Sensory Organ Physiology and Glycation

In this episode of the College of Glycation, Dr. Paul Reynolds—Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology—explores how glycation quietly damages two of the body’s most delicate and essential systems: the eyes and the ears. While most people associate diabetes-related damage with the heart or kidneys, this lecture shows how advanced glycation end products (AGEs) progressively harm the retina, lens, and cochlea through microvascular breakdown, oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction—often long before someone is formally diagnosed with diabetes.You’ll learn why sensory organs are uniquely vulnerable due to their extreme metabolic demand, fragile end-artery circulation, and limited regenerative capacity. From pericyte loss and blood-retinal barrier failure in diabetic retinopathy, to crystallin protein cross-linking in cataracts, to the underrecognized connection between rising A1c and hearing loss, this episode connects molecular biochemistry to real-world outcomes—and highlights why reducing glycation through metabolic health is one of the most powerful strategies for protecting vision and hearing over a lifetime.Paul’s favorite yerba mate: https://ufeelgreat.com/usa/en/c/C63EE3  Paul’s favorite source for clean, earth-sourced essentials such as salt, elecrolytes, hydration, pre-workout and more. Go to https://redmond.life and use PAULSALT for 15% discount.  Paul’s favorite exogenous ketones: A high-quality option is the NSF-certified goBHB from Clean Form Nutrition, where you can use the code Paul10 for a 10% discount: https://cleanformnutrition.com/products/go-bhb Paul’s favorite allulose source: https://rxsugar.com (discount: PAUL20)  Paul’s favorite health check-up for men or women: https://blokes.co/DRPAUL (discount: DRPAUL for 50% off of labs and smart supplements and 15% off all other products)