All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘AMD’

Dry AMD2

AMD Awareness Week

September 22nd to 30th is AMD awareness week.

AMD (Age Related Macular Degeneration) is a condition which may affect up to one in ten of the over 50’s in Ireland, and the National Concert Hall, Dublin is having a fundraising event in aid of Fighting Blindness and the National Council for the Blind Ireland.

This lunchtime event will feature musicians, actors and authors who will entertain the audience (who will all be blindfolded to simulate blindness) with music, story telling, comedy and chat.

The event ,hosted by RTÉ’s Mary Kennedy, is on September 26th, and tickets are available through the NCH.ie website.

AMD development could be halted, study concludes.

Researchers in Dublin have identified a part of the immune system involved in the development of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which when controlled could halt progression of the condition. They found that controlling the level of “inflammasome” IL18, progression of AMD from the dry to the wet form can be prevented. IL18 apprears to have an anti-angiogenic factor, which prevents the formation of new blood vessels, the problem in Wet AMD.

If the levels of IL18 could be controlled, or even augmented, in the retinas of patients with Dry AMD, the researchers reckon that it could prevent progression to the Wet type, “leading to an exciting new prospect for a novel therapy for AMD”.

The full article is available in the journal Nature Medicine.

As ever, research continues.

Eating Grapes

New research indicates that Grapes are the latest food to be found to help prevent Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD or AMD).

Superfoods such as blueberries, pomegranates, spinach and broccoli all confer protection because they are rich in anti-oxidants, but now grapes may be added to the list- they have been found to be as effective as lutein supplements in ARMD prevention!

A balanced diet is proving to be one of the most effective preventatives of ARMD, and while dietary supplements have been proven to be very successful, perhaps those with a very good diet would not have the problem and therefore not require the supplements?

More information on the grapes here

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