New study confirms: Dietary supplements reduce risk of age -related macular degeneration (AMD) - the place would not be relevant in this case, since it is general information.

Veröffentlicht:

Von:

The importance of nutritional supplements in age -related macular degeneration The age is one of the main causes of age -related macular degeneration (AMD), which often leads to blindness in older Americans. The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) have shown that dietary supplements can slow down the progress of the AMD. A new study that analyzed for 10 years on AREDS2 data now confirms the effectiveness of the AREDS2 formula in reducing the risk of AMD and lung diseases. The original AREDS study was launched in 1996 and showed that a certain nutritional supplement (500 mg vitamin C, 400 international units vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc and 15 mg ...
(Symbolbild/natur.wiki)

The importance of nutritional supplements in age -related macular degeneration

Age is one of the main causes of age -related macular degeneration (AMD), which often leads to blindness in older Americans. The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) have shown that dietary supplements can slow down the progress of the AMD. A new study that has been analyzed on AREDS2 data for 10 years now confirms the effectiveness of the AREDS2 formula in reducing the risk of AMD and lung diseases.

The original AREDS study was launched in 1996 and showed that a certain nutritional supplement (500 mg vitamin C, 400 international units vitamin E, 2 mg copper, 80 mg zinc and 15 mg beta-carotine) can slow down the progress of the AMD from moderately too late. However, two simultaneous studies found that smokers who had beta-carotene had a significantly higher risk of lung cancer.

In order to improve the security of the addition, the beta-carotene was replaced by the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in the AREDS2 study. This decision has been confirmed by 10 years, which showed that the new formula is not only more secure, but also more effective when slowing down the AMD progress. The risks of lung cancer are significantly lower with the new formula. Emily Chew, M.D., Head of the Department of Epidemiology and Clinical Application at the National Eye Institute (Nei) and main author of the study, confirms the results: "Our ten-year data show that the new formula is not only more secure, but also more effective when slowing down the AMD progress".

AMD is a degenerative disease of the retina, the light -sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The progressive loss of retinal cells in the macula, the part of the retina, enables the clear central view, ultimately leads to blindness. Treatment can slow down or reverse the loss of eyesight, but there is no healing for amd.

Areds2 study: Lutein and Zeaxanthin as a replacement for beta-carotene

The AREDS2 study began in 2006 and compared the effect of taking beta carotene with a formula that contained 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants like beta-carotene with effect in the retina. The participants, the beta-carotene, were either non-smokers or had stopped smoking.

After the end of the five-year AREDS2 study, Chew came to the conclusion that Lutein and Zeaxanthin do not increase the risk of lung cancer and that the new formula can reduce the risk of AMD by around 26%. After completing the study, all participants were switched to the final formula, which contained Lutein and Zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene.

long -term study confirms results

In a new study, 3,883 of the original 4203 AREDS2 participants were accompanied by another five years after the AREDS2 study in 2011. It was recorded whether their AMD had developed into a late illness and whether lung cancer was diagnosed with them. Although all participants had switched to the formula with Lutein and Zeaxanthin after the end of the study, the long-term study continued to show that beta-carotene almost doubled the risk of lung cancer in people who had ever smoked. There were no increased risk of lung cancer for those who received Lutein and Zeaxanthin. In addition, the participants, who originally received Lutein and Zeaxanthin, had an additional 20% reduced risk after 10 years to develop an advanced AMD compared to those who originally received beta-carotene.

conclusion

These results confirm that the change from beta-carotene to Lutein and Zeaxanthin was the right decision. Dietary supplements can slow down the progress of the AMD and reduce the risk of lung cancer. However, it is important to note that nutritional supplements do not offer a healing for AMD. AMD patients should consult their ophthalmologist and develop a treatment plan together with him.

Source: National Institutes of Health