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High doses of certain dietary supplements
provide the first effective treatment
for the leading cause of vision loss
among the elderly,
a nationwide study has concluded.

The disease, macular degeneration, destroys the central portion of the retina, the light-gathering cells at the back of the eye. Among people who already have significant yellowish deposits accumulating at the back of their eyes, the hallmark of the disease , the supplements cut their risk of vision loss by one-fifth.

These are the combined results of the AREDS and AREDS2 research.

The macular degeneration vitamin supplements — a combination of zinc and the antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and now lutein and zeaxanthin in place of beta-carotene — did not appear to slow the early stages of the disease, when the yellowish deposits develop, but that is a normal part of aging and is not necessarily of concern. Almost everyone over age 70 has at least one or two of them. As the disease progresses, the center of the field of view begins to blur, making it difficult to read, drive and recognize faces. Victims must rely on their peripheral vision, looking out of the corners of their eyes and missing much of the color and detail.

Glaucoma and cataracts strike more people than macular degeneration, but effective treatments exist for those diseases. This is the one disease for which there was nothing prior to this. Injections of medications into the eye can slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the most severe cases of wet macular degeneration.

Among those whose disease had progressed to the intermediate stage, the zinc supplements reduced by 11 percent the risk of the disease progressing to the advanced stage, and the antioxidants reduced the risk by 10 percent. When the two were combined, the risk dropped by 19 percent. The study followed the participants for 6.5 years on average.

High levels of zinc can cause a deficiency of copper in the body, which can lead to anemia. Those amounts are well above the usual levels recommended by the Food and Drug Administration: three times as much vitamin A, eight times as much vitamin C, 13 times as much vitamin E and five times as much zinc.

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Where are These Eye Supplements Available?

Three formulas from major pharmaceutical manufacturers exist which exactly duplicate the formula in the Age Related Eye Disease Study. For information regarding the manufacturers and availability of these vitamins, click here. Newer formulas that include the high-dose Lutein and Zeaxanthin are found here.

Which Eye Vitamins are Important?

In that study, specific macular degeneration vitamin ingredients and amounts were found to slow the progression of macular degeneration in those patients with intermediate or advanced disease. It is believed that macular degeneration vitamin contain specific anti-oxidants and Zinc that promote the continued health of the retina and tissues surrounding the retina.

Will Taking Eye Vitamins Prevent Macular Degeneration?

In the absence of any macular degeneration, there is no research published that shows that taking vitamins can prevent macular degeneration. However, the AREDS study did show, if there was disease in only one eye, that taking proper vitamin supplements prevented or slowed the progress of the disease in the opposite eye. Furthermore, there is now research to support to preventative effects of adding Omega-3 Fatty Acids to people with healthy eyes to reduce their chances of developing age-related macular degeneration.

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