Researchers at the Helmholtz Eye Institute in Moscow, Russia, have demonstrated that a new form of carnosine—n-acetylcarnosine, abbreviated as NAC—which is now available in the form of eye drops, can slowly reverse existing cataracts and prevent new ones from forming.

NAC has shown a significant clinical success rate for patients within 3-12 months of treatment. The eye drops are also being used to help treat glaucoma, but the research for that disease is not published yet.

An alternative to surgery

Individuals with cataracts often end up with surgery. But just as any surgery is not without risk, about 2% of the 1.35 million (or approximately 27,000 individuals), just in the United States each year, develop serious complications, including retinal detachments, corneal edema, and the need for a cornea transplant. Fear and discomfort, not to mention future potential problems from an artificial lens, contribute to the overall unpleasantness that accompanies this surgery.

Human trials

In a long-term study, the Russian researchers observed the changes in lens clarity over a 6 to 24 month period for 49 volunteers. The average age of the participants was 65, and all suffered from senile cataracts ranging from minimal to advanced opacification (clouding of the lens).

The patients received either a 1% solution of NAC eye drops or a placebo, as two drops twice a day in each eye. The patients were then evaluated after two months and again after six months. The tests consisted of ophthalmoscopy (glare test), stereo-cinematagraphic (slit-image) and retro-illumination (photography). A computerized digital analysis then displayed the light scattering and absorbing effects of the centers of each lens.

Here is the outcome after six months

• 88.9% of the patients who were treated with NAC had an improvement of glare sensitivity (lowest individual score was a 27% improvement, all the way up to a 100% improvement)
• 41.5% had a significant improvement of the transmissivity of the lens
• 90% showed an improvement in visual acuity
• The patients in the placebo group exhibited little change in eye quality at 6 months and a gradual deterioration at 12 to 24 months

Continued improvement

This study also showed that at 24 months the NAC treated group (who already had significant improvement to the quality of their eyesight), sustained these results with continued use of the NAC eye drops. There were no significant side effects noted in any cases throughout the two-year period.¹

Another Russian study evaluated two groups of 49 patients (with the average age being 65), who had advanced symptoms of cataracts. After a 24 month course of treatment, the group that was treated with the eye drops had a cumulative positive change when compared with the group that did not receive the eye drops.²

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References

Articles of Interest from Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update

• Eye Drops Containing N-Acetylcarnosine (NAC) Can Prevent Cataracts!
• Fight Macular Degeneration With These 10 Herbs & Nutrients
• Green Tea and Lutein Support Healthy Vision