and treated them with vitamin C, DHA, citicoline, or a combination of DHA and citicoline for three months.
All patients underwent complete monthly eye examinations and various visual parameters were analyzed over time. The researchers assessed and compared changes in visual fields in each group.
The combination of oral DHA and citicoline treatment significantly improved vision and progression in glaucoma patients after three months.
“Only oral treatment with our combination of DHA (tridocosahexanoin AOX) and citicoline significantly improved vision and slowed disease progression in glaucoma patients after three months of intervention,” Garrot said.
This study demonstrates that a combination of DHA and citicoline can improve visual function in these patients, even though vision loss is usually irreversible in this group.
BrudyLab claims that the study shows that the combination could well become a bestseller for glaucoma patients. There is also scope to explore synergistic antioxidant neuromodulatory effects. The authors speculate that both compounds enhance each other, promoting the rapid turnover of cell membrane structural components, a potential application relevant to various neuropathologies such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
“This project proves that dietary supplements have great potential to help glaucoma patients,” said Garrott. “Science is a pillar of what we do at BrodyLab, and we’re proud of our primary goal of producing clinical evidence to a high standard to empower the nutrition industry.”
sauce: life
Source: 10.3390/life12101481
“Effects of oral citicoline and docosahexaenoic acid on visual fields in patients with glaucoma: a randomized trial” Authors: Anton et al.
