Daily supplements containing antioxidant vitamins and minerals may slow progression of an aging-related eye disorder even after it reaches an advanced stage, according to a study published in Ophthalmology.
In so-called dry macular degeneration, patients lose regions of light-sensitive cells in the retina. The atrophy in these regions slowly expands over time, causing people to progressively lose their central vision.
“We’ve known for a long time that (certain combinations of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals) help slow the progression from intermediate to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD),” study leader Dr. Tiarnan Keenan of the U.S. National Eye Institute said in a statement.
When AMD reaches a late stage, the only approved treatments “require frequent intraocular injection and suffer from modest efficacy, important risks and high costs,” the researchers wrote.
Analyzing medical records and retinal scans of more than 1,000 participants in two earlier randomized trials of daily supplements for preventing AMD progression, the researchers identified little benefit for patients with damage to the fovea in the central part of the retina.
But in the majority, who had late-stage atrophy but not in the fovea, the supplements slowed the progression of disease by approximately 55% over an average of three years compared to people given a placebo.
Patients in the trials had received various combinations of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, lutein, zeaxanthin and docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids, or a placebo.
“Our high-acuity central vision is essential for tasks like reading and driving,” Keenan said. “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.”
“We plan to confirm these findings in a dedicated clinical trial in the near future,” Keenan added.
