Research Says Chronic Stress Can Affect Eyesight

According to a new study done on mice reported in the journal Aging Cell, chronic stress might eventually degrade vision, as prolonged stress prematurely ages and degenerates eye cells.

The cells in the eye age in the same way as other cells do. Nonetheless, widespread maturing and degradation of retinal ganglion cells in the eye is a substantial risk factor for glaucoma. Because people live longer lives, it is expected that there will be more than 110 million affected by glaucoma globally by 2040.

Study Findings

Stress, such as elevated intraocular pressure, promotes epigenetic and transcriptional changes like those that are associated with aging in retinal tissue. The study’s authors found that repeated stress causes eye tissue to age faster in younger retinal tissue. The findings might lead to the ability to tune and sustain cell functions in glaucoma patients.

The intraocular pressure in the eye fluctuates between 12 and 21 mmHg on a regular basis in healthy persons. It affects about two-thirds of the population more often at night. Due to the wide range of intraocular pressure, a single measurement of intraocular pressure is inadequate to predict disease progression in glaucoma patients.

Frequent and Long Term Stress is The Issue

Long-term intraocular pressure fluctuations are recognized as a solid predictor of glaucoma progression. The study’s findings support this hypothesis. The authors argue that the impacts of frequent, modest variations increase the aging of retinal tissue as well as oscillations.

Even little elevations in intraocular pressure, according to the researchers, induce the loss of retinal ganglion cells and the consequent vision deficits in elderly animals. Researchers are continuously exploring the process of accumulative aging changes in order to find potential therapeutic targets. They are also exploring various strategies to slow the stress-related aging process.