Glaucoma & Weight Loss

Glaucoma develops silently for most people, and can gradually rob you of your vision as increased pressure within your eyes (intraocular pressure) causes damage to the optic nerve. Research has found a link between intraocular pressure and insulin resistance---a factor in obesity and diabetes.

Intraocular Pressure and Glaucoma

• CNN Health states on its website that glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness, with its victims ultimately suffering reduction in vision or complete loss of eyesight. Intraocular pressure, a primary cause of the optical nerve damage that occurs with this disease, is the result of a buildup of aqueous humor, a fluid produced in the anterior chamber in the front of the eye.

Aqueous Humor

• According to SuperiorVision.com, aqueous humor continuously flows in and out of the anterior chamber to nourish the tissues in your eyes. The fluid normally exits your eyes at the open angle where the iris and the cornea meet. Any blockage or narrowing of the passageway that prevents or slows the drainage of aqueous humor creates a buildup of intraocular pressure within the eyes and damages the optic nerve. The buildup of pressure occurs so slowly that it usually goes unnoticed until major vision loss occurs.

Weight-Related Causes of Intraocular Pressure

• Weight-related illnesses such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism and atherosclerosis all have a connection to intraocular pressure and glaucoma. The research linking obesity, hypertension and diabetes to intraocular pressure, a primary cause of glaucoma, is reviewed on the website of the National Institutes of Health. Testing on study participants included eye examinations and measurement of body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat, waist circumference, blood pressure readings and testing of fasting insulin levels, glucose and blood fats. Of the 943 study participants, those who tested positive for metabolic syndrome had the highest incidence of intraocular pressure.

  Other obesity-related illnesses are hypothyroidism, which involves a deficiency in the thyroid hormone that can lead to weight gain, and atherosclerosis, a narrowing of the blood vessels due to a buildup of fatty materials in the blood that contribute to the formation of plaque. The amount of blood reaching the optic nerve is reduced in the presence of atherosclerosis and may cause low-tension glaucoma.

The Benefits of Weight Loss

• If you are currently suffering from any of these health problems, or are at risk for them, weight loss can reduce your risk of developing glaucoma by alleviating insulin resistance, by lowering your risk of diabetes or enabling you to control it without medication, by stabilizing your blood pressure and by preventing the buildup of atherosclerosis. Treatment of hypothyroidism reduces the risk of weight gain, which lessens your chances of developing insulin resistance. Losing excess body weight by making healthier food choices and following a diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat proteins and whole-grain carbohydrates will improve your health and save your eyesight. Natural Eye Care recommends a diet that includes foods containing beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and sulfur-bearing amino acids. These nutrients will help to reduce eye pressure. They can be found in spinach, tomatoes, celery, turnips, green leafy vegetables, garlic, onions, legumes, apples and oranges.