Researchers Learn How Certain Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Halt
Vision-Robbing Blood Vessel Growth in the Retina Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids are chemicals found in fish and some
nut and vegetable oils that are an essential part of a healthy
diet. It is known that fatty acids found in fish oil help to
prevent cardiovascular disease. Recently, NEI-supported
investigators demonstrated that a byproduct of one of the fatty
acids found in fish oil may also keep our eyes healthy.
Proliferative retinopathies are a leading cause of blindness.
These diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of
prematurity, are caused by abnormal blood vessel growth, or
neovascularization, in the retina, the part of the eye that
detects and converts light into electrical signals sent to the
brain. In 2007, a team of researchers published a study, led by
Lois Smith, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology at Harvard
Medical School, Children’s Hospital Boston, that suggested
omega-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic ac