Macular Degeneration International
6700 N. Oracle Rd. Suite 505
Tucson, AZ 85704
Contact: Thomas B. Perski, Director
February 2001
RE: Did you know that your eyes get a tan - just like your skin?
It appears that the eye develops a protective tan very much like the
skin. For some years, optometrists and ophthalmologists have known that
the "crystalline" lens, located in the front of our eyes, becomes
yellow with age [1]. It is also true that this yellow to brown "aging"
pigment actually protects the retina by filtering most of the UV and
some of the HEV (high energy visible) light before it reaches the
retina [2].
But just recently, researchers have uncovered one more piece of the
puzzle. The transmission spectrum of this aging pigment is the same as
that of melanin - the yellow to brown pigment that gives our hair and
skin their color. The transmission spectrum tells us what percentage of
each color is reduced by a particular light filter. The transmission
spectrum of melanin is near ideal in that it filters the various colors
or wavelengths of light in proportion to their damage [3].
One of the researchers, Dr. Jim Gallas, a physics professor and CEO of
Photoprotective Technologies, says, "It's as though Nature provided our
eyes with their own internal pair of sun lenses and decided to use
melanin as the sunlight protecting filter." The San Antonio-based
physicist, and inventor of the melanin sun lens, believes this new
result further validates the use of sunglass lenses that contain
melanin for protection against sunlight damage. He also points out that
the "internal sun lenses" within our eyes are probably a defense
mechanism that occurs only after some damage has already occurred to
the retina. It is therefore much better to use sunglass lenses with
melanin - before the damage has occurred.
Melanin is generally regarded as the body's primary photo
protection system. Those individuals with more melanin are at less risk
for developing skin cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD),
the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 55.
Gallas also helped develop the technology to synthesize melanin
suitable for incorporation into the plastics used for sunglass lenses.
Gallas has now teamed up with Macular Degeneration International (MDI)
of Tucson, Arizona to help better educate the public.
Thomas Perski, Founder and Executive Director of MDI, who himself
has macular degeneration, emphasizes the need for further education
about eye protection. "Living in the sunny areas of the U.S., we often
hear of reports of the importance of protecting the skin with a good
SPF (sun protection factor) cream. Now, with the development of Melanin
lenses, we have the highest EPF (eye protection factor), needed for
protection of the eye, and easier consumer education and
understanding".
"Especially those with lighter color eyes (blue or green or light
hazel) should think about using Melanin lenses with an EPF factor of
40," said Perski. "As many as 1 in 6 over age 65 are developing macular
degeneration of the retina. We think if persons knew of the risk
factors at an earlier age, they could prevent this blinding disease."
References.
R.A. Weale, Age and the transmittance of the human crystalline lens, J. Physiol. (1988), 395:577-587.
J.S. Werner, L. Spillmann, UV-absorbing intraocular lenses: safety,
efficacy, and consequences for the cataract patient, Graefe s Arch.
Clin. Exp. Ophthalmol. (1989), 227:248-256.
Gallas JM: Application of synthetic melanin for photo protection in
optical plastic substrates, in Cordella M, Macaluso C (eds): Tecnologie
fotoprotettive e funzione visiva, Parma, C.E. Mattioli, 1992, 111-116
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