Following a long-term diet low in carbohydrates and high in fat and protein from vegetables may lower the risk of the most common subtype of glaucoma. In a first-of-its-kind study, a researcher at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) helped discover that if at-risk groups adhere to these dietary restrictions, they may reduce their risk of developing primary open angle glaucoma with early paracentral visual loss by 20%. Results from the research have been published in the journal Eye.

“A diet low in carbohydrates and higher in fats and proteins results in the generation of metabolites favorable for the mitochondrion-rich optic nerve head, which is the site of damage in POAG. This dietary pattern has already been shown to have favorable results for epilepsy and showed some promising results for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases,” said co-corresponding author Louis R. Pasquale, MD, FARVO, deputy chair for ophthalmology research for the Mount Sinai Health System. “It’s important to note that a low-carbohydrate diet won’t stop glaucoma progression if you already have it, but it may be a means to preventing glaucoma in high-risk groups. If more patients in these high-risk categories — including those with a family history of glaucoma — adhered to this diet, there might be fewer cases of vision loss.”

In related news, a compilation of three large US studies, with a total of 185,638 participants, conducted by Akiko Hanyuda of the Harvard School of Public Health, found that low-carb diets are generally neutral in terms of POAG risk, while consumption of fats and proteins from vegetable sources substituting for carbohydrates was associated with lower risk of the POAG subtype with initial paracentral visual field loss.