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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids, intraocular pressure, and glaucoma

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Abstract Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Estimations predict that nearly 80 million people will be affected by the disease in 2020. Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) has been recognized as a major risk factor for developing glaucoma. Although IOP-lowering agents have been shown to be effective for decreasing the progression of glaucoma, extensive research has been done to identify modifiable lifestyle factors involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. Among these factors, dietary lipids and particularly dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) represent a promising approach. The aim of this chapter is to summarize the results from pilot or large-scale human studies and from in vitro or in vivo laboratory experiments suggesting the existence of a relationship between the metabolism of PUFAs from omega-6 and omega-3 families and the onset of IOP-dependent or -independent glaucoma.