Wine-making by-product improves eye health in diabetics: Study

The recent study involved 99 volunteers with mild to moderate non-proliferative DR, who were given either 400 mg of MaGPE —derived from Aglianico cultivar grapes—or a placebo twice daily for six months.

The MaGPE group showed a notable reduction in central retinal thickness (CRT), increased levels of reactive oxygen metabolite derivatives (dROMs) and decreased oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) levels.

“These findings support the potential of MaGPE supplementation as a protective strategy to mitigate the progression of DR in association with standard DR therapies, particularly through the enhancement of the anatomical and functional integrity of the retina,” the authors from Italy wrote. 

DR affects about 22% of diabetics​ and can lead to preventable blindness, particularly in the working-age population​. It is expected to increase​ significantly from 103 million in 2020 to 160 million by 2045.

The pathogenesis of DR involves multiple mechanisms​ such as oxidative stress and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) -induced issues, leading to diabetic macular edema (DME), the primary cause of vision loss in diabetics​.

According to the authors, common pharmacological treatments primarily target specific pathways implicated in the disease’s pathogenesis, such as VEGF inhibition, rather than oxidative stress. However, oxidative stress is reportedly a key factor​ in DR, as it influences the regulation of various biochemical pathways, mitochondrial dysfunction and hypoxia-driven VEGF synthesis.