Supplement Facts:
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
Citrus bioflavonoids (eriocitrin,
hesperidin,
flavonols, flavones,
flavonoids, naringenin, and
quercetin)
Mixed carotenoids (astaxanthin,
beta carotene, cryptoxanthin,
lutein,
lycopene, zeaxanthin)
Bilberry
extract (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Eyebright
extract (Euphrasia officianales)
Jujube extract (Zizyphus jujube)
Ginkgo biloba
(Ginkgo biloba)
Suma extract (Pfaffia paniculata)
Mucuna pruriens
extract (Cowhage)
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Lycium berry extract (Lycium Barbarum)
also known as gobi berry
Sarsaparila (Sarsaparilla Smilax)
Alpha Lipoic Acid
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several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics,
including macular degeneration and vision enhancement, and their practical
interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Nutrients and herbs that could be
helpful
Eating fish or taking Fish oils supplements could reduce the risk for macular degeneration. Consume
more fresh fruits and vegetables which contain lots of flavonoids and
carotenoids. Vitamin D may also be helpful in reducing the risk of age-related
macular degeneration.
Vitamin E —
Evidence from in vitro and animal studies
suggests that the antioxidants Vitamins C and natural Vitamin
E complex can protect the retina against photochemical
damage.
Vitamin E in the range of 30 to 200 units
a few times a week of the mixed
tocopherols and tocotrienols is a good option. It is not
necessary to take vitamin E daily since it is stored in fat tissue.
Vitamin C
with bioflavonoids
— 100 to 500 mg a day.
R- Alpha Lipoic acid — 10 to 50 mg a
few times a week, in the morning with breakfast. R- alpha lipoic acid is quite a
powerful antioxidant and can improve vision in some people.
Many studies have shown that antioxidant supplements, such as
alpha lipoic
acid help reduce the progression of
macular degeneration.
Carotenoids also have antioxidant properties
and reduce the risk of retinal cells from being oxidized and damaged. Two of
these carotenoids, Lutein and Zeaxanthin, are particularly important.
Lutein and
Zeaxanthin
make up the macular pigment that is thought to limit retinal oxidative damage by
filtering out blue light. Supplementation with lutein has been shown to improve
macular degeneration. In a study of healthy women
younger than 75 years, consumption of diets rich in lutein and zeaxzanthin,
which are found in green leafy vegetables, corn, and squash, seemed to stave off
intermediate age-related macular degeneration. The researchers' findings appear
in the August, 2006 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.
Diet and Macular Degeneration
Several epidemiologic studies and clinical trials suggest that diets high
in antioxidant nutrients (vitamins C and E, carotenoids such as lutein and
zeaxanthin, fruit and vegetables that contain these nutrients, and nonnutritive
antioxidants) or zinc are associated with a decreased occurrence of early or
late
age related macular
degeneration. A high dietary
intake of fat is associated with a higher prevalence or incidence of early or
late
age related macular
degeneration, whereas higher
intakes of fish or n–3 fatty acids are associated with lower rates of AMD.
Macular degeneration and fish intake
Dietary fat and the risk of age-related maculopathy: the POLANUT Study.
Eur J Clin Nutr. 2007 Feb 14; Inserm, Research Unit U593 for Epidemiology,
Public Health and Development, Bordeaux, France, Universite Victor Segalen
Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France.
This French study aimed at assessing the associations of dietary fat with the
risk of age-related macular degeneration, in the framework of a population-based
study from southern France. Nutritional data were collected using a
dietitian-administered food-frequency questionnaire. Age-related
macular degeneration
was classified from retinal photographs using the international classification
and included neovascular age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy,
soft indistinct drusen, soft distinct drusen associated with pigmentary
abnormalities. After multivariate adjustment, high total, saturated and
monounsaturated fat intake were associated with increased risk for
age-related macular degeneration.
Total polyunsaturated fatty acid was not significantly associated with
age-related macular degeneration.
Total and white fish intake was not significantly associated with
age-related macular degeneration,
but fatty fish intake (more than once a month versus less than once a month) was
associated with a 60% reduction in risk for
age-related macular degeneration.
Exercise and Macular
Degeneration
Keeping an active lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing
macular
degeneration. Physical
activity such as walking and climbing stairs has a protective effect . Exercise
helped to reduce the odds of suffering from wet," or exudative, AMD — a form of
the condition in which new blood vessels grow behind the eye causing bleeding
and scarring which leads to distorted vision and impaired sight.
Cause of macular degeneration
Normal damage to cells in the eye as we age. Poor diet over the years,
diabetes or poor blood sugar control, excessive sun exposure, lack of adequate
omega 3 oils or fish oils in the diet.
Smoking contributes to macular degeneration.
Older adults who smoke are twice as likely to suffer from macular degeneration
as their non-smoking peers. Genetics is probably another cause of macular
degeneration.
Smoking cigarettes, or living with someone who does,
increases a person's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration.
A newly discovered cause of macular degeneration are statin drugs. See the study below.
The herb St. John's wort may be phototoxic to the retina if used
for prolonged periods and eyes exposed to sunlight. Those with macular
degeneration may wish to avoid the use of St. John's wort if they are exposed to
strong sunlight daily.
Macular Degeneration Symptoms and
Signs
Age-related macular degeneration is a chronic eye
disease that occurs when tissue in the macula, the part of your retina that's
responsible for central vision, deteriorates. Degeneration of the macula causes
blurred central vision or a blind spot in the center of your visual field. The
first sign of macular degeneration may be a need for more light when you do
close-up work. Fine newsprint may become harder to read and street signs more
difficult to recognize. Gray or blank spots may mask the center of your visual
field. Macular degeneration affects your central vision, but not your peripheral
vision; thus it doesn't cause total blindness. Still, the loss of clear central
vision — critical for reading, driving, recognizing people's faces and doing
detail work — greatly affects your quality of life.
Macular
degeneration of the eye may be recognized by a
physician in its early stages by the appearance (with an opthalmoscope) of pigment changes
and drusen within the retina.
Statin Drugs and Macular
Degeneration
Contrary to the expectations of some scientists, cholesterol-lowering 'statin'
drugs (such as Lipitor or Zocor) do not appear to stave off age-related macular
degeneration (AMD) in the eye. In fact, a review of data from the Cardiovascular
Health Study suggests that taking a statin may slightly increase the risk of
age-related macular degeneration. SOURCE: Archives of Ophthalmology, January
2006.
Macular
Degeneration Research and Treatment
Update
Associations between intermediate age-related macular
degeneration and lutein and zeaxanthin in the Carotenoids in Age-related Eye
Disease Study (CAREDS): ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative.
Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Aug;124(8):1151-62.
Women aged 50 to 79 years in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Oregon with intake of lutein
plus zeaxanthin above the 78th (high) and below the 28th (low) percentiles at
baseline in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study were recruited 4
to 7 years later into the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS),
when the presence of AMD was determined by fundus photographs. RESULTS: The
prevalence of intermediate AMD was not statistically different between the high
and low lutein plus zeaxanthin intake recruitment groups after adjusting for age
(odds ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.23). Limiting analyses to
women younger than 75 years with stable intake of lutein plus zeaxanthin,
without a history of chronic diseases that are often associated with diet
changes, substantially lowered odds ratios (0.57; 95% confidence interval,
0.34-0.95). Exploratory analyses of advanced AMD in 34 participants resulted in
protective, but statistically nonsignificant, associations in the overall sample
and in women younger than 75 years. CONCLUSION: Diets rich in lutein plus
zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate AMD in healthy women younger than 75
years.
Macular carotenoids: lutein and zeaxanthin.
Dev Ophthalmol. 2005;38:70-88.
The yellow color of the macula lutea is due to the presence of the
carotenoid pigments lutein and zeaxanthin. In contrast to human blood and
tissues, no other major carotenoids including beta-carotene or lycopene are
found in this tissue. The macular carotenoids are suggested to play a role in
the protection of the retina against light-induced damage. Epidemiological
studies provide some evidence that an increased consumption of lutein and
zeaxanthin is associated with a lowered risk for age-related
macular degeneration, a disease with increasing incidence in the elderly.
Protecting ocular tissue against photooxidative damage carotenoids may act in
two ways: first as filters for damaging blue light, and second as antioxidants
quenching excited triplet state molecules or singlet molecular oxygen and
scavenge further reactive oxygen species like lipid peroxides or the superoxide
radical anion.
Improvement of visual functions and fundus alterations in
early age-related macular degeneration treated with a combination of
acetylcarnitine,
n-3 fatty acids, and coenzyme Q10.
Ophthalmologica. 2005 May-Jun;219(3):154-66.
The aim of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
was to determine the efficacy of a combination of acetyl-L-carnitine, n-3 fatty
acids, and coenzyme Q10 on the visual functions and fundus alterations in early
age-related macular degeneration. One hundred and six patients with a clinical
diagnosis of early macular degeneration were randomized to the treated or
control groups. The primary efficacy variable was the change in the visual field
mean defect (VFMD) from baseline to 12 months of treatment, with secondary
efficacy parameters: visual acuity (Snellen chart and ETDRS chart), foveal
sensitivity as measured by perimetry, and fundus alterations as evaluated
according to the criteria of the International Classification and Grading System
for macular degeneration. The mean change in all four parameters of visual
functions showed significant improvement in the treated group by the end of the
study period. In addition, in the treated group only 1 out of 48 cases (2%)
while in the placebo group 9 out of 53 (17%) showed clinically significant
worsening in VFMD. Decrease in drusen-covered area of treated eyes was also
statistically significant as compared to placebo when either the most affected
eyes or the less affected eyes were considered. These findings strongly
suggested that an appropriate combination of compounds which affect
mitochondrial lipid metabolism, may improve and subsequently stabilize visual
functions, and it may also improve fundus alterations in patients affected by
early macular degeneration.
Dietary supplementation with bilberry extract prevents
macular degeneration and cataracts in senesce-accelerated OXYS rats.
Adv Gerontol. 2005;16:76-9.
Cataracts and macular degeneration remain the major cause of blindness and
acuity of vision deterioration in the elderly. Both pathology have been
attributed to damage by free radicals, there has been a great deal of interest
in antioxidants. Bilberry's flavonoids are known as potent antioxidants,
scavenging free radicals and used for multiple age-releted ocular disorders.
There are no experimental studies, devoted to estimation of bilberry effect. To
explore this one the senescence-accelerated OXYS rats with early senile cataract
and macular degeneration were used. From 1.5 to 3 month OXYS rats were given
control diets or those supplemented with 25% bilberry extract (BE, 20 mg on kg
of body weight including 4.5 mg of antocianidin) or vitamin E (40 mg/kg) as drag
for comparison. The testing at 3 month have showed that more then 70% of control
OXYS rats had cataract and macular degeneration while the supplementation of BE
completely prevented impairments in the lenses and retina. The VE had no
significant effects but both antioxidants decreased lipid peroxides in the
retina and serum of OXYS rats. The results suggest that the OXYS rat strain is
the useful model for macular degeneration and senile cataract and long-term
supplementation with bilberry extract is effective in prevention of macular
degeneration and cataract.
Resveratrol reduces oxidation and proliferation of
human retinal pigment epithelial cells via extracellular signal-regulated kinase
inhibition.
Chem Biol Interact. 2005 Jan 15;151(2):143-9. King RE, Kent KD, Bomser
JA.
Department of Food Science and Technology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Epidemiological evidence suggests that moderate wine consumption and
antioxidant-rich diets may protect against age-related macular degeneration, the
leading cause of vision loss among the elderly. Development of age-related
macular degenerationnd other retinal diseases, such as proliferative
vitreoretinopathy (PVR), is associated with oxidative stress in the retinal
pigment epithelium (RPE), a cell layer responsible for maintaining the health of
the retina by providing structural and nutritional support. We hypothesize that
resveratrol, a red wine polyphenol, may be responsible, in part, for the health
benefits of moderate red wine consumption on retinal disease. To test this
hypothesis, the antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of resveratrol were
examined in a human RPE cell line (designated ARPE-19). These results suggest
that resveratrol can reduce oxidative stress and hyperproliferation of the RPE.
Age related macular degeneration and micronutrient
antioxidants.
Curr Eye Res. 2004 Dec;29(6):387-401.
Hogg R, Chakravarthy U. Ophthalmology & Vision Science, Institute of Clinical
Science, The Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Age-related macular degeneration is a common clinical entity. The late-stage
manifestations of age-related macular degeneration have devastating consequences
for vision. Various risk factors have been identified in the development of the
condition, which are consistent with the premise that oxidative stress plays an
important role in its pathogenesis. Thus, the possibility that antioxidant
balance can be manipulated through diet or supplementation has created much
interest. Associations between diet and nutrition and the clinical features of
macular degeneration have been described. Scrutiny of the literature shows
consistency in the report of notable reductions in serum micronutrients in wet
Age related macular degeneration, however, the evidence for causation is still
circumstantial. In this comprehensive review of the clinical literature, we have
assessed the evidence for a link between diet and nutrition as risk factors for
the development of macular degeneration. All published case control,
population-based, and interventional studies on macular degeneration were
examined. Although initial support appeared to be moderate and somewhat
contradictory, the evidence that lifetime oxidative stress plays an important
role in the development of ARM is now compelling. The positive outcomes in the
Age-Related Eye Diseases Study, a major controlled clinical trial, have given
hope that modulation of the antioxidant balance through supplementation can help
prevent progression to Age related macular degeneration.
Double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of
lutein and antioxidant supplementation in the intervention of atrophic
age-related macular degeneration: the Veterans LAST study (Lutein Antioxidant
Supplementation Trial).
Richer S, Stiles W, Statkute L et al. Optometry. 2004;75:216-30.
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of
vision loss in aging Westem societies. The objective of the lutein antioxidant
supplementation trial (LAST) is to determine whether nutritional supplementation
with lutein or lutein together with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals,
improves visual function and symptoms in atrophic Age-related macular
degeneration. The study was a prospective, 12-month, randomized,
double-masked, placebo-controlled trial conducted at an urban midwestern
Veterans Administration Hospital from August 1999 to May 2001. Ninety patients
with atrophic macular degeneration were referred by ophthalmologists at two
Chicago-area veterans medical facilities. Patients in Group 1 received lutein 10
mg (L); in Group 2, a lutein 10 mg/antioxidants/vitamins and minerals broad
spectrum supplementation formula (L/A); and in Group 3, a maltodextrin placebo
(P) over 12 months. CONCLUSION: In this study, visual function in macular
degeneration is improved
with lutein alone or lutein together with other nutrients. Further studies are
needed with more patients, of both genders, and for longer periods of time to
assess long-term effects of lutein or lutein together with a broad spectrum of
antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in the treatment of atrophic age-related
macular degeneration.
Fasting plasma zeaxanthin response to Fructus barbarum L. (wolfberry; Kei
Tze) in a food-based human supplementation trial.
Br J Nutr. 2005 Jan;93(1):123-30.
Age-related macular degeneration is a common disorder that causes
irreversible loss of central vision. Increased intake of foods containing
zeaxanthin may be effective in preventing AMD because the macula accumulates
zeaxanthin and lutein, oxygenated carotenoids with antioxidant and blue
light-absorbing properties. Lycium barbarum L. is a small red berry known as
Fructus lycii and wolfberry in the West, and Kei Tze and Gou Qi Zi in Asia.
Wolfberry is rich in zeaxanthin dipalmitate, and is valued in Chinese culture
for being good for vision. The aim of this study, which was a single-blinded,
placebo-controlled, human intervention trial of parallel design, was to provide
data on how fasting plasma zeaxanthin concentration changes as a result of
dietary supplementation with whole wolfberries. This human supplementation
trial shows that zeaxanthin in whole wolfberries is bioavailable and that intake
of a modest daily amount markedly increases fasting plasma zeaxanthin levels.
These new data will support further study of dietary strategies to maintain
macular pigment density.
Biologic
Mechanisms of the Protective Role of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Eye.
Krinsky NI, Landrum JT, Bone RA. Annu Rev
Nutr 2003 Feb 27.Department of Biochemistry, Tufts University Medical School,
Boston, MA
The macular region of the primate retina is yellow in color due to the presence of
the macular pigment, composed of two dietary xanthophylls, lutein and zeaxanthin, and
another xanthophyll, meso-zeaxanthin. The latter is presumably formed from either lutein
or zeaxanthin in the retina. By absorbing blue-light, the macular pigment protects the
underlying photoreceptor cell layer from light damage, possibly initiated by the formation
of reactive oxygen species during a photosensitized reaction. There is ample
epidemiological evidence that the amount of macular pigment is inversely associated with
the incidence of age-related macular degeneration, an irreversible process that is the
major cause of blindness in the elderly. The macular pigment can be increased in primates
by either increasing the intake of foods that are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, such as
dark-green leafy vegetables, or by supplementation with lutein or
zeaxanthin. While the concept that increasing the intake of lutein or zeaxanthin
might prove to be protective against the development of age-related macular degeneration,
a causative relationship has yet to be experimentally demonstrated.
Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and
risk of age-related maculopathy.
Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Jun;122(6):883-92.
To examine the intake of antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids as
well as fruits and vegetables in relation to the development of age-related
macular degeneration. METHODS: We conducted a prospective follow-up study of
women in the Nurses' Health Study and men in the Health Professionals Follow-up
Study. We followed 77 562 women and 40 866 men who were at least 50 years of age
and had no diagnosis of macular degeneration or cancer at baseline for up to 18
years for women and up to 12 years for men. Fruit and vegetable intakes were
assessed with a validated semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire up to 5
times for women and up to 3 times for men during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of
464 (329 women and 135 men) incident cases of early macular degeneration and 316
(217 women and 99men) cases of neovascular macular degeneration, all with visual
loss of 20/30 or worse due primarily to macular degeneration, were diagnosed
during follow-up. Fruit intake was inversely associated with the risk of
neovascular macular degeneration. Participants who consumed 3 or more servings
per day of fruits had a pooled multivariate relative risk of 0.64 (95%
confidence interval, 0.44-0.93; P value for trend =.004) compared with those who
consumed less than 1.5 servings per day. The results were similar in women and
men. However, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins, or carotenoids were
not strongly related to either early or neovascular macular degeneration.
CONCLUSION: These data suggest a protective role for fruit intake on the risk of
neovascular macular degeneration.
Double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of
lutein and antioxidant supplementation in the intervention of atrophic
age-related macular degeneration: the Veterans LAST study (Lutein Antioxidant
Supplementation Trial).
Optometry. 2004 Apr;75(4):216-30.
Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision
loss in aging Westem societies. The objective of the lutein antioxidant
supplementation trial (LAST) is to determine whether nutritional supplementation
with lutein or lutein together with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals,
improves visual function and symptoms in atrophic macular degeneration. METHODS:
The study was a prospective, 12-month, randomized, double-masked,
placebo-controlled trial conducted at an urban midwestern Veterans
Administration Hospital from August 1999 to May 2001. Ninety patients with
atrophic macular degeneration were referred by ophthalmologists at two
Chicago-area veterans medical facilities. Patients in Group 1 received lutein 10
mg (L); in Group 2, a lutein 10 mg/antioxidants/vitamins and minerals broad
spectrum supplementation formula (L/A); and in Group 3, a maltodextrin placebo
(P) over 12 months. CONCLUSION: In this study, visual function is improved with
lutein alone or lutein together with other nutrients. Further studies are needed
with more patients, of both genders, and for longer periods of time to assess
long-term effects of lutein or lutein together with a broad spectrum of
antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in the treatment of atrophic age-related
macular degeneration.
Chemistry, distribution, and metabolism of tomato
carotenoids and their impact on human health.
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2002 Nov;227(10):845-51.
Recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the consumption of
tomatoes and tomato-based food products reduce the risk of prostate cancer in
humans. This protective effect has been attributed to carotenoids, which are one
of the major classes of phytochemicals in this fruit. The most abundant
carotenoid in tomato is lycopene, followed by phytoene, phytofluene,
zeta-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-carotene, neurosporene, and lutein. Detailed
qualitative and quantitative analysis of human serum, milk, and organs,
particularly prostate, have revealed the presence of all the aforementioned
carotenoids in biologically significant concentrations. Two oxidative
metabolites of lycopene, 2,6-cyclolycopene-1,5-diols A and B, which are only
present in tomatoes in extremely low concentrations, have been isolated and
identified in human serum, milk, organs (liver, lung, breast, liver, prostate,
colon) and skin. Carotenoids may also play an important role in the prevention
of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, and other blinding disorders.
Among 25 dietary carotenoids and nine metabolites routinely found in human
serum, mainly (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein, (3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, lycopene, and their
metabolites were detected in ocular tissues. In this review we identified and
quantified the complete spectrum of carotenoids from pooled human retinal
pigment epithelium, ciliary body, iris, lens, and in the uveal tract and in
other tissues of the human eye to gain a better insight into the metabolic
pathways of ocular carotenoids. Although (3R,3'R,6'R)-lutein,
(3R,3'R)-zeaxanthin, and their metabolites constitute the major carotenoids in
human ocular tissues, lycopene and a wide range of dietary carotenoids have been
detected in high concentrations in ciliary body and retinal pigment epithelium.
The possible role of lycopene and other dietary carotenoids in the prevention of
age-related macular degeneration and other eye diseases is discussed.
28 000 Cases of age related macular degeneration
causing visual loss in people aged 75 years and above in the United Kingdom may
be attributable to smoking.
Br J Ophthalmol. 2005 May;89(5):550-3.
Age related macular degeneration causing visual impairment is common in older
people. Previous studies have identified smoking as a risk factor for Age
related macular degeneration. However, there is limited information for the
older population in Britain. METHODS: Population based cross sectional
analytical study based in 49 practices selected to be representative of the
population of Britain. Cases were people aged 75 years and above who were
visually impaired (binocular acuity <6/18) as a result of macular degeneration.
Controls were people with normal vision (6/6 or better). Smoking history was
ascertained using an interviewer administered questionnaire. RESULTS: After
controlling for potentially confounding factors, current smokers were twice as
likely to have macular degeneration compared to non-smokers. Ex-smokers were at
intermediate risk (odds ratio 1.13, 0.86 to 1.47). People who stopped smoking
more than 20 years previously were not at increased risk of AMD causing visual
loss. Approximately 28 000 cases of macular degeneration in older people in the
United Kingdom may be attributable to smoking. CONCLUSION: This is the largest
study of the association of smoking and macular degeneration in the British
population. Smoking is associated with a twofold increased risk of developing
macular degeneration. An increased risk of macular degeneration, which is the
most commonly occurring cause of blindness in the United Kingdom, is yet another
reason for people to stop smoking and governments to develop public health
campaigns against this hazard.
Plasma
homocysteine and total thiol content in patients
with exudative age-related macular degeneration.
Eye. 2005 Apr 1;
Exudative age-related macular degeneration is one of the debilitating ocular
complications, which results in permanent blindness. Elevated homocysteine
levels have been associated in the development of several vascular diseases.
Vascular and oxidative stress theories have been implicated for the development
of choroidal neovascularization in exudative macular degeneration. The aim of
the present study was to investigate the possible role of plasma homocysteine
and thiol content (tSH) as a risk factor for the development of exudative
macular degeneration. CONCLUSION: Results from our present study revealed that
there is an elevated homocysteine level and diminished thiol pool content in
exudative age related macular degeneration that are significant.
Types of Macular Degeneration
There are two major types of macular degeneration: wet macular
degeneration and dry macular degeneration.
Age Related Macular degeneration symptom
Loss of central vision
is the most serious symptom of macular degeration. The first sign or symptom of
macular degeneration may be a need for more light during close-up work. Fine
newsprint may become harder to read and street signs, particularly at night,
more difficult to recognize. Gray or blank spots may mask the center of your
visual field. Symptoms of macular degeneration usually develop gradually, but
may sometimes progress rapidly, leading to severe vision loss in one or both
eyes.
Where to find information on macular degeneration
Usually an internet search can yield a lot of information.
Macular Degeneration Treatment
Photodynamic therapy is a new treatment modality available for choroidal
neovascularisation (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration.
Age related macular degeneration
is an eye disorder
that can result in irreversible visual loss and is the commonest
cause of blindness in the Western world.
New Macular Degeneration Drug
Lucentis treats the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, a
disorder where blood vessels behind the retina leak blood and fluid, worsening
vision and often causing blindness. An estimated 90 percent of the 1.4 million
Americans who have lost their eyesight due to the disorder have the wet form.
Lucentis, made by the South San Francisco, Calif., biotechnology company
Genentech Inc., inhibits the growth of blood vessels when injected into the eye.
Age Related Macular Degeneration Treatment questions
Q. Does CoQ10 help in
macular degeneration treatment?
A. I am not aware of CoQ10 having been tested as a
macular degeneration treatment option.
Q. Do you recommend vitamin E for macular degeneration
treatment?
A. Yes, vitamin E may be helpful in macular
degeneration treatment, but use the whole vitamin E complex and limit intake to
30 to 200 units a few times a week.
Q. My partner has aged related macular degeneration and
is also on medication for blood pressure, cholestoral and gout. Would
Eyesight-Rx be of help to his sight. I think he has the dry type AMD.
A. We cannot predict any person's response to a
particular supplement. If your partner plans to use Eyesight Rx for macular
degeneration, a low dose should be tried.
Q. Can a person take
serrapeptase if they
have macular degeneration?
A. Not enough is known about this interaction to give
any advice on using serrapeptase in those who have macular degeneration.
Q. I got 2 bottles of Eyesight Rx, a great product,
does seem to help with my macular degeneration. Eyesight Rx has
clearly helped my color perception and clarity. I believe Dr. Sahelian's
Eyesight RX is probably the best product of its kind. I was so excited to find
it and try it, and am interested in promoting it to others with vision problems.