Choroidal Neovascularization

information on diet, nutrition, & self-help

Choroidal neovascularization is a process in which new blood vessels grow in the choroid (the area of the eye containing the most blood vessels), through the Bruch membrane and into the subretinal space (the space between the retina and the choroid) - sometimes resulting in blindness.

Attention to diet and lifestyle may help prevent or even reverse damage.

See nutritional support recommendations
See self help points

Parts of the Retina

The retina can be thought of as having 4 different layers. Very fine capillaries, choriocapillaries, form the choroids and are responsible for carrying the nutrients and oxygen required by the cellular layers above them. The Bruch membrane (see the choroid definition) lays between choriocapillaries and the Retinal Pigment Epitheliam (RPE), and acts as a filter between the RPE and choriocapillaries, keeping them, in effect, separated.

The choroid layer contains most of the eyeball's blood vessels. It is also the layer prone to bacterial and secondary infections. Because there is currently no medical treatment for this disease this abnormal growth can easily lead to the impairment of sight or complete loss of vision.

In choroidal neovascularization patients, the fluid and blood along with the formation of new blood vessels form scar tissues which are trying to repair damages but are ultimately the cause of vision loss and possibly blindness.

Symptoms

Symptoms may include: seeing flickering or blinking lights in the affected eye or eyes, blurred vision, loss of vision.

Nutritional Supplements for choroidal neovascularization

These are the most important supplements and recommendations.

Shopping Tips

On a tight budget?

Here's our single most important recommendation:
Doctor's Choice: Advanced Eye and Vision Support Formula - Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye & Vision (whole food) Support Formula - 60 vcaps per bottle Promotes clear vision and healthy eyes, including macula, retina and lens, supports healthy eye growth, and rejuvenation, and supports the body's natural detoxification processes with targeted, quality antioxidants for vision.

Essential: Advanced Eye and Vision Support Formula - Dr. Grossman's Advanced Eye & Vision (whole food) Support Formula - 60 vcaps per bottle Promotes clear vision and healthy eyes, including macula, retina and lens, supports healthy eye growth, and rejuvenation, and supports the body's natural detoxification processes with targeted, quality antioxidants for vision.

Essential: Pure Focus - Pure Focus is a liquid based formula absorbed sublingually (under the tongue) for vision health.

Essential: Carlsons Super Omega-3 250 - 1000 mg gelcaps - Carlsons Super Omega-3 250 - 1000 mg gelcaps

Very Important: Microcurrent Stimulation 100ile Purchase Option - Microcurrent Stimulation helps stimulate energy production (ATP) in the retina, improve circulation & reduce waste build-up.

Very Important: Viteyes Complete - Viteyes Complete is the most comprehensive eye multivitamin available, and serves both as a multivitamin and an eye multivitamin.

Helpful: Retinal Support 2 oz - Retinal Support is based on classic Kidney & Spleen Chinese medicine formulas to help support the retina by building blood, improving circulation, eliminating dampness, & strengthening overall energy.upport based on classic Kidney & Spleen Chinese medicine formulas to help support the retina by building blood, improving circulation, eliminating dampness, & strengthening overall energy.

Helpful: Renewal Greens 10.6 oz - Comprehensive high quality all organic green drink for overall health. Includes organic vegetable blend, wheat grass blend and digestive enzymes

Causes

The actual cause of choroidal neovascularization is not typically known. Three main diseases associated with choroidal neovascularization are age-related macular degeneration, myopia and ocular trauma. Though among soft contact lens wearers choroidal neovascularization can be caused by the lack of oxygen to the eyeball.

Macular Degeneration

The Wisconsin Beaver Dam Study funded by the National Institute of Health showed that 1.2% of 43-86 year old adults with age-related macular degeneration developed choroidal neovascularization. The study also proved that choroidal neovascularization was caused by myopia in 5-10% of myopes.

Ocular Trauma

Ocular trauma is another cause of choroidal neovascularization. More than 50 eye diseases have been linked to the formation of choroidal neovascularization. Even though most of these causes are idiopathic, among the known causes are related to degeneration, infections, choroidal tumors and or trauma.

Conventional Treatment

Although at present there is no cure for choroidal neovascularization, particular antiangiogenic substances such as thalidomide, angiostatic steroid, and metalloproteinase inhibitors are currently being tested to try to lessen or prevent the growth of the new blood vessels in the eyes.

Through surgical testing, partial removal of choroidal neovascularization proved to be useless. Therefore the focus has been placed on photodynamic therapy, a procedure approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

Photodynamic therapy is a treatment meant to stop the fluid as well as stunt further growth of the blood vessels among patients. Photodynamic therapy is performed in two phases. In the first phase Visudyne, a special dye that only attaches itself to abnormal blood vessels underneath the retina, is injected. Then a laser which does not damage the retina activates a compound which closes the anomalous blood vessels located in the eye. CNV has been seen to disappear 24 hours after the procedure. Unfortunately, CNV has also been seen to reappear 2-3 months later in almost all the patients and long-term benefits are still unknown. However, in a year-long Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration study of 609 patients 16% of treated patients and 7% of placebo patients had visual improvement.

Self Help

From a holistic perspective, one can think of Choroidal Neovascularization as at least partially due to the lack of essential nutrients and oxygen reaching the retina through the existing blood vessels in levels needed to support the retina properly. A healthy diet and lifestyle along with specific nutrient supplementation may help preserve vision by nourishing the retina and strengthening the integrity of the existing blood vessels.

Diet & Nutrition

Supplement your diet with a good multivitamin such as Dr. Grossman's Whole Food Multivitamin and/or a good green drink such as Renewal Greens.
The Vision Diet - recommended in Natural Eye Care: An Encyclopedia on CD, authored by Marc Grossman, O.D., L.Ac. and Michael Edson, MS, L.Ac. This CD covers 29 major eye conditions with specific nutrient, diet, exercise and juicing instructions by eye condition, plus much more.
daily juicing of vegetables and fruits (preferably organic). Our recipe for this condition (and macular degeneration) is some combination of the following: ginger, garlic, leeks, parsley, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, spinach, kale, collard greens, apples, grapes, raspberries, lemon, chlorophyll, wheat grasses - (not too much fruit). See Juicing Tips
Eliminate deep fat fried foods
Avoid monosodium glutanate (MSG) used as a flavor enhancer which is a potential retinal toxin (Inv Oph 1996; 37: 1618-24)
Avoid fat blockers like Olestra which impair the absorption of carotenoids (Argus, August 1996;19:18:July 1996;19:22). Eating greater amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol also appear to increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration.
Limit your alcohol consumption to 1 glass of red wine at night. Alcohol interferes with liver functions, reducing protective glutathione levels (Alcohol 1993;10;469-75).

Lifestyle & General Health

Eliminate smoking. Smoking among other things produces cyanide, a retinal toxin.
Limit the amount of medications (both prescription and non-prescription as much as possible. Make sure to work closely with your doctor.
Exercise daily - do at least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Walking and swimming are two excellent forms of exercise.
Manage your emotional health, which is very important in maintaining physical health. Fear (fear of failure, responsibility, of being alone, of death, etc.) is at the root of many of life's problems, and is a major factor in many diseases. Take up the practice of meditation, yoga, tai chi, walks in the woods or prayer on a daily basis.

Research

Although the underlying physiological cause may be unique, there may be similarities in terms of nutritional, diet and lifestyle recommendations made by Dr. Grossman for eye conditions (such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa) that result in similar vision symptoms.

See research on macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.