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New Study Finds Reduced Risks of
Macular Degeneration Correlates
To Specific Dietary Factors...
And Key Nutrients Including Vitamins C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Lutein,
Zeaxanthin, Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA)
A diet that includes key nutrients and low-glycemic index foods is likely
to reduce risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according
to the first study to analyze these factors in combination. This new analysis
of Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) data was conducted at The
Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research, and USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.
The study team included AREDS researchers and was funded in part by
the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National
Institutes of Health (NIH). Earlier studies, including AREDS and the Nutrition
and Vision Project of the Nurses' Health Study had revealed the AMD-
protective effects of several nutrients and of a low-glycemic index (GI) diet,
but the nes study is the first to associate specific food intake patterns with
substantial AMD risk reductions.
Study participants whose diets included higher levels of protective nutrients
and of low-GI foods were at lowest risk for early and advanced AMD. This
eye disease affects the retina, the sensitive tissue at the back of the eye
that transmits images to the brain; advanced AMD can destroy the detailed,
central vision people need to read, drive, and enjoy daily life. Data was
analyzed for 4,003 AREDS participants, involving 7,934 eyes. Levels of AMD
-protective nutrients, including Vitamins C, Vitamin E, Zinc, Lutein, zeaxanthin,
Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), as well as low-GI foods, were |assessed
using participants' food intake reports. (GI value is based on how fast a specific
food's carbohydrates raise the body's blood sugar levels; Low GI foods have
less impact on blood sugar fluctuations.)
Each dietary factor was assigned a percentile score, and factor scores were
added up to find each participant's compound score. Compound scores were
related to participants' AMD risk, based on diagnostic eye photographs taken
when they joined AREDS.
AMD research is increasing because the most susceptible population are
people over age 60, which is growing. A new report estimates 18 million will
have AMD by 2050, 1.6 million of whom will be legally blind. Advanced AMD,
especially the most prevalent "dry" form (geography atrophy), is a leading cause
of severe vision impairment, and treatment options are limited. Preventing AMD
and delaying its progression is the clear objective because it would best preserve
people's quality of life while helping contain healthcare system cost and care
challenges. Food sources of nutrients that support good general and eye health
include: citrus fruits, vegetable oils, nuts, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables,
and cold water fish.
This research was published in the May issue of Ophthalmology, the Journal
of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
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