Table 3.
Effects of exercise and physical activity on common eye diseases: insights into DR and AMD with potential mechanisms explored.
| Disease | Citation | Pre-clinical vs. clinical | Study design | Study population | Interventions | Study duration/follow-up period | Key findings | Potential mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR | Wang et al. (214) | Clinical | Retrospective cohort | 3,031 adults | Different levels of physical activity | / | More physical activity and less sedentary lifestyles associated with lower prevalence of DR | (1) Regulation of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids (2) Inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation (3) Improvement in hemodynamics (4) Regulation of BDNF, 25 (OH)D |
| Loprinzi et al. (173) | Clinical | Cross-sectional | 282 diabetic patients | Sedentary behavior | 1 year | Sedentary lifestyle significantly increased the likelihood of diabetic patients developing DR | ||
| Soleimani et al. (174) | Clinical | Before-after clinical trial | 40 DR subjects | Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (3 times/week, 45 min) | 12 weeks | Lower FBS (mg/dL) and CMT (microns) in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise group | ||
| Cheng et al. (175) | Pre-clinical | Randomised controlled | 30 mice | Running exercise | 8 weeks | Chronic exercise alleviates endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and oxidative stress | ||
| AMD | Knudtson et al (215) | Clinical | Prospective cohort | 3,874 participants | Physical activity | 15 years | Physical activity reduced the risk of exudative AMD by 70% in 15 years | (1) Inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation |
| Ulańczyk et al. (216) | Clinical | Cross-sectional | 330 AMD cases and 121 controls | Physical activity | / | Physical exercise might delay AMD progression and help retain better visual function | ||
| McGuinness et al. (23) | Clinical | Prospective cohort | 41,514 participants | Vigorous exercise (frequent ≥3 times/week and less frequent 1–2 times/week) | 6 months | Vigorous exercise is protective against moderate AMD in women | (2) Production of adipokines promotes | |
| Zhang et al. (217) | Pre-clinical | Randomised controlled | 20 mice | Exercise | 5 weeks | Exercise partially preserves retinal function | ||
| Cui et al. (218) | Pre-clinical | Randomised controlled | 22 mice | Treadmill running (6 times/week, 60 min, 15 m/min) | 4 weeks | Treadmill training protects laser-induced CNV and enhances anti-angiogenic efficacy |