A critical deficit in optometric/ophthalmologic education is the lack of sophisticated knowledge of nutrition and the application of that knowledge towards the resolution of eye/vision health problems.
Cataractogenesis can be explained in part by poisoning of the sodium potassium ATPase pump at the subcapsular layer of the crystalline lens.
The role of antioxidants in combating free-radical activity as it relates to degeneration and aging of the organism should be understood and applied as a preventive regimen in eye-care practice.
The role of prevention in eye/vision health care must be discussed and embraced in contrast to treating the symptom which may be an established protocol in "problem-based" health care.
With understanding of the principles of pharmacology and nutritional biochemistry, optometrists and ophthalmologists need to look upon nutrition as a tool that can be used as part of their armamentarium of therapies. For many years now both ophthalmologists and optometrists have experienced rigorous training in biochemistry as well as pharmacology and both have the educational and clinical background to pursue this area of new learning intelligently.
We desperately need to encourage more eye doctors to utilize nutritional counseling in their practices and to think of nutrition as a useful, essential tool.
Learning Objectives: This presentation will pursue, explore, and extrapolate nutrition principles and nutritional biochemistry to show how we can utilize this information for a better understanding and management of vision dysfunction, especially with respect to cataractogenesis. Several important nutrients will be cited with respect to their influence on vision function and dysfunction
Keywords: Nutrition, Vision Care
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.