The significance of daily antioxidant supplements in slowing the progression of late-stage dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been highlighted in a recent research study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study indicates that such supplements can aid in preserving central vision for those suffering from this advanced stage of the eye disease.
The study, published in the Ophthalmology journal, analyzed original retinal scans from participants of the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2). The analysis revealed that for individuals with late-stage dry AMD, the antioxidant supplements contributed to a slower expansion of the geographic atrophy regions towards the retina’s central foveal region.
Lead author Dr. Tiarnan Keenan of NIH’s National Eye Institute (NEI) stated, “While we’ve long understood that AREDS2 supplements assist in slowing the progression from intermediate to late AMD, our analysis now shows that these supplements can also decelerate disease progression in individuals with late dry AMD. This supports the continued use of AREDS2 supplements by those with late dry AMD.”
In the analysis, the researchers calculated the position and expansion rate of the geographic atrophy regions in the participants who developed dry AMD. The supplements showed little benefit for those who developed geographic atrophy in their central vision, but notably slowed the rate of expansion towards the fovea in the majority of participants by about 55% over three years.
AMD is characterized by the development of small yellow deposits of fatty proteins, called drusen, in the retina. As the disease progresses to the late stage, patients can develop leaky blood vessels (wet AMD) or lose light-sensitive cells in the retina (dry AMD). This loss leads to geographic atrophy that slowly expands over time, resulting in progressive central vision loss.
The original AREDS trial discovered that a supplement formula containing antioxidants (vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene), along with zinc and copper, could slow the progression of intermediate to late-stage AMD. The subsequent AREDS2 trial found that replacing beta-carotene with lutein and zeaxanthin improved the supplement’s efficacy and eliminated certain risks.
Keenan emphasized that high acuity central vision is crucial for tasks like reading and driving. He proposed that antioxidant supplementation could be a simple yet effective step to slow central vision loss in patients with late-stage dry AMD. The team plans to validate these findings through a dedicated clinical trial soon.
The study was backed by the NEI Intramural Research Program and included contributions from researchers at NEI, Moorfields Eye Hospital, U.K., and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Funding for the AREDS and AREDS2 studies was provided by various institutes under the NIH.
Comments are closed for this post.