Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that taking a daily supplement containing antioxidant vitamins and minerals slows progression of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
In the study, published in Ophthalmology, the researchers reviewed the original retinal scans of participants in the Age-Related Eye Diseases Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) and found that, for people with late-stage AMD, taking the antioxidant supplement slowed expansion of geographic atrophy (GA) regions towards the central foveal region of the retina.
“We’ve known for a long time that AREDS2 supplements help slow the progression from intermediate to late AMD. Our analysis shows that taking AREDS2 supplements can also slow disease progression in people with late dry AMD,” said Dr Tiarnan Keenan, lead author of the study. “These findings support the continued use of AREDS2 supplements by people with late dry AMD.”
The review involved an analysis of the original retinal scans of participants in the AREDS (total 318 participants, 392 eyes) and AREDS2 (total 891 participants, 1210 eyes) trials who developed AMD, calculating the position and expansion rate of their regions of GA.
For those people who developed geographic atrophy in their central vision, the supplements had little benefit. But for the majority who developed GA far from the fovea, the supplements slowed the rate of expansion towards the fovea by approximately 55% over an average of three years.
The original AREDS trial found that a supplement formula containing antioxidants (vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene), along with zinc and copper, could slow progression of intermediate to late-stage AMD. The subsequent AREDS2 trial found that substituting the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene improved the efficacy of the supplement formula and eliminated certain risks.
At the time, neither trial detected any further benefit once participants had developed late-stage disease.
“Our high acuity central vision is essential for tasks like reading and driving. Given that there are few therapeutic options for people with late-stage dry AMD to retain or restore their vision, antioxidant supplementation is a simple step that may slow central vision loss, even for those with late disease,” Dr Keenan said. “We plan to confirm these findings in a dedicated clinical trial in the near future.”
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