WE HAVE JUST FILLED THE GAP IN EYE HEALTH RESEARCH.

This unique formula, comprised of Mirtoselect® standardized bilberry extract and Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract, provides a synergistic approach to maintaining healthy intraocular pressure (IOP) levels that are within the normal range. By improving eye and vision health, Mirtogenol® (mir-toj-en-all) offers a new perspective on the importance of nutrition in promoting healthy eyes.

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO) “globally, more than 2.2 billion people are affected by vision impairment, with at least 1 billion people having an eye condition that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed.” ^(a)
• Maintaining a healthy IOP (Intra-Ocular Pressure) is important to maintaining healthy eyes and vision.
• Groups from whom healthy IOP is particularly important include: people over 60, family members of those with eye health challenges, and people who are very nearsighted. ^(b)
• Estimates put the total number of people for whom a healthy IOP is important at around 69 million worldwide. ^(c)

Sources:

^(a) World Health Organization. World Report on Vision 2019 [Available from: www.who.int/publications/i/item/world-report-on-vision.
^(b)  Coleman, A. L., & Kodjebacheva, G. (2009). Risk Factors for Glaucoma Needing More Attention. The Open Ophthalmology Journal, 3, 38-42. doi.org/10.2174/1874364100903010038
^(c)  Zhang N, Wang J, Li Y, Jiang B. Prevalence of primary open angle glaucoma in the last 20 years: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Scientific Reports. 2021;11(1). Doi: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92971-w

Mirtogenol® is a natural eye health solution that combines two active nutritional ingredients. Mirtoselect® standardized bilberry extract and Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark extract.

Mirtoselect®  is the original standardized bilberry extract containing 36% anthocyanins (Indena) in accordance to both the European and USP Pharmacopoeia. Mirtoselect® has been clinically evaluated in over 50 positive studies, demonstrating its efficacy in vascular protection. 

Pycnogenol® is the original standardized French maritime pine bark extract (Horphag Research) bearing 70 ± 5% procyanidins in accordance with United States Pharmacopoeia specifications. Pycnogenol® has been extensively researched since the 1970ies on more than 12000 subjects, including more than 1000 patients with eye health conditions. Pycnogenol® has GRAS status in the USA. > Link to the brochure: Pycnogenol® for Eye Health

In Mirtogenol®, these ingredients work together to maintain a healthy intraocular pressure and provide a safe, natural, and evidence-based solution for eye health.

• Mirtogenol® helps maintain normal intra-ocular pressure by reducing the release of aqueous humor from the ciliary body, for those who are within a normal range.
• Mirtogenol® supports healthy ocular blood flow to maintain a balance of humor inflow and outflow.
• Mirtogenol® helps maintain the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), which is an important diagnostic parameter for early detection of glaucoma.
• Mirtogenol® protects the eyes from oxidative stress and free radicals, helping to reduce the risk of eye damage.
• Mirtogenol® helps improve the visual field, which is associated with glaucoma progression.
• Mirtogenol® supports the perfusion of the vascular circle of the optical nerve (circle of Zinn-Haller) to promote healthy eye function.

Pycnogenol® improves endothelial function and Mirtoselect® Bilberry extract has been shown to improve ciliary function, making Mirtogenol® a natural and evidence-based solution for maintaining eye health.

In a clinical study, 20 asymptomatic patients with high intraocular pressure (24-26 mmHg) and not on medication were given MIRTOGENOL® twice daily (80mg Pycnogenol® and 160mg Mirtoselect®) for 6 months ⁽¹⁾. The control group consisted of 18 patients.

Results showed that MIRTOGENOL® lowered IOP to normal levels in 19 of 20 patients after only 2 months. By the end of the study, IOP was lowered by 13% compared to baseline, while the control group showed no effect. Additionally, the study found a significant increase in blood flow velocity in the retinal and ciliary arteries with MIRTOGENOL®. The patients in the study had an average age of 45.8 years in the MIRTOGENOL® group and 44.7 years in the control group.

⁽¹⁾    Steigerwalt RD, Gianni B, Paolo M, Bombardelli E, Burki C, Schönlau F. Effects of Mirtogenol on ocular blood flow and intraocular hypertension in asymptomatic subjects. Mol Vis. 2008;14:1288-92. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18618008/

A second clinical study was conducted to investigate the effects of MIRTOGENOL® on IOP at a lower dosage (1 tablet a day) in patients who were already taking prescribed eye drops containing Latanoprost for treating increased pressure inside the eye ⁽²⁾.

The study found that, over a period of 6 months, MIRTOGENOL® enhanced the beneficial effects of latanoprost by further lowering IOP by 15% in comparison with latanoprost only. Moreover, MIRTOGENOL® along with Latanoprost further improved the diastolic ocular blood flow velocity of the central retinal artery by 40% and systolic ocular blood flow velocity by 9% to normal levels in comparison with latanoprost only over 6 months.

These findings suggest that regular combined intake of MIRTOGENOL® and Latanoprost can be beneficial for maintaining eye health, with positive effects observed as early as 6 weeks and even better results after 6 months of supplementation.

In summary, MIRTOGENOL® enhances the beneficial effects of latanoprost in lowering intraocular pressure and improving ocular blood flow in asymptomatic subjects.

⁽²⁾ Steigerwalt RD, Jr., Belcaro G, Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E, Burki C, Schönlau F. Mirtogenol potentiates Latanoprost in lowering intraocular pressure and improves ocular blood flow in asymptomatic subjects. Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:471-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20505841/
 

Diastolic and Systolic blood flow velocity were both improved with MIRTOGENOL®, potentiating the effects of the medication Latanoprost.

Another clinical study investigated the effects of MIRTOGENOL® supplementation on eye microcirculation in 88 asymptomatic patients with intraocular hypertension who also took traditional eye drops for hypertension of the eye (dorzolamide-timolol or Latanoprost eye drops) ⁽³⁾.

The study subjects took 2 capsules of MIRTOGENOL® per day for 3 months. After 6 weeks of MIRTOGENOL® intake, positive effects on intraocular pressure and ocular blood flow were noticeable. After another 6 weeks, 58.1% of the people taking MIRTOGENOL® and Latanoprost had normal IOP levels compared to 41.4% in the only-Latanoprost subject group. The diastolic and systolic ocular blood flow velocity of the central retinal artery was improved by 63% and 24% respectively with MIRTOGENOL® when compared to non-supplemented patients.

Moreover, after 12 weeks, blood perfusion around the optic nerve (circle of Zinn-Haller) was significantly improved with MIRTOGENOL® and latanoprost. This study suggests that MIRTOGENOL® supplementation in combination with traditional drops for hypertension of the eye, may improve eye microcirculation in patients with intraocular hypertension.

⁽³⁾    Gizzi C, Torino-Rodriguez P, Belcaro G, Hu S, Hosoi M, Feragalli B. Mirtogenol® supplementation in association with dorzolamide-timolol or latanoprost improves the retinal microcirculation in asymptomatic patients with increased ocular pressure. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2017;21(20):4720-5. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29131240/
 

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study investigated the effect of MIRTOGENOL® supplementation on the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and visual field in 41 patients with primary open angle glaucoma with controlled intraocular pressure levels ⁽⁴⁾. ). Indeed, evidence shows that that despite controlled IOP, optic nerve damage still progresses.

Participants were supplemented with MIRTOGENOL® for 2 months in addition to their glaucoma medications. At the end of the study, MIRTOGENOL® maintained average RNFL thickness, with an insignificant decrease of 0.8%. In contrast, the placebo group showed a significant thinning of the RNFL thickness by 1.8%.

This study suggests that MIRTOGENOL® can help maintain RNFL thickness, which is a diagnostic parameter of early glaucoma. Additionally, the study indicates that MIRTOGENOL® may have beneficial effects on the visual field, another risk factor associated with glaucoma progression.

⁽⁴⁾    Widyakusuma A, Artini W, Oktariana V, Prihartono J. The effect of mirtogenol towards the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and visual field in primary open angle glaucoma. Ophthalmol Ina. 2017;43(1):28-33.
perdami.or.id/ophthalmologica/journal/article/view/134

A 2021 study investigated the intraocular pressure-lowering effects of MIRTOGENOL® in 18 patients with increased IOP ⁽⁵⁾. The patients were supplemented with MIRTOGENOL® (40 mg of Pycnogenol® and 90 mg Mirtoselect® daily) in addition to their individual antiglaucoma medication. After 4 weeks of supplementation, IOP decreased by a significant 8.7%, indicating a promising beneficial effect of MIRTOGENOL® on one of the major risk factors associated with glaucoma.

These results suggest that MIRTOGENOL® may have a potential role in improving eye health and preventing the development and progression of glaucoma. 

⁽⁵⁾    Manabe K, Kaidzu S, Tsutsui A, Mochiji M, Matsuoka Y, Takagi Y, et al. Effects of French maritime pine bark/bilberry fruit extracts on intraocular pressure for primary open-angle glaucoma. Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. 2021;68(1):67-72. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33536714/