Nutritional influences on eye health.
BACKGROUND
As with cardiovascular disease, nutrition and environmental intervention present new clinical practice and research opportunities in eye care. This includes maximizing health potential with food choice, the use of supplementation in high-risk and noncompliant patients, avoiding toxins such as cigarettes, and encouraging exercise.


METHODS
The author provides his perspective on viewing biochemical, physiological, and epidemiological research in the context of disease prevention in both common and uncommon applications. In most cases, this approach requires food frequency intake evaluation and application of physiological optics to measure efficacy when there is an alteration in diet and/or addition of supplementation. These are details of ocular integrative medical practice that are ignored or underutilized.


RESULTS
There are multiple opportunities for intervention in the age-related diseases of cataract, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. A summary of the application of nutrition to create a model for treatment of age-related macular degeneration is presented.


CONCLUSIONS
Economic incentives, now lacking, are required to explore new paradigms in nutritional preventative eye care. Schools and colleges of Optometry could play a vital public health role.
Richer
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Optometry Section DVA Medical Center and Department of Family Medicine, Chicago Medical School, North Chicago, Illinois 60064, USA.
D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D018529:Nutritional Support / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009907:Optometry / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology