Pycnogenol® in Retinopathy
01/06/2001
Guernsey, Horphag Research -- May 22, 2001 -- A clinical study published earlier this month in the journal Phytotherapy Research demonstrates that Pycnogenol® improves visual acuity and suspends deterioration of retinal function in 30 patients experiencing a deterioration in vision due to complications of diabetes, atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases involving the retina. The goal of the study was to investigate the effects of Pycnogenol® on the progression of diabetic retinopathy and other vascular retinal disorders.
The study consisted of a double-blind phase in which 20 patients were recruited and randomly treated with placebo or Pycnogenol® at a does of 50 milligrams three times a day for 2 months. In addition, the study conducted on open phase in which another 20 patients were treated with Pycnogenol® at the same dose schedule. In total, 40 patients with either diabetes, atherosclerosis or other vascular disease involving the retina were enrolled. In total, 30 patients were treated with Pycnogenol® and 10 were treated with a placebo.
The study results demonstrated that Pycnogenol® had a beneficial effect on the progression of retinopathy, and that the patients who received placebo experienced a progressively worsening retinopathy and a significant decrease in visual acuity.
TEST METHODOLOGIES
Five highly regarded testing methodologies were used to determine the safety and efficacy of Pycnogenol® as well as its ability to slow down the progression of diabetic retinopathy and other vascular retinal disorders. The test included Visual Acuity, Opthalmoscopy, Fluorangiography, Electrotetinogram and Visual Field.
The Visual Acuity test included results from the famous Snellen Chart (testing eyesight by reading a line of letters at 20 feet). The study found that Pycnogenol® slowed down the deterioration of Visual Acuity, and in some cases improved the recovery. The study also found that the Retinopathy progressively reduced the Visual Acuity in the placebo treated patients.
An Opthalmoscopy examination was then conducted on both Pycnogenol® and placebo treated patients. This examination looks at the retina to discover if there are any macular odema’s, hemorrhages or hard exudates visible. It was reported that there were improvements in retinas of patients treated with Pycnogenol® statistically significant in both the left and right eye; however, the placebo treated patients reported no changes.
A clinical procedure, Fluorangiography, was used to check the blood flow in the retina as well as the integrity of the blood. Patients taking Pycnogenol® reported reduced vascular permeability and improvement of the blood-retina barrier while the placebo treated patients reported no changes.
The Electrotetinogram procedure was used to assess metabolic and physiological changes in the retina. The study showed a remarkable improvement in the retinas of Pycnogenol® treated patients, while the placebo treated patients retinas remained the same. The physicians in the study scored the Pycnogenol® patients retina results as “very good” in 53% of the cases, meanwhile the placebo treated patients only scored a “good” rating in 30% of the cases.
The Visual Field methodology examined the entire visual field of the patients retina as well as any retinopathy deterioration in any one part of the eye. The study found there was no statistical differences in either the Pycnogenol® or placebo treated patients.
PYCNOGENOL’s® MECHANISM OF ACTION:
Researchers in the study believe the clinical improvement in the Pycnogenol® controlled patients is a direct result of its free radical scavenging properties. Free radicals are harmful molecules that damage the body by attaching themselves to capillaries and cells that weaken cell walls. In Diabetic Retinopathy, free radicals adhere to the cells in the eye, weakening the eye and causing macular oedema’s, hemorrhages or hard exudates that ultimately fill the eye with blood and obstruct vision, causing blindness. Pycnogenol® helps to strengthen the vascular cells in the eye to avoid the progression of Retinopathies.
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY IN THE U.S.
Nearly 16 million Americans suffer from Diabetes in the United States, of which 12,000 to 24,000 people lose their vision as a result of the disease each year. Diabetic retinopathy, a common complication resulting from both Type I and Type II diabetes, is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people age 20-74 years old in the United States.
The prevalence of retinopathy is strongly related to how long a diabetes sufferer has the disease. It is likely that most patients who have Type I Diabetes for 20 years will develop diabetic retinopathy. In addition, up to 21% of people diagnosed with Type II diabetes are generally diagnosed with retinopathy at the same time. Diabetic Retinopathy is a major concern considering it is responsible for 8% of legal blindness, making it the leading cause of new cases of blindness in the US.
For more information on Pycnogenol® or original copies of this article please contact us through pycnogenol@horphag.com
Medline-link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11351356&dopt=Abstract
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