Do Our Eyes Hold The Secrets To Preventing Disease?

In a recent study, researchers found that small opacities covering blood vessels in the retina (called retinal amyloid plaque) are an indicator of early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. These findings are pretty amazing, because caregivers, families, and patients could receive an earlier diagnosis and take action to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. In addition, there is currently no standard test to diagnose Alzheimer’s so looking at the eyes could be a major development in combating a disease that is becoming more prevalent every year.

In Alzheimer's, a damaging plaque—called beta-amyloid—creates communication problems with neurons in the brain. Although the reason why beta-amyloid affects communication problems with neurons in the brain is unknown to researchers, they have found that buildup of the plaque in the retina mirrored brain pathology, particularly in the primary visual cortex (the part of the brain most responsible for visual processing).

The eyes can give us immense insight into the internal health of our bodies. And unlike examining brain tissue, examining eye tissue is much more affordable and noninvasive. Researchers discovered decades ago that monitoring eye health can identify, at an early stage, whether a patient is at-risk for a stroke. These researchers also found that deterioration of the blood vessels in the eye mirrored the deterioration of blood vessels in the rest of the body, increasing the risk of stroke. Similar to the Alzheimer’s study, the damage caused by plaque buildup in the retina mirrored the damage inflicted on the brain.

So, what do we know about reducing plaque in the retina? We know that a healthy diet is the best way to prevent the buildup of beta-amyloid. Certain nutrients are known to promote eye health and keep our retinas (and therefore our brains) healthy. These include beta-carotene; vitamins A, C, E, and B12; lutein; zeaxanthin; magnesium; selenium; omega-3 fish oil; and folic acid. There is also an increasing amount of research stressing the importance of improving dietary absorption in the microbiome using enzymes and probiotics.

Understanding the intricate connection between our eye health and overall health is becoming more and more important, especially as chronic conditions like Alzheimer's disease become more prevalent. Luckily, research in this areas is progressing at a rapid pace. The take home message? Our eyes really are a window to our health, so take good care of them!