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Home > Health Conditions > Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration

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  • NMN Shown To Remove Senescent Cells In Aging Eyes - YouTube, Modern Healthspan  - See NMN at Amazon.com.
  • Cordyceps militaris Carotenoids Protect Human Retinal Endothelial Cells against the Oxidative Injury and Apoptosis Resulting from H2O2 - Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2022 Sep 30 - "Vision loss is primarily caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) due to oxidative retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell injury. Carotenoid utilization is deemed a possible strategy for treating AMD. Cordyceps militaris has advantages like immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative characteristics ... The findings demonstrated that CMCT safeguarded the ARPE-19 cells against the damage and apoptosis caused by H2O2 and oxidative stress via Bcl-2 protein upregulation, as well as the expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 protein. In addition, CMCT treatment increased cell survival and restricted the generation of H2O2-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protein expression of NADPH oxidase-1 (NOX1). Additionally, the CMCT treatment of H2O2-induced ARPE-19 cells ameliorated high malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in oxidative stress-induced cells. The catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH) returned to standard levels, which were governed by the higher expression of nuclear Nrf2 protein in the ARPE-19 cells. Moreover, this study showed that CMCT safeguarded the ARPE-19 cells against the damage caused by oxidative stress via its antioxidant activity and antiapoptotic functionality, suggesting the potential therapeutic role of CMCT in AMD prevention and mitigation" - See cordyceps militaris at Amazon.com.
  • Linkage between a plant-based diet and age-related eye diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Nutr Rev 2022 Sep 14 - "Meta-analysis indicated regular consumption of fish (odds ratio [OR], 0.70; 95%CI, 0.62-0.79) and skim milk, poultry, and non-meat animal products (OR, 0.70; 95%CI, 0.61-0.79) reduced the risk of age-related eye disease development among adults. Consumption of red meat (OR, 1.41; 95%CI, 1.07-1.86) may increase the risk of age-related eye disease development"
  • Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Ameliorates Cellular Senescence and Inflammation Caused by Sodium Iodate in RPE - Oxid Med Cell Longev 2022 Jul 18 - "retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) ... The protective effects of NMN were demonstrated to rely on undisturbed Sirt1 signaling. Moreover, both the expression of senescence markers of RPE and subretinal inflammatory cell infiltration were decreased by NMN treatment in vivo. Our results indicate that RPE senescence induced by NaIO3 acquired several key features of AMD. More importantly, NMN may potentially be used to treat RPE senescence and senescence-associated pre-AMD changes by restoring the NAD+ levels in cells and tissues." - See NMN at Amazon.com.
  • Intermittent Fasting is Associated with a Decreased Risk of Age-related Macular Degeneration: Intermittent fasting and age-related macular degeneration - Am J Ophthalmol 2022 Jul 6 - "The intermittent fasting group had a decreased risk of AMD compared to the non-fasting group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.413... Using the population-based survey data, we demonstrated that intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast was significantly associated with a reduced risk of AMD in a representative elderly population, especially in individuals with age less than 70 years, obesity, and urban residence"
  • Metformin Shows Potential to Prevent Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 7/18/22 - "patients who were prescribed the drug over a period of 2 years were about 5% less likely to have AMD ... But the drug has previously shown protective effects against other age-related diseases such as dementia, cancer, and stroke. And it works through pathways that play a role in the development of AMD ... Those patients prescribed low to moderate doses of metformin had the least risk. Those prescribed 1-270 grams over 2 years had an OR of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88 - 0.94). And those prescribed 271-600 grams over 2 two years had an OR of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.87 - 0.93). But patients prescribed doses over 1080 grams over 2 years did not have reduced odds of developing AMD ... On the other hand, people prescribed the diabetes drugs exenatide, sitagliptin, or pramlintide instead of metformin were at higher risk of developing AMD (OR, 1.08" - See metformin at ReliableRX.
  • Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish intake and risk of age-related macular degeneration - Clin Nutr 2021 Oct 12 - "Higher dietary intakes of omega-3 PUFA was significantly associated with 14% (relative risk [RR]: 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.77, 0.96) and 29% (RR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.91) lower risk of early and late AMD, respectively. The dose-response analysis showed a 6% and 22% decrease in the risk of early and late AMD for each additional 1 g/d omega-3 PUFA intake. For individual omega-3 PUFA, the intake of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid was inversely associated with lower AMD risk, whereas no association was found for the alpha-linolenic acid. Consistent inverse associations were also found between fish intake and AMD. The pooled RRs comparing extreme categories of fish intake were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.90) and 0.71 (95% CI: 0.60, 0.85) for early and late AMD risk, respectively. Every 15 g/d of fish consumption was associated with 13% and 14% lower early and late AMD. In addition, fish intake was associated with a significantly reduced risk of AMD progression (RR: 0.73" - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
  • Causal Effects of N-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Age-related Macular Degeneration: A Mendelian Randomization Study - J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2021 May 13 - "Our study provided genetic evidence that circulating LA accounted for protective effects of n-6 PUFAs against the risk of AMD, whereas AA was responsible for deleterious effects on higher AMD risk"
  • Role of Resveratrol in Transmitochondrial AMD RPE Cells - Nutrients. 2020 Jan 6;12(1) - "treatment with different resveratrol formulations improved cell viability and decreased reactive oxygen species generation in each AMD patient cell line. Although further studies are required to establish the cytoprotective potential of resveratrol under different physiological conditions, this novel study established the positive effects of OTC resveratrol supplements in macular degeneration patient cybrid cell lines in vitro" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
  • Consumption of eggs and the 15-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration - Clin Nutr. 2019 Mar 16 - "Our findings suggest that moderate consumption of eggs significantly reduces the risk of developing incident late-stage AMD over 15 years"
  • Mediterranean diet prevents a leading cause of blindness, study suggests - Science Daily, 10/1/18 - "people who adhered to a Mediterranean diet cut their risk of late-stage AMD by 41 percent ... A Mediterranean diet emphasizes eating less meat and more fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, unrefined grains, and olive oil. Previous research has linked it to a longer lifespan and a reduced incidence of heart disease and cognitive decline ... For this latest study, researchers analyzed food-frequency questionnaires from nearly 5,000 people who participated in two previous investigations -- the Rotterdam Study, which evaluated disease risk in people age 55 and older, and the Alienor Study, which assessed the association between eye diseases and nutritional factors in people aged 73 and older"
  • Lutein and Zeaxanthin Isomers Protect against Light-Induced Retinopathy via Decreasing Oxidative and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in BALB/cJ Mice - Nutrients. 2018 Jun 28;10(7) - "Our data shows that L/Zi provided functional and morphological preservation of photoreceptors against light damage, which is probably related to its mitigation of oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress" - [Nutra USA]
  • An orange a day keeps macular degeneration away: 15-year study - Science Daily, 7/12/18 - "people who ate at least one serving of oranges every day had more than a 60% reduced risk of developing late macular degeneration 15 years later ... the data showed that flavonoids in oranges appear to help prevent against the eye disease ... Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants found in almost all fruits and vegetables, and they have important anti-inflammatory benefits for the immune system"
  • Oral Omega-3 Supplementation Lowers Intraocular Pressure in Normotensive Adults - Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2018 May 1;7(3):1 - "These findings justify further investigation into the therapeutic potential of omega-3 supplementation for reducing IOP, to prevent and/or treat conditions with IOP elevation, including ocular hypertension and glaucoma" - [Nutra USA] - See omega-3 supplements at Amazon.com.
  • Protective Effects of Blueberry Anthocyanins against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Injury in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells - J Agric Food Chem. 2018 Feb 2 - "These combined results supported the hypothesis that blueberry anthocyanins could inhibit the induction and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through antioxidant mechanisms" - See blueberry extract at Amazon.com.
  • Antioxidant/zinc supplement cost saving and effective for degenerative eye disease - Science Daily, 8/23/17 - "A supplement that combines antioxidants with zinc and copper is a relatively inexpensive and effective means of halting the progression of a certain type of degenerative eye disease" - Note:  It talks about the same study as the WebMD article below but emphasizes zinc and copper.  My problem with the AREDS 2 formula is that it duplicates a lot of what you may already be taking.  Also, some studies claim that taking zinc can cause a copper deficiency.  See Jarrow Zinc Balance at Amazon.com.
  • Zinc May Help Against Vision Loss in Seniors - WebMD, 8/23/17 - "AREDS was "greatly cost-effective for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, specifically in people who have active wet, age-related macular degeneration in one eye and dry in the other ... Formula 1 has high doses of vitamins C and E, beta carotene, zinc and copper. Formula 2 has lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta carotene ... both formulations were cost effective for treating patients with early stage disease, but they were even more cost effective for those with the condition in only one eye ... these patients would need nearly eight fewer injections of anti-VEGF therapies into their eye" - See AREDS 2 at Amazon.com.
  • An Eye to Health: Diet and Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 6/27/17 - "The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that a specific formulation of antioxidants and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper, reduced the risk of patients with intermediate AMD developing the advanced form of the condition by 25% over 5 years.[12] Subsequently, the follow-up AREDS 2 study found that lutein and zeaxanthin can be substituted for beta-carotene, which has been linked to increased risk for lung cancer, particularly among former smokers ... Beyond high-dose supplementation, intake of antioxidants and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids through daily diet has also been reported to reduce AMD risk ... a high glycemic index (GI) diet is a risk factor for AMD.[9,17] The GI represents a food's impact on blood glucose levels relative to pure glucose (GI = 100). Consumption of higher-GI foods results in higher blood glucose levels. High GI foods (GI > 70) include white rice, white bread, and potatoes, whereas whole grains, lentils, and nonstarchy vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage have a low GI (GI < 55). High-GI diets are associated with accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) that are formed when cellular proteins are modified by sugar molecules or their metabolites"
  • Mediterranean Diet May Cut AMD Risk by More Than a Third - Medscape, 10/19/16 - "Several studies have shown that vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, antioxidants, and omega-3 help protect against age-related macular degeneration and have health benefits beyond ophthalmology ... A score of 9 indicated a Mediterranean-style diet, whereas a score of 0 indicated a completely different diet ... The risk for macular degeneration was 35% lower in people with a score below 6 than in those with a score of 6 or higher (50% vs 39%)"
  • Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso-zeaxanthin Supplementation Associated with Macular Pigment Optical Density - Nutrients. 2016 Jul 12;8(7) - "macular pigment optical density (MPOD) ... This meta-analysis revealed that lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin supplementation improved MPOD both in AMD patients and healthy subjects with a dose-response relationship" - See carotenoids at Amazon.com.
  • Intakes of Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Other Carotenoids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration During 2 Decades of Prospective Follow-up - JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 Oct 8 - "Comparing extreme quintiles of predicted plasma lutein/zeaxanthin score, we found a risk reduction for advanced AMD of about 40% in both women and men (pooled relative risk comparing extreme quintiles = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.48-0.73; P for trend < .001). Predicted plasma carotenoid scores for other carotenoids, including β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene, and β-carotene, were associated with a 25% to 35% lower risk of advanced AMD when comparing extreme quintiles. The relative risk comparing extreme quintiles for the predicted plasma total carotenoid index was 0.65" - [Nutra USA] - See carotenoids at Amazon.com.
  • Vitamin D may play key role in preventing macular degeneration - Science Daily, 8/31/15 - "women who are deficient in vitamin D and have a specific high-risk genotype are 6.7 times more likely to develop AMD than women with sufficient vitamin D status and no high risk genotype ... Vitamin D shows promise for protecting against macular degeneration because of its anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic properties; antiangiogenic refers to slowing the growth of new blood vessels, often seen in late stages of AMD ... Our study suggests that being deficient for vitamin D may increase one's risk for AMD, and that this increased risk may be most profound in those with the highest genetic risk for this specific variant in the CFH protein" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • The impact of supplemental macular carotenoids in Alzheimer's disease: a randomized clinical trial - J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;44(4):1157-69 - "supplemented for six months with either Macushield (10 mg meso-zeaxanthin [MZ]; 10 mg lutein [L]; 2 mg zeaxanthin [Z]) or placebo (sunflower oil) ... supplementation with the macular carotenoids (MZ, Z, and L) benefits patients with AD, in terms of clinically meaningful improvements in visual function and in terms of MP augmentation" - [Nutra USA] - See Macushield at Amazon.com.
  • Sustained supplementation and monitored response with differing carotenoid formulations in early age-related macular degeneration - Eye (Lond). 2015 Jul;29(7):902-12 - "macular pigment (MP) ... meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) ... contrast sensitivity (CS) ... In early AMD, MP can be augmented with a variety of supplements, although the inclusion of MZ may confer benefits in terms of panprofile augmentation and in terms of CS enhancement" - [Nutra USA] - See supplements containing Meso-zeaxanthin at Amazon.com.
  • Vitamin A is for anti-aging, at least when it comes to vision - The Washington Post, 7/14/15 - "There are essentially two forms of the vitamin: retinoids, or preformed vitamin A, found in animal products and carotenoids; and provitamin A, dark-colored plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A in the body ... Food sources: Liver, shrimp, salmon, sardines, halibut, cod, beef, lamb, eggs, whole milk, whole yogurt ... Carotenoids are antioxidants that prevent and repair cellular damage and aging and reduce inflammation in the eyes and elsewhere in the body. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the retina of the human eye and have been shown to help prevent age-related macular degeneration. Carotenoids also may reduce the risk for cancer ... Food sources: Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, other dark leafy greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, apricots and cantaloupe ... Not only does vitamin A help with eyesight by producing the pigments of the retina and preventing macular degeneration, but it also helps create and maintain healthy skin (hence the popularity of topical Retin-A skincare products) ... Avoid excessively bright light from harsh interior lighting or strong sunlight. Most offices are twice as bright as they need to be. Use low-intensity light bulbs and floor lamps instead of fluorescent lighting" - See Puritan's Pride Lutein 20 mg with Zeaxanthin-120 Softgels at Amazon.com.
  • Resveratrol attenuates CXCL11 expression induced by proinflammatory cytokines in retinal pigment epithelial cells - Cytokine. 2015 Apr 15 - "Dysfunction of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) resulting from chronic inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... Resveratrol substantially inhibited the proinflammatory cytokines-induced CXCL11 production while partially blocking nuclear factor-κB activation. This inhibitory action of resveratrol was also observed for the cytokines-induced expression of chemokines CXCL9, CCL2 and CCL5. Our results indicate that resveratrol could potentially attenuate RPE inflammatory response implicated in the pathogenesis of AMD"  - See ReserveAge Resveratrol Vegetarian Capsules, 500 Mg, 60-Count at Amazon.com.
  • Lutein supplementation leads to decreased soluble complement membrane attack complex sC5b-9 plasma levels - Acta Ophthalmol. 2015 Mar;93(2):141-5 - "All subjects were randomly assigned to receive a 10 mg daily dose of lutein or a placebo for a time period of 1 year ... Lutein supplementation inhibits the systemic activation of the complement system, which provides further functional evidence for the reported beneficial effects of this carotenoid in the management of AMD" - [Nutra USA] - See lutein at Amazon.com.  I'm still sticking with mixed carotenoids.  See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com or Garden of Life, Radical Fruits Antioxidant Complex at Amazon.com.
  • Omega-3 inhibits blood vessel growth in age-related macular degeneration - Science Daily, 6/17/14 - "Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is characterized by choroidal neovascularization (CNV), or blood vessel growth, is the primary cause of blindness in elderly individuals of industrialized countries ... the omega (ω)-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), DHA and EPA, and their specific bioactive products derived from the cytochrome P450 (CYP) pathway, can influence choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and vascular leakage by modulating micro-environmental immune cell recruitment to the site of these lesions ... Given the prevalence of neovascular eye disease, the potential impact of this study is highly significant. We have identified unique endogenous lipid biometabolites that are able to inhibit pathologic retinal angiogenesis, a major driver of vision loss worldwide" - See fish oil supplements at Amazon.com.
  • Consumption of dairy products and the 15-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration - Br J Nutr. 2014 Feb 6:1-7 - "In the Blue Mountains Eye Study, 2037 participants aged 49 years or above at baseline were re-examined at follow-up in 1997-9, 2002-4 and/or 2007-9. AMD was assessed from retinal photographs. Dietary data were collected using a semi-quantitative FFQ, and servings of dairy product consumption calculated ... a significant linear trend (P for trend = 0.003) was observed with decreasing consumption of total dairy foods and the 15-year incidence of late AMD, comparing the lowest v. highest quintile of intake (OR 2.80, 95 % CI 1.21, 3.04). Over the 15 years, decreased consumption of reduced-fat dairy foods was associated with an increased risk of incident late AMD, comparing the lowest to highest quintile of intake (OR 3.10, 95 % CI 1.18, 8.14, P for trend = 0.04). Decreasing total dietary Ca intake over the 15 years was also associated with an increased risk of developing incident late AMD"
  • Lutein + Zeaxanthin and Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) Randomized Clinical Trial - Medscape, 1/16/14 - "Serum levels of lutein at year 5 were lower in patients receiving lutein + zeaxanthin and beta carotene than in patients receiving lutein + zeaxanthin without beta carotene ... The study showed a protective effect of lutein + zeaxanthin on progression to advanced AMD, with omission of beta carotene" - Note:  I've been mentioning for years that taking large does of beta carotene can cause a deficiency of some of the over 600 carotenoids.  It doesn't mention the amount of beta carotene in this article.  I'm sticking with the broad array formulas of carotenoids.  See carotenoids at Amazon.com.
  • Homocysteine, folate, vitamin B-12, and 10-y incidence of age-related macular degeneration - Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 May 1 - "Serum folate, vitamin B-12, and tHcy were determined from blood samples drawn in 1997-1999 from cohort members aged ≥55 y. AMD was assessed in 1760 survivors from retinal photographs taken in 2002-2004 and 2007-2009. Total intakes of folate and vitamin B-12 were assessed by using a food-frequency questionnaire ... Elevated serum tHcy and folate and vitamin B-12 deficiencies predicted increased risk of incident AMD, which suggests a potential role for vitamin B-12 and folate in reducing AMD risk" - See folic acid products at Amazon.com and vitamin B12 at Amazon.com.
  • High Concentrations of Plasma n3 Fatty Acids Are Associated with Decreased Risk for Late Age-Related Macular Degeneration - J Nutr. 2013 Feb 13 - "High dietary intakes of n3 (Ω3) PUFA and fish have been consistently associated with a decreased risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... The Antioxydants Lipides Essentiels Nutrition et Maladies Occulaires (Alienor) Study is a prospective, population-based study on nutrition and age-related eye diseases performed in 963 residents of Bordeaux (France) aged ≥73 y ... After adjustment for age, gender, smoking, education, physical activity, plasma HDL-cholesterol, plasma TGs, CFH Y402H, apoE4, and ARMS2 A69S polymorphisms, and follow-up time, high plasma total n3 PUFA was associated with a reduced risk for late AMD [OR = 0.62 for 1-SD increase (95% CI: 0.44-0.88); P = 0.008]. Associations were similar for plasma 18:3n3 [OR = 0.62 (95% CI: 0.43-0.88); P = 0.008] and n3 long-chain PUFA [OR = 0.65 (95% CI: 0.46-0.92); P = 0.01" - Note:  18:3n3 is alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the form of omega-3 found in plant sources such as flax.  See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Long-term Use of Aspirin and Age-Related Macular Degeneration - JAMA. 2012 Dec 19;308(23):2469-78 - "Among an adult cohort, aspirin use 5 years prior to observed incidence was not associated with incident early or late AMD. However, regular aspirin use 10 years prior was associated with a small but statistically significant increase in the risk of incident late and neovascular AMD"
  • Antioxidants May Slow Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 12/31/12 - "Oral antioxidant supplementation, including with lutein and zeaxanthin, was associated with some benefits in macular function and morphologic features among patients at high risk for progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... This trial and several others indicate benefits to functional vision with lutein supplementation. What this trial has demonstrated over and above is the marginal slowing down of progression along the early AMD severity scale ... Participants in the supplement arm took a tablet twice daily to provide a daily dose of 12 mg lutein, 0.6 mg zeaxanthin, 15 mg d-α-tocopherol (vitamin E), 150 mg ascorbic acid (vitamin C), 20 mg zinc oxide, and 0.4 mg copper gluconate ... At 36 months, the difference in BCVA had increased to approximately 4.8 letters in favor of the supplement"
  • Regular Aspirin Use 10 or More Years Ago Associated With Increased Risk of Type of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 12/18/12 - "data from the Beaver Dam Eye Study, a longitudinal population-based study of age-related eye diseases conducted in Wisconsin ... The average duration of follow-up was 14.8 years ... regular use of aspirin use 10 years prior to the retinal examination was associated with late AMD (age- and sex-adjusted incidence, 1.8 percent for users vs. 1.0 percent for nonusers)"
  • Effect of (R)-α-Lipoic Acid Supplementation on Serum Lipids and Antioxidative Ability in Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Ann Nutr Metab. 2012 Jun 1;60(4):293-297 - "A total of 62 patients (50-75 years old) with early and intermediate dry form of AMD were randomly assigned to two groups, i.e. LA administration (n = 32) and placebo (n = 30) ... The apparent increase in SOD activity caused by LA supplementation indicates that LA may have a possible preventive effect in the development of AMD through an antioxidant mechanism" - See alpha lipoic acid at Amazon.com.
  • Nutrients Promote Eye Health in Aging, Says Panel - Medscape, 4/17/12 - "They pointed out that many multivitamin supplements do not contain nutrients important for eye health, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. "Taking a supplement specifically designed for eye health that contains these key nutrients, in addition to a general nutritional supplement, may therefore be a better approach to filling dietary shortfalls,""
  • Zeaxanthin Supplements as Effective as Lutein in AMD - Medscape, 11/1/11 - "Both lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids found in the color pigment of the eye ... Using a visual test designed to identify early signs of AMD, the researchers found that the vision in the zeaxanthin group sharpened from 0.97 to 0.57 (P > 0.06, 1-tail)" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
  • Meta-analysis supports lutein’s eye health benefits - Nutra USA, 10/3/11 - "The new meta-analysis pooled data from only six longitudinal cohort studies. Crunching the numbers showed that the highest intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin were not associated with a reduced risk of early AMD ... On the other hand, the highest intake of these carotenoids was associated with 26% reduction in the risk of late AMD, and a significant reduction in the risk of neovascular AMD" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
  • Lutein and zeaxanthin intake and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep 8:1-10 - "We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin and AMD risk. Relevant studies were identified by searching five databases up to April 2010 ... The pooled relative risk (RR) for early AMD, comparing the highest with the lowest category of lutein and zeaxanthin intake, was 0.96 (95 % CI 0.78, 1.17). Dietary intake of these carotenoids was significantly related with a reduction in risk of late AMD (RR 0.74; 95 % CI 0.57, 0.97); and a statistically significant inverse association was observed between lutein and zeaxanthin intake and neovascular AMD risk (RR 0.68; 95 % CI 0.51, 0.92). The results were essentially consistent among subgroups stratified by participant characteristics. The findings of the present meta-analysis indicate that dietary lutein and zeaxanthin is not significantly associated with a reduced risk of early AMD, whereas an increase in the intake of these carotenoids may be protective against late AMD" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
  • High Antioxidant Intake May Lower Risk for Early AMD - Medscape, 6/14/11 - "We assessed the intake of antioxidants, zinc, and ω-3 fatty acids in daily foods, diagnosed the onset of early AMD during a lengthy follow-up, and investigated the risk-reducing effect of these nutrients in the various genotypes of CFH [complement factor H] Y402H and LOC387715 A69S ... Median follow-up duration was 8.6 years ... There appeared to be a possible biological interaction between the CFH Y402H genotype and intakes of zinc, β-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA), and between the LOC387715 A69S genotype and zinc and EPA/DHA, based on significant synergy indices ... High dietary intake of nutrients with antioxidant properties reduces the risk of early AMD in those at high genetic risk"
  • Vitamin D Protects Against Age-Related Vision Loss in Women - ABC News, 4/12/11 - "women who consume high levels of vitamin D through certain fish, dairy, eggs, and leafy greens could lower the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in later life, by 59 percent" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • Omega-3 fatty acid intake linked with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in women - Science Daily, 3/14/11 - "Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues collected data on 38,022 women who had not been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration. Information on women's eating habits was obtained via questionnaire at the beginning of the study and included information on intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) [Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish], and arachidonic acid and linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids). During ten years of follow-up, additional questionnaires tracked the women's eye health, with specific focus on diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration ... women who consumed the most DHA compared with women who consumed the lowest amount had a 38 percent lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Similar results were observed for higher intake of EPA and for higher consumption of both types of acid together ... consumption of one or more servings of fish per week, when compared to less than one per month, was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of age-related macular degeneration ... For omega-6 fatty acids, higher intake of linoleic acid but not arachidonic acid was associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, however this association was non-significant after adjustment for other risk factors and fats" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • How omega 3s help to prevent several forms of blindness - Science Daily, 2/9/11 - "The cost of omega-3 supplementation is about $10 a month, versus up to $4,000 a month for anti-VEGF therapy ... In the new study, they document another protective mechanism: a direct effect on blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) that selectively promotes the growth of healthy blood vessels and inhibits the growth of abnormal vessels ... In addition, Smith and colleagues isolated the specific compound from omega-3 fatty acids that has these beneficial effects in mice (a metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, known as 4-HDHA), and the enzyme that produces it (5-lipoxygenase, or 5-LOX). They showed that COX enzymes are not involved in omega-3 breakdown, suggesting that aspirin and NSAIDs -- taken by millions of Americans -- will not interfere with omega-3 benefits ... Finally, the study demonstrated that 5-LOX acts by activating the PPAR-gamma receptor, the same receptor targeted by "glitazone" drugs such as Avandia, taken by patients with type 2 diabetes to increase their sensitivity to insulin. Since these drugs also increase the risk for heart disease, boosting omega-3 intake through diet or supplements might be a safer way to improve insulin sensitivity in patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • New evidence for eye-protective effects of omega-3-rich fish, shellfish - Science Daily, 12/1/10 - "Our study corroborates earlier findings that eating omega-3-rich fish and shellfish may protect against advanced AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Ingredient in red wine may prevent some blinding diseases - Science Daily, 6/26/10 - "Resveratrol -- found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts and other plants -- stops out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eye ... There are three major eye diseases that resveratrol treatment may help: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
  • Fruits, Leafy Greens Are Good for the Eyes - WebMD, 12/22/09 - "These foods contain the carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which play an important role in vision and have a positive impact on the retina ... Lutein and zeaxanthin may help reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times ... about 600 carotenoids can be identified in nature ... Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in kale and spinach, among other vegetables ... Of about 20 carotenoids found in human blood, only lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the visual system, the researchers write, suggesting these pigments play a "special role" in human vision" - Great, I'll definitely stock up on kale. That'd be as much fun as eating worms from my lawn.  See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
  • Eat Fruits and Vegetable for Better Vision - Science Daily, 12/18/09 - "Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, have been found to increase visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases ... macular pigments, such as lutein and zeaxanthin do have an effect on visual performance. Lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times. They can also reduce glare from light absorption and increase the visual range"
  • Egg Yolks May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 11/13/09 - "Two eggs per day is probably all that is needed to maximize blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin as well as macular pigment optic density (MPOD) status"
  • Omega-3 may prevent age-related sight loss - Nutra USA, 10/8/09 - "a meta-analysis published in the June 2008 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology found that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish may reduce the risk of AMD by up to 38 per cent ... Over 12 years of study, the researchers found that intakes of omega-3, estimated using a food-frequency questionnaire, were related to both wet and dry AMD risk ... Indeed, participants with the highest omega-3 intakes, equivalent to about 0.11 per cent of their total energy intakes, had a 30 per cent lower risk of developing both types than people with the lowest intakes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • {omega}-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and 12-y incidence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and central geographic atrophy: a prospective cohort study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Oct 7 - "Participants who reported the highest omega-3 LCPUFA intake (median: 0.11% of total energy intake) were 30% less likely than their peers to develop CGA and NV AMD. The respective odds ratios were 0.65 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.92; P </= 0.02) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.94; P </= 0.02)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Omega-3 may prevent blindness in the elderly: Study - Nutra USA, 7/23/09 - "A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... mice fed a high omega-3 fatty acid diet displayed a slower development of lesions in their retina, compared to animals fed a low omega-3 diet. Furthermore, some of the mice in the omega-3 group displayed some reversion of the lesions" - [Abstract] - [Science Daily] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Diet Reduces Retinal Lesions in a Murine Model of Macular Degeneration - Am J Pathol. 2009 Jul 16 - "Ccl2(-/-)/Cx3cr1(-/-) mice that ingested a high n-3 fatty acid diet showed a slower progression of retinal lesions compared with the low n-3 fatty acids group. Some mice that were given high levels of n-3 fatty acids had lesion reversion" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • New Supplement May Help Slow Sight Loss In Elderly - Science Daily, 6/19/09 - "As the macula of the eye is very rich in antioxidants the researchers wanted to see if a supplement called CARMA (Caroteneoids and Co-antioxidants in Age-related Maculopathy) containing the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin could help slow down AMD ... The supplement also contained vitamins C,E and Zinc"
  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Protect Against Progression Of Age-related Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 6/18/09 - "we observed participants with early stages of AMD in the placebo group benefited from higher intake of DHA, but it appears that the high-dose supplements of the antioxidants and/or the minerals somehow interfered with the benefits of DHA against early AMD progression ... The antioxidant supplements did not seem to interfere with the protective effects of DHA and EPA against progression to advanced stages of AMD. Participants who consumed higher amounts of DHA and EPA appeared to have lower risk of progression to both wet and dry forms of advanced AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Omega-3 plus AREDS supplement works for eye health: Study - Nutra USA, 6/16/09 - "Increased intake of DHA was associated with a 27 per cent reduction in the progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), while EPA was linked to a 26 per cent reduction" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Does eating particular diets alter risk of age-related macular degeneration in users of the age-related eye disease study supplements? - Br J Ophthalmol. 2009 Jun 12 - "Independent of AREDS supplementation, higher intakes of DHA (>/= 64.0 vs. < 26.0 mg/d) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57, 0.94), EPA (>/= 42.3 vs. < 12.7 mg/d) (HR = 0.74, 95% CI, 0.59, 0.94), and lower dGI (dGI, < 75.2 vs. >/= 81.5) (HR = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.60, 0.96) were associated with lower risk for progression to advanced AMD. Participants consuming lower dGI and higher DHA or EPA had the lowest risk (P for synergistic interaction < 0.001) ... Our findings show an association of consuming a diet rich in DHA with lower progression of early AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Eating Fish, Nuts And Olive Oil May Be Associated With Reduced Risk Of Age-related Blindness - Science Daily, 5/15/09 - "Individuals who consumed higher levels of trans-unsaturated fats—found in baked goods and processed foods—were more likely to have late AMD, whereas those who consumed the most omega-three fatty acids were less likely to have early AMD. "Olive oil intake (100 milliliters or more per week vs. less than 1 milliliter per week) was associated with decreased prevalence of late AMD," the authors write. "No significant associations with AMD were observed for intakes of fish, total fat, butter or margarine.""
  • Dietary fatty acids and the 10-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration: the Blue Mountains Eye Study - Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 May;127(5):656-65 - "1 serving of fish per week was associated with reduced risk of incident early AMD (relative risk, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.49-0.98]), primarily among participants with less than the median linoleic acid consumption (0.57 [0.36-0.89]). Findings were similar for intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. One to 2 servings of nuts per week was associated with reduced risk of incident early AMD (relative risk, 0.65 [95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.91])"
  • Fat consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration - Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 May;127(5):674-80 - "Higher trans-unsaturated fat intake was associated with an increased prevalence of late AMD; the odds ratio comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of trans fat was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.92-3.37; P = .02). Higher omega-3 fatty acid intake (highest quartile vs lowest quartile) was inversely associated with early AMD (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.02; P = .03). Olive oil intake (> or =100 mL/week vs <1 mL/week) was associated with decreased prevalence of late AMD (odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.04; P = .03). No significant associations with AMD were observed for intakes of fish, total fat, butter, or margarine" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Lutein, Zeaxanthin Supplements May Result in Better Macular Function in Early AMD - Medscape, 5/13/09 - "Although no statistically significant difference was seen in best corrected distance visual acuity (BC DVA) at 12 months, oral supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin with coantioxidants may improve functional and morphologic outcomes at 36 months in patients at high risk for progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... Results at 36 Months Significant" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
  • Mediterranean Diet May Boost Eye Health - WebMD, 5/11/09 - "people who ate one serving of fish per week had a 31% lower risk of early signs of AMD. Those who ate one to two servings of nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids had a 35% lower risk" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Can B Vitamins Lower Risk of Blindness? - WebMD, 2/23/09 - "researchers randomly assigned more than 5,000 women over 40 without signs of age-related macular degeneration to take a combination of 2.5 milligrams of folic acid, 50 milligrams of vitamin B6, and one milligram of vitamin B12 or a placebo every day ... The results showed that women taking the B vitamin supplements had a 34% lower risk of any AMD and a 41% lower risk of AMD with vision loss than the placebo group ... the benefits of the vitamin Combination in preventing AMD appeared to emerge about two years after treatment began"
  • Dietary glycemic index and the risk of age-related macular degeneration - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Oct;88(4):1104-10 - "a higher mean dietary glycemic index was associated with an increased 10-y risk of early AMD in a comparison of quartiles 1 and 4 [relative risk (RR): 1.77; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.78; P for trend = 0.03]. Conversely, a greater consumption of cereal fiber (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.04; P for trend = 0.05) and breads and cereals (predominantly lower glycemic index foods such as oatmeal) (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.02; P for trend = 0.03) was associated with a reduced risk of incident early AMD ... A high-glycemic-index diet is a risk factor for early AMD-the recognized precursor of sight-threatening late AMD. Low-glycemic-index foods such as oatmeal may protect against early AMD"
  • Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):398-406 - "neovascular AMD (NV-AMD) ... Eating oily fish at least once per week compared with less than once per week was associated with a halving of the OR for NV-AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Eat Oily Fish At Least Once A Week To Protect Your Eyesight In Old Age - Science Daily, 8/8/08 - "people who habitually consume oily fish at least once a week compared with less than once a week are 50% less likely to have wet AMD. There was no benefit from consumption of non oily white fish. There was a strong inverse association between levels of DHA and EPA and wet AMD. People in the top 25% of DHA and EPA levels (300 mg per day and above) were 70% less likely to have wet AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Eating Fish And Foods With Omega-3 Fatty Acids Linked To Lower Risk Of Age-related Eye Disease - Science Daily, 6/9/08 - "When results from all nine studies were combined, a high dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a 38 percent reduction in the risk of late (more advanced) AMD, while eating fish twice a week was associated with a reduced risk of both early and late AMD ... "Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid in particular, form an integral part of the neural retina," the layer of nerve cells in the retina" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
  • Lutein, zeaxanthin for AMD protection: more science - Nutra USA, 3/13/08 - "people with the highest average intakes of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin had a 65 per cent reduced risk of neo-vascular AMD than those with the lowest average intakes" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
  • Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: a prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1210-1218 - "The latter gives an estimate that 7.8% of new advanced AMD cases would be prevented in 5 y if people consumed the low-dGI diet"
  • Limiting Refined Carbohydrates May Stall AMD Progression - Science Daily, 10/8/07 - "Our data showed those people in the high-glycemic-index group were at greater risk of AMD progression, especially those already in the late stages ... Participants who consumed the most refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more likely to develop blinding AMD than the group that consumed the least"
  • Nutrients May Help Save Eyes - WebMD, 9/11/07 - "Those with the highest self-reported intake of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin were 35% less likely than those with the lowest lutein and zeaxanthin intake to have "wet" age-related macular degeneration"
  • Certain Nutrients Associated With Reduced Risk For Age-related Eye Disease - Science Daily, 9/10/07 - "If these cross-sectional results can be confirmed in prospective samples and experimental studies, lutein and zeaxanthin may be considered as useful agents in food or supplement-based interventions designed to reduce the risk of AMD"
  • Zinc Linked To Macular Degeneration, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 8/27/07 - "In studying eye tissue samples, the researches found that deposits, that are hallmarks of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), contain large amounts of zinc ... The double-edged sword is that zinc has been found to enhance the immune system, but also could play a role in the advancement of macular degeneration"
  • High-Sugar Foods May Affect Eyesight - WebMD, 7/13/07 - "People with the diets highest on the glycemic index were the most likely to have advanced AMD in at least one eye"
  • Link Between Carbohydrate Quality And Vision Loss Is Strengthened By New Data - Science Daily, 7/11/07 - "the risk for AMD may be diminished by improving dietary carbohydrate quality, as defined by dietary glycemic index. This may be achieved by relatively simple dietary alterations, such as replacing white bread with whole grain bread"
  • Association between dietary glycemic index and age-related macular degeneration in nondiabetic participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):180-8 - "Compared with eyes in the first quintile of dGI, eyes in the fourth and fifth quintiles had a significantly or suggestively higher risk of large drusen, geographic atrophy, and neovascularization. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) for the highest quintile were 1.42 (1.09, 1.84), 1.78 (0.81, 3.90), and 1.41 (0.95, 2.08), respectively, of which only the odds ratio for large drusen was significant. A significant positive relation between dGI and severity of AMD was also noted (P for trend < 0.001). There was a 49% increase in the risk of advanced AMD (geographic atrophy plus neovascularization) for persons with a dGI higher than the sex median"
  • Association Between Vitamin D and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 Through 1994 - Arch Ophthalmol. 2007 May;125(5):661-669 - "The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for early AMD among participants in the highest vs lowest quintile of serum vitamin D was 0.64 ... This study provides evidence that vitamin D may protect against AMD" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • Eating Fish May Preserve Eyesight - WebMD, 5/15/07
  • Higher Intake Of Fish And Vitamin D Levels Linked To Lower Risk Of Age-related Macular Disease - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "Individuals who have higher dietary intake of foods with omega-3 fatty acids and higher fish consumption have a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, while those with higher serum levels of vitamin D may have a reduced risk of the early stages of the disease" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com and vitamin D at Amazon.com.
  • High Dose Vitamins May Boost Macular Health - Doctor's Guide, 11/16/06 - "A small study of high-dose dietary supplementation with betacarotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin shows that a potential way to improve macular health in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration"
  • Low-Glycemic-Index Diet Slows AMD Progression - Medscape, 5/8/07 - "age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... consumption of highly refined carbohydrates can lead to up to a 17% increased risk of AMD progression"
  • Predictors of optical density of lutein and zeaxanthin in retinas of older women in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study, an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1107-22 - "Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was measured by heterochromatic flicker photometry ... MPOD is directly related to dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin but even more strongly to serum concentrations, which may reflect unmeasured physical and medical factors that influence the uptake, distribution, and utilization of lutein and zeaxanthin. Higher abdominal body fat and diabetes are related to lower MPOD"
  • Exercise May Help Protect Against Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 11/7/06 - "An active lifestyle reduced the risk for incident exudative AMD by 70% ... Increased walking of more than 12 blocks daily decreased the incidence of exudative AMD by 30% over 15 years"
  • Protection for Aging Eyes - New Hope Natural Media Online, 8/31/06 - "A 40% reduction in the incidence of early age-related macular degeneration was associated with eating fish at least once a week; eating fish at least three times per week even reduced the incidence of late-stage age-related macular degeneration"
  • Associations between intermediate age-related macular degeneration and lutein and zeaxanthin in the Carotenoids in Age-related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS): ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative - Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Aug;124(8):1151-62 - "Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate AMD in healthy women younger than 75 years"
  • Fish Oil May Help Save Your Eyes - WebMD, 7/10/06 - "men with the highest fish consumption (at least two weekly servings) were 45% less likely to have AMD than those with the lowest fish consumption (less than one weekly serving)"
  • Dietary Fatty acids and the 5-year incidence of age-related maculopathy - Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul;124(7):981-6 - "A 40% reduction of incident early ARM was associated with fish consumption at least once a week (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.58 [0.37-0.90]), whereas fish consumption at least 3 times per week could reduce the incidence of late ARM (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.25 [0.06-1.00]). We found no association between incident ARM and butter, margarine, or nut consumption"
  • Loss of Central Vision with Age May Be Linked to Quality of Dietary Carbohydrates - Doctor's Guide, 6/6/06 - "Women who consumed diets with a relatively high dietary glycemic index had greater risk of developing signs of early age-related macular degeneration when compared with women who consumed diets with a lower dietary glycemic index"
  • High Glycemic Index Diet May Increase Risk of Developing AMD - Medscape, 4/18/06 - "The age-adjusted model showed more than a 2-fold increase in risk for ARM for the third tertile of dietary GI"
  • Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health - WebMD, 3/24/06 - "Eating healthfully, not smoking, and not being overweight could help keep age-related macular degeneration at bay"
  • Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of age-related macular degeneration - JAMA. 2005 Dec 28;294(24):3101-7 - "In this study, a high dietary intake of beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc was associated with a substantially reduced risk of AMD in elderly persons"
  • Healthy Diet May Help Seniors' Vision - WebMD, 12/27/05 - "People with above-average intakes of all four antioxidants were 35% less likely to develop AMD during the study ... Vitamin E and zinc stood out"
  • Antioxidants Reduce Visual Acuity Loss in Patients with Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/05 - "The high-dose formulation has been shown to have beneficial effects in reducing by 25% the risk of advanced AMD ... The first group received three antioxidant vitamins: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, and beta carotene 15 mg. Group two received zinc oxide 80 mg, plus cupric acid 2 mg. The third group received the antioxidant vitamins plus the zinc and cupric oxide"
  • AREDS II to Answer Questions Raised by AREDS - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/05 - "Lutein and omega-3 "are of particular interest because of the mounting epidemiologic data that suggests that nutrients are associated with a decreased risk of AMD"
  • Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels in age-related macular degeneration - Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2005 Sep 15;:1-5 - "Patients with both exudative and dry types of AMD had significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels ... Plasma vitamin B12 levels were found to be significantly lower in the exudative AMD group"
  • Innovative Research and Applications for CoQ10 - Life Extension Magazine, 8/04 - "biomedical researchers are discovering that CoQ10 shows promising effects against disorders as far-ranging as kidney failure, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, and macular degeneration"
  • Broccoli May Prevent Blindness - WebMD, 7/13/04 - "sulforaphane, the naturally occurring antioxidant in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, protects the eye from damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet light"
  • Fruit May Help Prevent Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 6/14/04 - "people who ate three or more servings per day of fruits had a 36% lower risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARM) compared those who ate less than one-and-a-half servings per day"
  • Lutein Improves Visual Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 4/8/04 - "Snellen equivalent visual acuity improved 5.4 letters in the lutein-only group and 3.5 letters in the lutein/antioxidant group. The lutein-only group also had a net subjective improvement in Amsler grid, and the lutein/antioxidant group had a nearly significant improvement in subjective glare recovery" - See lutein at Amazon.com.
  • Fish Oil Benefits Your Eyes - WebMD, 5/8/03 - "Why might fish oil protect eyes from age-related macular degeneration? One component of fish oil is docosahexaenoic acid -- DHA for short. It's one of the omega-3 fatty acids linked to other health benefits. Interestingly, DHA builds up in the eye near light-sensing nerve cells"
  • Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Reduce Risk of AMD - Medscape, 5/6/03 - "Dietary omega-3 fatty acids but not beta-carotene supplementation is associated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome in women" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com
  • Lutein Holds Promise for Cataract Sufferers - Health Supplement Retailer, 12/30/02 - "gave 17 cataract patients 15 mg of lutein (as 12 mg of all-trans-lutein and 3 mg of 13/15-cis-lutein present as mixed lutein esters) or 100 mg of vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) or a placebo three times per week for up to two years ... The lutein group also experienced improved visual acuity and glare sensitivity, while the vitamin group was found to experience only a maintenance in visual acuity and the placebo group a decrease" - Click here for the actual study.  See lutein at Amazon.com.
  • Harvard Study Shows Zeaxanthin Good for AMD - Health Supplement Retailer, 11/11/02 - "Our studies showed that light damage was strongly influenced by the amount of zeaxanthin in the retina, and that significantly greater retinal protection was provided at dietary levels higher than those normally occurring in the diet"
  • Macular Degeneration Epidemic - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "AMD patients who have begun taking high-dose lutein supplements (4 mg or more per day) appear to return to 'normal' levels after a few months. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a long-term deficiency of macular carotenoids may be associated with higher risk of AMD"
  • Zinc, Antioxidants Prevent Some Forms of Vision Loss - WebMD, 10/12/01 - "people at risk of losing more sight due to a condition called "age-related macular degeneration" (AMD) could prevent further vision loss by taking a combination of zinc and antioxidants, including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene ... The antioxidants were taken once a day at a dose of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, and 15 mg of beta-carotene. Zinc was given as 80 mg of zinc oxide along with 2 mg of copper in the form of cupric oxide to prevent anemia, which can occur from too much zinc ... the high levels of dietary supplements that were taken in this study are very difficult to achieve from diet alone"
  • Vitamin Regimen Can Prevent Blindness - Intelihealth, 10/12/01 - "High doses of antioxidant vitamins plus the mineral zinc can slow or even prevent vision loss in people with macular degeneration ... for those with intermediate disease, a daily vitamin supplement plus 80 milligrams of zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced disease by about 25 percent compared with a placebo ... Patients received 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day, along with 400 international units of vitamin E and 15 milligrams of beta-carotene ... High doses of zinc can cause anemia, but participants also took 2 milligrams of copper daily to counter that effect"
  • Study: Snacks May be Bad for Vision - Intelihealth, 8/15/01 - "Overindulging in fat-filled snack foods may heighten the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in the United States for those over 55 ... The foods that contain these fats are highly processed, store-bought junk foods. Included in the study: margarine, chocolate, commercially prepared pie, cake, cookies, peanut butter, potato chips, french fries and nuts ... The study found that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in albacore tuna and salmon, could lessen the risk for age-related macular degeneration, as long as fish eaters maintain a low intake of linoleic acid (found in processed food and margarine)."

Other News:

  • Three Eye Conditions Linked to Higher Alzheimer's Risk - Medscape, 8/14/18 - "Participants recently diagnosed with glaucoma had a 46% increased likelihood of developing AD. Similarly, the risk among those recently diagnosed with AMD or diabetic retinopathy had a 50% increased AD risk compared with their counterparts without these conditions"
  • Regular aspirin use linked to increased risk of age-related macular degeneration - Science Daily, 1/21/13 - "age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is a leading cause of blindness in older people ... The cumulative incidence of neovascular AMD among nonregular aspirin users was 0.8 percent at five years, 1.6 percent at 10 years, and 3.7 percent at 15 years; among regular aspirin users, the cumulative incidence was 1.9 percent at five years, 7 percent at 10 years and 9.3 percent at 15 years, respectively ... Regular aspirin use was significantly associated with an increased incidence of neovascular AMD"
  • AMD-like lesions delayed in mice fed lower glycemic index diet - Science Daily, 11/14/11 - "The dietary glycemic index (DGI) measures the rate at which glucose is delivered to the bloodstream after consuming carbohydrates. Higher GI foods including white bread and white potatoes trigger a rapid delivery of glucose that pushes the body to work overtime to absorb, whereas lower GI foods, like whole grain bread and fruits and vegetables, initiate a slower release of glucose that is more easily processed by cells ... Compared to the mice on the lower GI diet, mice on the higher GI diet demonstrated elevated accumulations of debris known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the whole retina, particularly in the cells of the RPE. The RPE plays a crucial role in maintaining vision and its dysfunction results in the gradual central vision loss that is the hallmark of AMD. AGE accumulation has also been linked to tissue damage in other age-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease"
  • Aspirin Use Linked to Aging Macula Disorder in Older Individuals - Medscape, 5/4/10 - "People 65 years and older who frequently take aspirin have an increased risk of developing aging macula disorder — a loss of central vision similar to age-related macular degeneration — according to a population-based ... the odds ratios for grade 1 early aging macula disorder rose with increasing aspirin intake frequency, and reached 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]. 1.08 - 1.46; P trend < .001) for subjects who reported daily use ... Similarly, the odds ratio for grade 2 early aging macula disorder was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.16 - 1.68; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users; for neovascular aging macula disorder, the odds ratio was 2.26 (95% CI, 1.66 - 3.08; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users"
  • How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population - Science Daily, 8/25/08 - "They found antioxidants disrupt the link and extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells ... The implication is that people at risk of macular degeneration could help prevent the disease by consuming antioxidants ... The experiments performed with visual cells from rats, cows and humans showed that antioxidants could completely counter the damage"
  • Hormone Therapy May Cut Risk of AMD - WebMD, 4/14/08 - "Current hormone users were found to have a 48% lower risk for developing the neovascular, or wet, form of AMD, compared with women who had never taken postmenopausal hormones"
  • Inflammation Linked to Eye Disease - WebMD, 10/8/07 - "participants with the highest CRP levels at the study's start were 40% more likely to develop early-stage AMD during the study, compared to those with the lowest initial CRP levels"
  • Biomarker For Age-related Macular Degeneration Found - Science Daily, 1/8/06 - "elevated homocysteine in the blood may be another biomarker for increased risk of AMD"
  • Passive Smoking Almost Doubles Risk Of Degenerative Eye Disease - Science Daily, 1/3/06 - "Passive smoking almost doubles the risk of the progressively degenerative eye disease, age related macular degeneration"
  • Excess Body Fat May Elevate Risk for Age-Related Eye Diseases - Doctor's Guide, 9/14/05 - "excess body fat may elevate one's risk for age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts ... if the body has too much adipose tissue, too much lutein and zeaxanthin remain there in storage and do not get to the eye where they are needed"
  • Statins for Blindness? - Time Magazine, 4/26/04 - "The more serious, wet form occurs when abnormal blood vessels obscure vision ... those who were taking statins were half as likely to develop wet AMD"
  • Statins and Aspirin May Protect Against Severe Vision Loss in Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 4/13/04 - "those patients already taking statins were half as likely as those without statins to develop the more severe wet AMD, caused by the growth of new blood vessels underneath the retina. Those already on aspirin were about 40 percent less likely to develop this new blood vessel growth, technically called choroidal neovascularization"
  • High C-Reactive Protein Levels Associated with Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 2/13/04 - "CRP levels were significantly higher among individuals with intermediate and advanced stages of AMD compared with controls"
  • Fat Intake Modifies Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 12/8/03 - "Most types of dietary fat are associated with increased risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), whereas nuts and fish are protective ... Specifically, higher intake of vegetable fat, and to a lesser extent animal fat, increased rates of progression"
  • Inflammation Linked to Age-Related Maculopathy - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/03 - "2 physiological signs of systemic inflammation, high white blood cell (WBC) count and low serum albumin levels, were associated with long term incidence of lesions characteristic of ARM ... Specifically, higher WBC count at baseline was linked to 2 early signs of ARM, an increase in large retinal drusen and RPE depigmentation, as well as progression of ARM. Lower serum albumin was associated with a late sign of ARM, exudative macular degeneration" - See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
  • Retinal Abnormalities Age-Related Macular Degeneration Associated With Hypertension, Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/03 - "Retinal abnormalities in older people without diabetes are related to hypertension. Higher blood and pulse pressure are also associated with an increased incidence of macular abnormalities, including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)"
  • HRT May Save Women's Sight - WebMD, 12/13/02 - "Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be more than 50% less likely to develop the common, sight-robbing condition known as macular degeneration as they grow older then women who have never used HRT"