Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your main vision. It occurs when aging causes damage to the macula– the part of the eye that manages sharp, straight-ahead vision. The macula becomes part of the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye). AMD is a typical condition– its a leading cause of vision loss for older adults.
The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) established that dietary supplements can slow the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most typical cause of blindness in older Americans. They show that the AREDS2 formula, which substituted antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene, not just reduces the risk of lung cancer due to beta-carotene, but is likewise more reliable at reducing the risk of AMD progression, compared to the initial formula. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can blur your main vision. In this new report, the scientists followed up with 3,883 of the original 4,203 AREDS2 individuals an additional five years from the end of the AREDS2 study in 2011, collecting details on whether their AMD had actually advanced to late illness, and whether they had actually been detected with lung cancer. In addition, after 10 years, the group initially appointed to receive lutein/zeaxanthin had an additional 20% minimized threat of development to late AMD compared to those originally assigned to receive beta-carotene.
The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) developed that dietary supplements can slow the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most typical cause of blindness in older Americans. They reveal that the AREDS2 formula, which substituted antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene, not just decreases the risk of lung cancer due to beta-carotene, but is also more effective at lowering the danger of AMD progression, compared to the initial formula.
AMD develops slowly in some people and rapidly in others. If you have early AMD, you may not observe vision loss for a long time. If you have AMD, that is why it is critical to get regular eye exams to determine.
At the end of the five-year AREDS2 study period, the scientists concluded that lutein and zeaxanthin did not increase the danger for lung cancer, and that the new formation could lower the risk of AMD development by about 26%. After the completion of the five-year research study period, the research study individuals were all provided the final AREDS2 formation that consisted of lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene.
In this brand-new report, the scientists followed up with 3,883 of the initial 4,203 AREDS2 individuals an additional five years from the end of the AREDS2 study in 2011, gathering information on whether their AMD had progressed to late illness, and whether they had actually been diagnosed with lung cancer. In addition, after 10 years, the group initially assigned to receive lutein/zeaxanthin had an additional 20% decreased danger of progression to late AMD compared to those originally appointed to receive beta-carotene.
” These outcomes validated that changing our formula from beta-carotene to lutein and zeaxanthin was the ideal choice,” said Chew.
Reference: “Long-term Outcomes of Adding Lutein/Zeaxanthin and ω-3 Fatty Acids to the AREDS Supplements on Age-Related Macular Degeneration Progression: AREDS2 Report # 28″ by Emily Y. Chew, MD; Traci E. Clemons, PhD; Elvira Agrón, MA; Amitha Domalpally, MD, PhD; Tiarnán D. L. Keenan, BM, BCh, PhD; Susan Vitale, PhD; Claire Weber, MSc; Douglas C. Smith, BS and William Christen, ScD; for the AREDS2 Research Group, 2 June 2022, JAMA Ophthalmology.DOI: 10.1001/ jamaophthalmol.2022.1640.
The research study was moneyed by the NEI Intramural program (EY000546) and through agreements (AREDS2 agreement HHS-N-260-2005-00007-C; ADB agreement NO1-EY-5-0007; AREDS Contract NOI-EY-0-2127, and agreement HHS-N-263-2013-00005-C). The AREDS2 agreements were supported by the NIH Office of Dietary Office of Dietary Supplements, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, the National Institute on Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The research study took place at the NIH Clinical.
After 10 years, AREDS2 formula shows increased effectiveness compared to the original formula, advantage of eliminating beta-carotene.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye illness that can blur your central vision. It is quite common in the U.S., specifically among older, white Americans, making it the leading reason for vision loss in the U.S. In addition to routine physical activity, quitting cigarette smoking, and keeping healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, supplements can help in reducing your risk for AMD or slow its development.
” Because beta-carotene increased the threat of lung cancer for present cigarette smokers in 2 NIH-supported research studies, our objective with AREDS2 was to develop a similarly reliable supplement formula that could be utilized by anybody, whether or not they smoke,” stated Emily Chew, M.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Application at the National Eye Institute (NEI), and lead author of the study report. “This 10-year data validates that not only is the new formula more secure, its in fact much better at slowing AMD development.”
AMD is a degenerative illness of the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Progressive death of retinal cells in the macula, the part of the retina that provides clear central vision, ultimately leads to loss of sight. Treatment can slow or reverse vision loss; however, no treatment for AMD exists.
The initial AREDS research study, launched in 1996, revealed that a dietary supplement formulation (500 mg vitamin C, 400 global systems vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc, and 15 mg beta-carotene) might substantially slow the development of AMD from moderate to late disease. However, 2 concurrent studies likewise revealed that individuals who took and smoked beta-carotene had a considerably higher threat of lung cancer than anticipated.
National Eye Institutes Dr. Emily Chew carries out an eye test. Credit: NEI
In AREDS2, started in 2006, Chew and coworkers compared the beta-carotene formula to one with 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin rather. Like beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are anti-oxidants with activity in the retina. The beta-carotene-containing formation was just offered to individuals who had actually never smoked or who had actually given up cigarette smoking.