Higher dietary nitrate and green leafy vegetable intake can help to fend off glaucoma, according to a new study.
Research published in the US by JAMA Ophthalmology showed leafy greens were associated with a lower risk of primary open-angle glaucoma.
It followed up participants biennially from a 28-year Nurses’ Health Study of 63,893 women and 24-year Health Professionals Follow-up study of 41,094 men. From the offset, the participants were 40 years or older and free of glaucoma. Questionnaires and medical records were used for disease confirmation.
The researchers noted that nitric oxide signalling alterations in outflow facility and retinal blood flow autoregulation were implicated in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), and nitric oxide donation had emerged as a POAG therapeutic target.
Results from the US study identified 1,483 incident cases of POAG, with a mean age of 66.8. Analysis found that patients with the highest amount of dietary nitrate intake had a 21% lower risk of all POAG and 44% lower risk of POAG with early paracentral visual field loss, compared to those in the lowest intake.