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Vitamins and AMD

While there is no cure for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a 10-year federal study has concluded that nutritional supplements can provide a degree of protection from the effects of the disease.

The study is known as the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, or AREDS. It found that people who are at risk for advanced stages of AMD lowered their risk by 25 percent by taking high levels of antioxidants and zinc. The nutrients also reduced the effect of vision loss caused by AMD by 19 percent.

The nutrients examined in the study included a daily dose of:

l500 milligrams of vitamin C
l400 international units of vitamin E
l15 milligrams of beta-carotene
l80 milligrams of zinc (as zinc oxide)
l2 milligrams of copper (as cupric oxide)

"The nutrients are not a cure for AMD, nor will they restore vision already lost from the disease," said Dr. Paul A. Sieving, director of the National Eye Institute. "But they will play a key role in helping people at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision."

Scientists believe the nutrients help the body maintain healthy cells and delay the accumulation of drusen, which are yellow deposits under the retina that are associated with AMD.

Lutein
Another nutrient that has been shown to be related to AMD is lutein. Researchers have found that decreased lutein concentration in the macular area is a risk factor for developing macular degeneration.

The Veterans Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST study) found that a group that took high doses of lutein had increased macular pigment optical density and improved visual acuity compared to the placebo group. People who took lutein had better glare recovery, contrast sensitivity and overall quality of vision.

Most people consume only about 1.5 mg of lutein per day through diet. Popular multi-vitamins provide as little as .25 mg of lutein per dose. Doctors prescribe much higher doses of lutein for individuals at risk for AMD, ranging from 6 mg for prevention and maintenance to 20 mg for therapeutic use.

Don't neglect your diet
Taking vitamin supplements can be good for your vision, but you should get as much nutrition as possible from a healthy diet, say doctors.

"Previous studies have suggested that people who have diets rich in green, leafy vegetables have a lower risk of developing AMD," said Dr. Frederick Ferris, director of clinical research at the National Eye Institute and a participant in the AREDS study. "However, the high levels of nutrients that were evaluated in the AREDS are very difficult to achieve from diet alone.

Most of the participants in AREDS took a daily multi-vitamin in addition to the special formulation under examination, said Ferris.

The Envision Rehabilitation Center recommends Maxi-Vision Whole Body Formula for its patients at risk for macular degeneration.

"This product has all the nutrients recommended by AREDS, plus provides 20 mg of lutein," said Steve Stambaugh, director. "It also has all the other nutrients you expect in a daily multi-vitamin, so you get good nutritional balance from it."

Any time you start taking a vitamin or medication you should consult with your doctor. That's because high doses of vitamins may interfere with other medications you may be taking. Some vitamins or minerals may also have negative effects on your body. For example, high doses of zinc may deplete your body of copper (that's why copper is included in the AREDS formula). And high doses of beta-carotene may be harmful to smokers. To avoid ill effects from vitamins or other medications, always ask your doctor.

To learn more about AREDS, or to order Maxi-Vision, please call the Envision Rehabilitation Center at (316) 682-4646 or toll-free at (866) 319-4646.