According to a world-first clinical trial, vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) could play an important role in protecting against nerve cell damage that leads to blindness in glaucoma.

Results of the trial at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), have been published. They show ‘significant improvement’ in visual function of glaucoma patients who received a daily high dose (3 grams of nicotinamide for 12 weeks) in addition to their regular treatment to reduce eye pressure.

We now need a longer term study to know conclusively whether nicotinamide delays glaucoma progression more than simply using eye pressure lowering medications alone

Dr Flora Hui, from CERA, said a larger international trial was now needed to determine if the improvement shown could be sustained over the longer term to reduce the progression of glaucoma.

“For the first time, we have shown that daily high doses of vitamin B3 can lead to early and significant improvements in patients who are also receiving traditional treatments to lower eye pressure,” Dr Hui said. “As a safe therapy, that is well tolerated by patients, vitamin B3 has potential as a clinical supplement. “

Glaucoma is the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting more than 60 million people worldwide. The disease, which leads to vision loss when cells in the optic nerve and retina are lost, is usually treated with eye drops or surgery to reduce eye pressure. There are currently no treatments to protect cells from further damage or to improve cell function.

CERA’s trial followed 57 patients, who received both placebo or vitamin B3. Visual function was tested using electroretinography, a diagnostic test which measures electrical activity in the cells of the retina, along with visual field testing. The study found that for some people, high-dose nicotinamide significantly improved how nerve cells were functioning in the eye.

“A larger study will help us determine whether vitamin B3 should be taken on an ongoing basis by glaucoma patients.”

Earlier pre-clinical research in the US showed that vitamin B3 could prevent optic nerve degeneration – but this is the first time similar results have been witnessed in a human trial.

“Like adding oil to a car engine to allow it to run smoothly, vitamin B3 could be used to protect cells from damage and help those that have been affected by glaucoma work better.”

For those of us with a strong family history of glaucoma, and increasing risk with every year of increasing age, this is very encouraging.