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Senior Nutrition, Vitamins, Supplements
Antioxidants and Zinc Reduce Risk of Age-Related
Macular Degeneration Says New Report
This 2001 study now
confirmed by NIH panel
 May 17, 2006 A study of multivitamin and mineral
research by an independent panel organized by the National Institutes of
Health, yesterday recommended high levels of antioxidants and zinc to
reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the major
cause of blindness in senior citizens. Following is the news release
issued by the National Eye Institute on Oct. 12, 2001 reporting on the
ground-breaking study.
"High levels of antioxidants and zinc significantly
reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and
its associated vision loss. These same nutrients had no significant
effect on the development or progression of cataract. These findings
from a nationwide clinical trial are reported in the October 2001 issue
of Archives of Ophthalmology.
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May 18, 2006 The vast majority of senior citizens
take multivitamins and other dietary supplements. Although usage
increases with age, it is a growing trend for all Americans, with more
than half spending $23 billion a year for the hope of better health.
Unfortunately, the National Institutes of Health's panel concluded their
extensive study yesterday with the conclusion "more rigorous
scientific research is needed before strong recommendations can be made
regarding MVM use to prevent chronic diseases." Their report is not
without some minimal guidance about supplements, including two
recommendations for seniors, and also adds new questions to the debate,
particularly about regulation.
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Antioxidants May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Macular
Degeneration
Dec. 28, 2005 - A diet with a high intake of beta
carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc is associated with a substantially
reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in elderly persons,
according to a study in today's issue of JAMA.
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Review Supports Vitamin E Dosage for Age-Related
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Jan. 18, 2005 -
Following recent media stories concerning the danger of high dosages of
vitamin E, the National Eye Institute has reviewed the 2001 findings of
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patients with varying stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) a
leading cause of vision loss in senior citizens. The study concludes
that NEI still recommends 400 international units (IU) for those at high
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"Scientists found that people at high risk of
developing advanced stages of AMD, a leading cause of vision loss,
lowered their risk by about 25 percent when treated with a high-dose
combination of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and zinc. In the
same high risk group which includes people with intermediate AMD, or
advanced AMD in one eye but not the other eye the nutrients reduced
the risk of vision loss caused by advanced AMD by about 19 percent. For
those study participants who had either no AMD or early AMD, the
nutrients did not provide an apparent benefit.
"The clinical trial
called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) was sponsored by the
National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the Federal government's National
Institutes of Health.
"'This is an exciting discovery because, for people
at high risk for developing advanced AMD, these nutrients are the first
effective treatment to slow the progression of the disease,' said Paul
A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the NEI. 'AMD is a leading cause of
visual impairment and blindness in Americans 65 years of age and older.
Currently, treatment for advanced AMD is quite limited.
"These nutrients
will delay the progression to advanced AMD in people who are at high
risk those with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes, or those with
advanced AMD in one eye already.
"'The nutrients are not a cure for AMD, nor will
they restore vision already lost from the disease,' Dr. Sieving said.
'But they will play a key role in helping people at high risk for
developing advanced AMD keep their vision.'
"A common feature of AMD is the presence of drusen,
which are yellow deposits under the retina. Often found in people over
age 60, drusen can be seen by an eye care professional during an eye
exam in which the pupils are dilated. Drusen by themselves do not
usually cause vision loss, but an increase in their size and/or number
increases a person's risk of developing advanced AMD, which can cause
serious vision loss.
"The three stages of AMD analyzed in this study
are:
● Early AMD. People with early AMD have, in one
or both eyes, either several small drusen or a few medium-sized drusen;
these people do not have vision loss from AMD.
● Intermediate AMD. People with intermediate AMD
have, in one or both eyes, either many medium-sized drusen or one or
more large drusen; in these people, there is usually little or no vision
loss.
● Advanced AMD. In addition to drusen, people
with advanced AMD have, in one or both eyes, either:
> A breakdown of light-sensitive cells and
supporting tissue in the central retinal area (advanced dry form); or
> Abnormal and fragile blood
vessels under the retina that can leak fluid or bleed (wet form).
These two forms of advanced AMD can cause serious
vision loss. Scientists are unsure about how or why an increase in the
size and/or number of drusen can sometimes lead to advanced AMD, which
affects the sharp, central vision required for the 'straight ahead'
activities in our daily routine, such as reading, driving, and
recognizing faces of friends.
"One observation is that the larger and more
numerous the drusen, the higher the risk of developing either form of
advanced AMD. People who have advanced AMD in one eye are at especially
high risk of developing advanced AMD in the other eye. The formulation
used in the study contained several antioxidant vitamins, which are
nutrients that can help maintain healthy cells and tissues. They also
contained zinc, which is an important mineral incorporated into many
body tissues.
"The nutrients evaluated by the AREDS researchers
contained 500 milligrams of vitamin C; 400 international units of
vitamin E; 15 milligrams of beta-carotene; 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc
oxide; and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide (Copper was added to
the AREDS formulations containing zinc to prevent copper deficiency,
which may be associated with high levels of zinc supplementation).
"In this trial, the NEI collaborated with Bausch &
Lomb, an eye care company that provided the formulation evaluated by the
AREDS researchers and financially supported the laboratory testing and
distribution of study medications.
"'Previous studies have suggested that people who
have diets rich in green, leafy vegetables have a lower risk of
developing AMD,' said Frederick Ferris, MD, director of clinical
research at the NEI and chairman of the AREDS. 'However, the high levels
of nutrients that were evaluated in the AREDS are very difficult to
achieve from diet alone.
"'Almost two-thirds of AREDS participants chose to
take a daily multivitamin in addition to their assigned study
treatment,' Dr. Ferris said.
"The AREDS also showed that, even with a daily
multivitamin, people at high risk for developing advanced AMD can lower
the risk of vision loss by adding a formulation with the same high
levels of antioxidants and zinc used in the study.'
"The Age-Related Eye Disease Study involved 4,757
participants, 55-80 years of age, in 11 clinical centers nationwide.
Participants in the study were given one of four treatments:
1) zinc alone;
2) antioxidants alone;
3) a combination of antioxidants and zinc; or
4) a placebo, a harmless substance that has no medical effect.
"The benefits of the nutrients were seen only in
people who began the study at high risk for developing advanced AMD -
those with intermediate AMD, and those with advanced AMD in one eye
only. In this group, those taking 'antioxidants plus zinc' had the
lowest risk of developing advanced stages of AMD and its accompanying
visual loss. Those in the 'zinc alone' or 'antioxidant alone' groups
also reduced their risk of developing advanced AMD, but at more moderate
rates compared to the 'antioxidants plus zinc' group. Those in the
placebo group had the highest risk of developing advanced AMD.
 "Dr. Ferris said some people with intermediate AMD
may not wish to take large doses of antioxidant vitamins or zinc because
of medical reasons. "For example, beta-carotene has been shown to
increase the risk of lung cancer among smokers," he said. "These people
may want to discuss with their primary care doctor the best combination
of nutrients for them. With the use of the high levels of zinc, it is
important to add appropriate amounts of copper to the diet to prevent
copper deficiency."
"In the cataract portion of the study, researchers
discovered that the same nutrients had no significant effect on the
development or progression of age-related cataract. A cataract is a
clouding of the eye's lens that blocks some light from reaching the
retina and interferes with vision.
"'Participants taking the 'zinc alone' treatment,
the 'antioxidants alone' treatment, or the combination of zinc and
antioxidants were all about as likely to develop a cataract as those
taking a placebo,' Dr. Ferris said.
"'At the time the study was planned, laboratory and
animal research had suggested that antioxidants might be of benefit in
treating or preventing cataract,' he said. 'Also at that time, limited
epidemiologic and clinical trial data suggested that antioxidants might
affect the development of cataract. However, our analyses did not find
any connection between the antioxidant vitamins used in the AREDS and
cataract development.'
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Betty White Urges Seniors to Get Serious About
Macular Degeneration
To raise awareness of
leading cause of blindness in senior citizens
 April 25, 2006 - Today legendary actress Betty
White kicks off "My Eye Health: In the Wink of an Eye," a national
campaign to educate Americans, in particular older ones, about
age-related macular degeneration, also called AMD, and the importance of
early detection and treatment. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in
Americans over age 60.
Read more...
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"Despite the evidence that these nutrients did not
lower the risk of cataract development over the seven-year period of the
study, Dr. Ferris noted that an effect over a longer period of time, or
with different doses of these or other antioxidants, cannot be ruled
out.
"The AREDS participants reported minor side effects
from the treatments. About 7.5 percent of participants assigned to the
zinc treatments compared with five percent who did not have zinc in
their assigned treatment had urinary tract problems that required
hospitalization. Participants in the two groups that took zinc also
reported anemia at a slightly higher rate; however, testing of all
patients for this disorder showed no difference among treatment groups.
Yellowing of the skin, a well-known side effect of large doses of
beta-carotene, was reported slightly more often by participants taking
antioxidants.
"'The AREDS formula is the first demonstrated
treatment for people at high risk for developing advanced AMD," he said.
'Slowing the progression of AMD to its advanced stage will save the
vision of many who would otherwise have had serious vision impairment.'
"The National Eye Institute (NEI) is part of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is the Federal government's lead
agency for vision research. NEI-supported research leads to sight-saving
treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment and
blindness. The NIH is an agency of the US Department of Health and Human
Services."
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