Myopia is a metabolic condition, DHEA may treat it
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If you ask an ophthalmologist about age-related myopia, you will probably get the answer that the condition is “incurable” and largely of unknown origin. The study below links the steady decline of one of the “youth” hormones – DHEA – as a primary cause of developing age-related myopia. Conversely, restoring DHEA to physiological levels reverses the pathological changes and factors leading to myopia such as increased hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) as well as inflammation and decreased collagen production. Now, increased hypoxia is known to be driven by elevated estrogen and PUFA, but is also a general consequence of declining metabolism due to lower CO2 production and thus decreased tissue oxygenation. Thus, one may say that myopia is yet another metabolic conditions amenable to pro-metabolic approaches. I posted a few other similar studies recently demonstrating that ocular administration of niacinamide or progesterone also has therapeutic effects for conditions such as cataracts and “dry eye” syndrome, thus further corroborating the role of declining metabolism in chronic eye conditions.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002944025003426
“…The previous metabonomic analysis of intraocular fluids suggested intraocular hormones may play a role in high myopia pathogenesis. In this study, significantly reduced concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were discovered in the vitreous humor (VH) of high myopia eyes. Additionally, DHEA levels in retina tissues of myopic guinea pigs were significantly decreased, further linking intraocular DHEA depletion to myopia-related tissue changes. Recent research has established scleral hypoxia as a fundamental mechanism underlying myopia development, with scleral fibroblasts serving as key functional cells in this process. Thus, this study investigated the effects of DHEA on human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs) under hypoxic conditions to generate novel insights for myopia prevention and treatment. The findings demonstrated that DHEA downregulates Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) expression and reduces collagen loss under hypoxic conditions. Additionally, DHEA reversed the decreased cell proliferation observed in HSFs in vitro. These effects appear to be mediated through changes in mitochondrial dynamics and regulation of BNIP3L-mediated mitophagy induced by DHEA under hypoxia. The results suggest DHEA represents a promising novel therapeutic strategy for preventing myopia development.”
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If you are considering supplementing with DHEA: here is a reminder
Peatbot.com: Young people produce about 12 to 15 milligrams of DHEA per day. This amount decreases by about 2 mg per day for every decade after the age of 30. By the age of 50, about 4 mg of DHEA per day is usually sufficient to restore the level of DHEA in the blood to a youthful level. In old age, the production of DHEA decreases significantly, to about 5% of the levels produced in youth.
Peatbot.com: Taking supraphysiological levels of DHEA long term can lead to several adverse effects. One potential issue is the enlargement of the liver, as DHEA can stimulate liver growth and is highly carcinogenic to the liver. It can also cause an increase in estrogen levels, which may lead to an imbalance in hormone levels and associated side effects. In some cases, this can result in liver problems and an increased risk of liver cancer. Additionally, excessive DHEA can lead to masculinizing effects in women, such as the growth of facial hair. It is important to avoid taking more DHEA than needed, as excess amounts can disturb the function of the thymus gland and the liver.
