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All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘AMD’
Waterford AMD Trial
There is a study ongoing at the Waterford Institute of Technology investigating the effectiveness of various combinations of MultiVitamin and Mineral supplements to slow down the development of AMD- a gradual decline in central vision which can cause difficulty reading, driving and watching the television.
The study is based unsurprisingly in Waterford, which is a bit of a distance from our base in Cavan, but if you, or a friend or family member has recently been diagnosed with AMD, sometimes referred to “age changes at the back of the eyes”, and you might be interested in taking part, more details are available here. Anyone accepted for the trial will receive a supplement proven to help slow down the progression of these age changes, but unfortunately not in every person. The investigation is looking to see what other additional ingredients are more useful, and which are less (or not) useful.
Again, more information is available here.
Macular Degeneration – AREDS2 Results
The much anticipated AREDS2 trial has published its findings. The original AREDS (Age Related Eye Disease Study) found that the vitamin and mineral supplements which are now so commonly recommended to patients with early Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) were effective at slowing down the progression of the disease. The AREDS2 study looked at the benefits which might come from incorporating other supplements into the original tablets-
- lutein
- zeaxanthin
- docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
It had been thought that incorporating these pigments which are found at the macular area, the area which is damaged in AMD would confer extra protection. The second two in the list are Omega 3 fatty acids which were also expected to help, but the study’s finding are that none of these extra ingredients are of any benefit over the original tablets’ formulation.
More…
Radiation therapy treatment for Wet AMD
Recent trials studying the effect of radiation therapy on the macular area show promise as another method of treating neovascular (Wet) Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The two methods which have been looked at differ significantly in the way they deliver the radiation.
The method which hit the news in the last few weeks uses the IRay machine, a low voltage xray machine which delivers xrays to the macular area through three beams which are shone into the eye through the lower sclera (white of the eye). One of the first studies from Mexico reported that over 12 months, patients treated by this method required less anti vegF injections than the control group. This could mean that treating AMD may be cheaper in the future, and hopefully therefore treatment may become more widely available.
More information on the AMD treatments are available on this page, and the Mexico study mentioned is available to read here. (You will need to login or register (free) to see it.
Update – that link no longer works, but if you are interested there is an article here about the safety and efficiency of the treatment. Again, you might need to login or register to read it.
Macular Pigment Density and Dietary Supplements
It has been accepted for a while now that dietary supplements containing antioxidant vitamins and minerals can have a significant benefit to slowing down the progression of Dry Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). It has also been noted that certain pigments which are found in a normal macula (the area at the back of the eye responsible for acute vision) become depleted in AMD patients.
These pigments have a protective mechanism- they are also antioxidants, and their colour seems to filter out some of the more damaging rays which might reach the retina. Many tablet supplements have for a long time included these pigments in their formula, on the assumption that restoring these pigments to the macular area must be a good thing. There has been a long term debate whether ingesting these pigments in a tablet would have any beneficial effect- would they even be deposited back in the macula??
A recent study in Germany found that supplements do increase the amount of pigments in the blood stream, and that they do also deposit in the macular area. The next investigation is to establish if replacing these macular pigments is actually of any benefit- is the loss of pigment a result of AMD or the cause?
Studies are continuing- around the world and in Ireland to look at the effects of these pigments in both healthy eyes and in eyes with AMD, but for the moment we would recommend that tablet supplements containing anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals and pigments do seem to have enough of a benefit to advise their use, if there are early signs of Macular problems.
A healthy diet rich in the “superfood” -fruits, nuts, fish and vegetables may be another, perhaps better option for prevention- they say you shouldn’t throw multivitamins at a bad diet!
The German report can be found here- you may need to register (it is free) or login to see it.
AMD Awareness Week
This week (September 23rd to 30th) is AMD Awareness week.
AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration) is a condition which may affect up to 1 in 10 of the over 50s in Ireland.
There are two types of AMD- dry and wet.
Dry AMD is a progressive atrophy (withering) of the macula, the part of the eye which you use for detailed vision, at the centre of the macula is the fovea, the part of the retina which gives us the most detailed sight- any time you with to study something in detail you rotate your eye so that it’s image is on the fovea. If this area begins to function less effectively, areas of text may appear to become blurred or bits might disappear.
Though there is no cure for Dry AMD, the most common type, lifestyle changes and Multivitamin and mineral supplements have been proven to slow down or even stop this deterioration.
Wet AMD is more serious because the vision can deteriorate quite suddenly. New blood vessels can begin to grow beneath the retina in the macular area. The new vessels are prone to leak, which can cause a symptom of distortion- straight lines appearing bent. The new blood vessels are much weaker than normal ones, and are therefore also prone to bleeding, which can cause scarring of the retina, and irrecoverable loss of vision. If the new blood vessels can be detected early, there are some very effective treatments available to cause them to regress and disappear, but early detection is essential.
Everyone should have their eyes tested every two years, but if there are any symptoms it is essential to be checked as soon as possible- weeks or even days can make a difference!
