Thread: Can RSD effect the eyes and how?
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Old 10-31-2006, 05:38 PM
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fmichael fmichael is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
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fmichael fmichael is offline
Senior Member
fmichael's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: California
Posts: 1,239
15 yr Member
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Dear jclg -

Just looking over 7 pages of Pubmed hits on Pynogebol, a French maritime-pine-bark extract, I came across the following a few moments ago:
Treatment of vascular retinopathies with Pycnogenol. Phytother Res. 2001 May;15(3):219-23.

Spadea L, Balestrazzi E.

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of Pycnogenol on the progression of diabetic retinopathy and other vascular retinal disorders. The study consisted of a double-blind phase in which 20 patients were recruited and randomly treated with placebo or Pycnogenol (50 mg x 3/day for 2 months) and an open phase in which another 20 patients were treated with Pycnogenol at the same dose schedule. In total, 40 patients with diabetes, atherosclerosis and other vascular diseases involving the retina were enrolled; 30 of them were treated with Pycnogenol and 10 with placebo. The results demonstrated a beneficial effect of Pycnogenol on the progression of retinopathy. Without any treatment (placebo) the retinopathy progressively worsened during the trial and the visual acuity significantly decreased; on the contrary, the Pycnogenol-treated patients showed no deterioration of retinal function and a significant recovery of visual acuity was also obtained. The fluorangiography showed an improvement of retinal vascularization and a reduced endothelial permeability and leakage in the Pycnogenol, but not in the placebo-treated, patients. The ophthalmoscopy and the electroretinogram (ERG) also confirmed the beneficial effects of Pycnogenol. The mechanism of action of Pycnogenol may be related to its free radical (FR) scavenging, anti-inflammatory and capillary protective activities. It has been suggested that Pycnogenol may bind to the blood vessel wall proteins and mucopolysaccharides and produce a capillary 'sealing' effect, leading to a reduced capillary permeability and oedema formation. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
I don't know this journal from Adam, but figure if you are seeing the retinal specialist tomorrow, it couldn't hurt to ask about the stuff.

Mike
Last edited by fmichael; 10-31-2006 at 06:46 PM.
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