Your Eyes Macular Degeneration and Supplements

By Tamara K. Fackler, MD

Chesapeake Eye Care & Laser Center

. https://www.chesapeakeeyecare.com/

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Your Eyes Macular Degeneration and Supplements

Do you or one of your family members have macular degeneration? Have you ever wondered about the array of vitamin supplements on the drugstore shelves? Read on and we’ll shed some light on the subject.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 65. This disease results in the blurring and loss of central vision, which makes it difficult to read, drive, and even identify a person’s face. There are two forms of macular degeneration 1. the dry or non-neovascular form and 2. the wet or neovascular form, which is more severe than the dry form.

Who is at risk for macular degeneration? Age and genetics are the two main contributing factors to macular degeneration; however, race, gender, obesity, and smoking may also increase a person’s risk for this disease. Women appear to be at greater risk than men.

A large scale study conducted by the National Eye Institute looked at the effect of certain antioxidants and zinc had on the progression of macular degeneration. The study was called The Age-Related Eye Disease Study or “AREDS.” It looked at the antioxidants vitamin C (500 mg), vitamin E (400 IU), and beta-carotene (15 mg), along with zinc (80 mg) and copper (2 mg). In patients with moderate or advanced macular degeneration, the AREDS formulation reduced the risk of disease progression to the more severe stages and its associated visual loss by about 25%. A commercially available, over-the-counter preparation is called Preservision.

These high dose antioxidants are not for everyone. The same benefits were not shown for people with mild macular degeneration or with no macular degeneration. Additionally, beta-carotene may increase the risk of developing lung cancer among smokers or recent smokers and should be limited. It’s important to remember that these antioxidants are not a cure for macular degeneration and they do not prevent you from developing it. In the future, the AREDS II study, which is currently being conducted, will have information on how lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3’s affect macular degeneration.

Prior to taking any supplements, it is important to consult your doctor first. Upon examining your eyes, your ophthalmologist will tell you if you have macular degeneration, its stage and your risk for developing the advanced form of this disease.