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๐ Cataracts: Causes and Antioxidant Eye Drops
Cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness worldwide,
accounting for nearly 48% of all blindness cases.
While surgery is well-established, pharmacological prevention or delay is still under-researched.
๐ Key Risk Factors
- Aging, diabetes, UV exposure, malnutrition, smoking, renal disease
- Most importantly: Oxidative Stress
→ Free radicals damage lens proteins → aggregation → lens opacity
๐งช Role of Antioxidants
Several antioxidants have been studied in experimental models:
- Vitamin C, Vitamin E
- Lutein, Melatonin, Polyphenols, Acetyl-L-carnitine, Pinitol
๐น Vitamin C is reduced in cataractous lenses
๐น Vitamin E may reduce cortical cataract incidence
โ No strong evidence for prevention of nuclear cataracts
๐ง Commercially Available Cataract Eye Drops
Currently sold as topical antioxidant formulations:
IngredientBrand Names
| Pirenoxine | Gariluny, Unikata, etc. |
| Iodide | Uniren, Cuaren, Cleedphosod, etc. |
๐ Designed for local antioxidant activity in the eye
โ Summary
- Cataracts are caused by oxidative stress in the aging lens
- Topical antioxidants may help slow progression,
though clinical efficacy remains limited - Best used as supplemental or preventive care, not primary treatment