Vitamins and retinitis pigmentosa: a single-center survey from an Italian cohort

Recent evidence has demonstrated the absence of a robust effect of vitamin A on retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients; however, the actual patients' knowledge on this topic appears to be limited.

To survey a cohort of Italian patients with a definite diagnosis of RP about their level of knowledge regarding the latest updates on vitamins in RP.

Survey study administered between January and June 2025 among patients followed up in a specialized Inherited Retinal Dystrophies (IRD) center in Chieti, Italy, Europe.

Patients were asked a total of 25 questions regarding their dietary attitude. The questionnaire was manually distributed to patients who could answer individually to the survey. To help with significantly visually impaired patients, all patients were offered to be helped by an assistant for reading issues, in accordance with privacy measures.

A total of 50 participants were recruited. Of these, 52% of them were taking supplements, 84.6% with vitamin A supplementation, while 7.7% were using multivitamin pills. Participants were surveyed about their knowledge concerning the presence of vitamin A in food, yielding several results: carrots (88%), pumpkin (60%), and kale (60%). Participants referred to exceeding in consuming one of those items in 64% of cases. Specifically, the majority of them overconsumed spinach (62.5%), kale (37.5%), and sweet potatoes (31.3%). While the whole population (100%) was not aware of vitamin impact on certain IRDs, all respondents (100%) manifested their strong interest in gaining knowledge on this topic.

Our cohort of Italian patients suffering from syndromic and nonsyndromic RP are not fully aware of the impact of vitamins on their condition, and most of them enrich their diet with nutritional supplements. The implementation of projects aimed at improving knowledge on this topic in the affected population is strongly advised to help with the chronic management of this condition.