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.
The study did find that reducing or eliminating beta-carotene, and reducing zinc concentrations could be done without compromising effectiveness- some people found that the amount of zinc could cause gastrointestinal upsets, and the inclusion of the beta-catotene was always a concern as it may increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. This 5 year, multicentre study concluded that further investigation will be necessary to decide if the Lutein and Xeaxanthin could possibly be of benefit in different concentrations- they are carotenoids, and they suspect that perhaps they would be absorbed better if the beta-carotene was removed. As ever, further research is going to be required, but for the moment it would appear that manufacturers may consider reducing the amounts of beta-carotene in their formulations, but otherwise the original tablets- the ones now on sale are as good at slowing macular degeneration as any newer formulations.
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