National Eye Institute To Evaluate New Dietary Supplement
for Reducing AMD Risk

By Ben A. Shaberman

      The National Eye Institute (NEI) is launching a large clinical study to determine if dietary supplementation with the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, and/or the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, can reduce the risk of advanced dry and wet forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
      Known as the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2), the investigation will evaluate approximately 4,000 participants at more than 100 clinical centers in the U.S. The NEI will be enrolling participants over the next 18 months, and the study will last until 2012.
      The NEI’s first study of antioxidants for the treatment of AMD – a study called AREDS – showed that supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, zinc, and copper reduced the risk of advanced AMD by 25 percent. Results of AREDS were first released in October 2001, and many ophthalmologists now prescribe an AREDS-recommended supplement to their patients at risk of advanced AMD. AREDS2    will help determine if additional nutrional supplementation results in even greater benefits to at-risk patients.
      “AREDS2 is an important follow-up to the original AREDS, because there is good evidence that lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids may also slow AMD progress,” says Stephen Rose, Chief Research Officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “Hopefully, AREDS2 will tell us more definitively which supplements can do an even better job at reducing vision loss from AMD.”
      Lutein and zeaxanthin are antioxidants commonly found in green and yellow vegetables such as kale, spinach, broccoli, and corn. Oranges and tangerines also have lutein and zeaxanthin, though in smaller amounts.
      The omega-3 fatty acids under investigation in AREDS2 – docosahexaenoc acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) – are most abundant in coldwater fish such as tuna and salmon.
      All of these nutrients are prevalent in the retina. Lutein and zeaxantin are thought to play a protective role. They are what give the center of the eye its dark pigment. DHA and EPA also appear to be beneficial to the health of retinal cells.
      For information about enrolling in AREDS2, including study locations, visit www.areds2.org or call toll-free 1-877-273-3780.
Disclaimer: Physicians differ in their approach to incorporating research results into their clinical practice. You should always consult with and be guided by your Physician’s advice when considering treatment based on research results.                                  
           Foundation Fighting Blindness                                                    January, 2007

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