2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
2 Fundamentals and Principles of Ophthalmology
Part IV: Biochemistry and Metabolism
Chapter 14: Reactive Oxygen Species and Antioxidants
Highlights
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Oxidative stress has a causal role in many vision-threatening diseases, including cataract, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
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Oxidative processes play a central role in the development of nuclear sclerosis. The lens utilizes glutathione, among other antioxidant mechanisms, to combat oxidative stress.
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The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) confirmed the role of antioxidants in slowing the progression of macular degeneration.
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Antioxidants may prevent the development of primary open-angle glaucoma and visual field defects.
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Targeting oxidative pathways affords new therapeutic interventions for some of the most common ophthalmic diseases.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 2 - Fundamentals and Principles of Ophthalmology. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.