Mirtogenol Lowers Elevated Eye Pressure

SAN VALENTINO, ItalyOcular hypertension affects nearly 10 percent of U.S. adults, and the condition, if untreated, can lead to loss of vision and glaucoma. However, a supplement rich in phenolic antioxidants may help lower elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) on its own and synergistically when used with latanoprost eye drops, according to a new study (Clin Opthalmol. 2010;4:471-6).

Researchers from the University of Chieti-Pescara randomly assigned 79 patients with asymptomatic ocular hypertension to three groups: supplement of Mirtogenol® (a combination of 80 mg Mirtoselect® bilberry extract from Indena and 40 mg Pycnogenol® pine bark extract from Horphag Research) alone, latanoprost eye drops alone, or both in combination.

Normal eye pressure ranges from 10 to 21 mmHg; ocular hypertension is defined as pressure higher than 21 mmHg. Subjects taking Mirtogenol alone saw a reduction in IOP from 38.1 to 29.0 mmHg after 16 weeks. Latanoprost alone lowered IOP from 37.7 to 27.2 mmHg within four weeks, with no further reductions. The combination of therapies lowered IOP from 38.0 to 27.3 mmHg in four weeks, and further decreased to 23.0 mmHg by 24 weeks. The researchers concluded the combination therapy was more effective for lowering IOP and yielded better retinal blood flow.

Mirtogenol is the first dietary supplement clinically proven to improve blood flow in the central retinal artery and hence useful to normalize intraocular pressure, said Robert Steigerwalt, Jr., lead researcher of the study. Taking Mirtogenol in addition to Latanoprost is safe, and patients can expect further improved ocular pressure from this combination.

A previous study in Molecular Vision (2008;14:1288-92) revealed Mirtogenol lowered high IOP, which translates into a decreased risk for developing glaucoma later in life. While several circumstances are believed to be involved in the development of glaucoma, an elevated intraocular pressure is one of the greatest variable risk factors.