This, Not Glaucoma, Appears to Be the Main Predictor of Macular Pigment
Dietary habits appeared to be the main predictor of macular pigment (MP) volume in a cross-sectional study involving 107 individuals. The results challenge the notion that glaucoma is linked with low MP.
Participants included patients with glaucoma (n=85) and healthy controls (n=22). Investigators took standard automated perimetry (SAP) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements. They also estimated lutein and zeaxanthin intake via a dietary screener, and evaluated the relationship between MP and glaucoma. Among the results:
- Glaucoma patients had significantly worse SAP measures and lower RNFL thickness than controls.
- MP volume was similar in both groups.
- Glaucoma diagnosis was not linked with MP volume.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin intake were positively linked to MP volume.
Daga F, Ogata N, Medeiros F, et al. Macular pigment and visual function in patients with glaucoma: The San Diego Macular Pigment Study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018;59(11):4471-4476. doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-24170.
