Malnutrition as a Risk Factor for Cerebral and Glaucomatous Neurodegeneration - Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies.

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BACKGROUND

Neurodegenerative diseases are an increasing challenge for healthcare systems in the context of demographic change. They affect the central nervous system, including the brain-manifesting, for example, as dementia-as well as the retina, as seen in glaucoma or age-related macular degeneration. Malnutrition-defined as quantitative or qualitative under- or overnutrition-affects key mechanisms that contribute to neuronal and retinal neurodegeneration.

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OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to systematically present the pathophysiological mechanisms of malnutrition-related neurodegeneration, to evaluate the current evidence on dietary patterns and cognitive health, and to derive practical clinical strategies for nutritional optimization.

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METHODS

Narrative literature review based on peer-reviewed publications from the fields of nutritional medicine, geriatrics, neurology, ophthalmology, and public health.

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RESULTS

Malnutrition promotes oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic neuroinflammation, and vascular dysregulation, and it influences neurotransmitter synthesis. These mechanisms are relevant to both cerebral and ocular neurodegenerative processes. The Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet are associated with a significantly reduced risk of cognitive impairment; for ocular diseases, interventional studies in age-related macular degeneration in particular demonstrate protective effects of antioxidant supplementation, whereas evidence for glaucoma is currently based predominantly on observational data. Screening approaches and micronutrient diagnostics enable early identification of at-risk individuals. Building on this, individualised dietary interventions and targeted supplementation of selected nutrients could be potentially preventive and stabilising therapeutic strategies.

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CONCLUSION

Malnutrition is a key modifiable risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and retina. More intense integration of nutritional diagnostics and therapy into neurological, geriatric, and ophthalmological care structures appears warranted.