With research showing exercise can improve eye health, Michael Cymbor, OD, FAAO, used his lecture, “The Role of Exercise in Eye Disease” which occurred yesterday at 9 a.m., to encourage optometrists to communicate these findings with patients.
“As primary eye care providers, it is crucial for optometrists to emphasize the importance of regular exercise in our patient care discussions to reduce the risk of ocular diseases,” he said of the lecture. “Physical activity helps improve blood circulation and overall eye health.”
These findings by eye condition:
Myopia
Myopia has a higher risk with sedentary time. Additionally, those who do not have the progressive refractive condition participate in more physical activity, pointed out Dr. Cymbor.
Dry eye
Long-term exposure to physical activity or exercise programs is associated with dry eye-associated-symptom relief and can increase tear break-up time, explained Dr. Cymbor.
Diabetic retinopathy
Physical activity improves vascular endothelial function and decreases inflammation. Additionally, it is linked with a lower risk of diabetic retinopathy (DR). That said, Dr. Cymbor provided this caveat: The American Diabetes Association recommends the following exercise be avoided: jumping, jarring, head-down activities, and breath-holding in patients who have severe non-proliferative and unstable proliferative DR.
Glaucoma
A high level of fitness is linked with a decreased risk of incident glaucoma vs. inactive or lower-level fitness, said Dr. Cymbor. What’s more, there is a 6% reduction in the risk of developing glaucoma for every 10-unit increase in walking speed and steps per minute. Additionally, exercise is shown to lower the risk of conversion to glaucoma, and results in a 10% decrease in the rate of visual field loss.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Physical activity has a protective effect for incident exudative AMD, independent of body mass index and other confounders, Dr. Cymbor discussed. Further, exercise is neuroprotective for toxic retinal degeneration. OM
