What exactly is presbyopia? Simply put, it is because as the age increases, the function of the eye will become aging. The lens of the eye will gradually harden and lose its original elasticity, and the adjustment power will be weakened. , It makes it feel difficult to work or read at close range. This is the natural aging process of the physiology, which we call “presbyopia”. The lens of young people is soft and flexible, with excellent adjustment function, but after the age of forty, the lens will start to harden and cannot make proper adjustments. Therefore, it will be difficult to see far and near. Most people start from four. From the age of ten, “presbyopia” gradually develops, and the degree of presbyopia will increase year by year with age, and it will stabilize after about 65 years of age.
A new study shows that human organs have different requirements for energy. The eyes and brain are the most energy-consuming organs and require a lot of energy to maintain their function and health. Although the eyes operate with high energy consumption, they hardly have the ability to store energy. This is equivalent to a camera without a battery, and its operation and functions are completely dependent on an external power source. Scientists say this can explain why the eyes become prone to degenerative diseases (Retinal cells work with little reserve energy; may explain vulnerability to eye diseases. ScienceDaily).
Dr. Anand Swaroop, who led the research, said that to understand why eye cells are prone to degenerative diseases, sensitive biomarkers are needed that can be used to identify high-risk groups and develop potential therapies. For example, in degenerative diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration, photoreceptor cells are the first cells to die. These are the cells in the retina that convert light into electrical signals, which are then sent to the brain. In order to understand how energy demands lead to the death of photoreceptors, Dr. Swaroop and his colleagues focused on mitochondria, the “power plants” within each cell, which generate the energy required for cell operation. They studied the function of mitochondria in the photoreceptors of mice with and without retinal degeneration.
The team developed a new technology to directly measure the oxygen consumption rate of retinal mitochondria. This indicator shows how mitochondria effectively use the energy in oxygen and nutrients to make energy that cells can use. Dr. Swaroop said: “We have demonstrated for the first time that the mitochondria in the photoreceptor operate at 70% to 80% of their maximum capacity, but the reserve is very small. This indicates that the cells are under permanent high metabolic stress. It is like a rubber band has been stretched. To the extent that only a little force will destroy it. This indicates that if the energy produced by the mitochondria is reduced due to age or external pressure, the photoreceptors will be particularly vulnerable.”
This study shows that the function of mitochondria is crucial to the function of optic nerve cells. Because the optic nerve cell’s own energy reserve is insufficient, the function of mitochondria is reduced, and the energy supply to the optic nerve cell is insufficient, which will cause vision loss. The key factor in maintaining the health of mitochondria is coenzyme Q10. Human coenzyme Q10 levels reach their peak around the age of 20, when vision is best. As the age increases, the level of coenzyme Q10 synthesized by the human body decreases, and eyesight begins to decline. Therefore, supplementation and intake of adequate coenzyme Q10 is an important measure for middle-aged and elderly people to maintain mitochondrial function and delay the speed of vision deterioration.
