Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Research shows those with the highest manganese blood levels had a 56% reduced risk of glaucoma compared to those with the lowest 20% of manganese blood levels.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world (70 million cases) and is responsible for 120,000 cases of blindness in the United States each year (1). Glaucoma accounts for over 7 million annual doctor’s visits in the United State (1) and costs our healthcare system $1.5 billion each year (1).
Now a new study in Korea (2) suggests that trace elements may be a reliable predictor of glaucoma risk. In the study, researchers analyzed blood and urine samples of 2,680 individuals (1332 males, 1348 females) between the ages of 43 and 51 participating in the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2009. Glaucoma diagnosis was based on criteria established by the International Society of Geographic and Epidemiologic Ophthalmology (3).
The researchers found increased blood levels of manganese to be related to glaucoma. Specifically, manganese levels were 9.1% higher in those without glaucoma (12.36 versus 13.49 micrograms/Liter). Those with the highest blood levels of manganese had a 56% reduced risk of glaucoma compared to those with the lowest 20% of blood levels (less than 12.8 versus greater than 33.2, p = 0.01). Manganese is a mineral that is found in several foods including nuts, legumes, seeds, tea, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables. It is considered an essential nutrient (4) with significant antioxidant and nerve-protecting properties (5, 6).
The researchers also found a negative association for mercury (16.3% higher average levels for those with glaucoma (6.18 versus 5.31 micrograms/Liter)).But they concluded that “high blood mercury levels may have a role in glaucoma” despite not finding a statistically significant increase in risk for glaucoma between the highest and lowest 20% of blood levels (greater than 5.41 versus less than 3.37 micrograms/Liter, p = 0.85).
Despite the lack of statistical significance regarding the highest and lowest mercury levels and glaucoma risk, the researchers went on to conclude that “These findings in a cross-sectional study of the South Korean population suggest that a lower blood manganese level and a higher blood mercury level are associated with greater odds of glaucoma.” They then encouraged more studies “to confirm that the presence of such trace metals increases the chance of developing glaucoma.”
Abstractor’s Note: However, the association between blood levels of mercury and glaucoma was not statistically significant.
Source: Lin, Shuai-Chun, Kuldev Singh, and Shan C. Lin. “Association between body levels of trace metals and glaucoma prevalence.” JAMA ophthalmology 133.10 (2015): 1144-1150.
© 2015 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Posted September 3, 2015.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- “Glaucoma Facts and Stats” posted on the Glaucoma Research Foundation website
- Lin SC. Association Between Body Levels of Trace Metals and Glaucoma Prevalence. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 Aug 6. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2015.2438. [Epub ahead of print]
- Foster PJ, Buhrmann R, Quigley HA, Johnson GJ. The definition and classification of glaucoma in prevalence surveys. Br J Ophthalmol. 2002;86(2):238-242
- “Manganese” posted on MedLine Plus
- NamusluM, Balci M, Coşkun M, et al. Investigation of trace elements in pterygium tissue. Curr Eye Res. 2013;38(5):526-530
- Kanamori A, Catrinescu MM, Mahammed A, Gross Z, Levin LA. Neuroprotection against superoxide anion radical by metallocorroles in cellular and murine models of optic neuropathy. J Neurochem. 2010;114(2):488-498.
