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Posted on Feb 15, 2005, 10 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
One of the scary things about age-related macular degeneration
One of the scary things about age-related macular degeneration&emdash;the leading cause of vision loss in older people&emdash;is that there is often little that can be done to slow down the disease.
But a combination of dietary supplements, which includes high levels of antioxidants and zinc, may help preserve the sight of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). And while studies have not yet proven that this supplement combination prevents AMD, some ophthalmologists recommend it to people who are at risk for this eye condition, such as those with a parent or sibling and those with fair skin and blue eyes.
AMD is a disorder of the macular, the central part of the retina, that makes vision less sharp and affects the ability to see straight ahead. There are two forms of the disease, dry and wet. The dry form is more common than the wet form and involves a more gradual loss of vision. In the early stage of the dry form of disease, someone will have several yellow deposits, called "drusen," on the macula. Intermediate AMD is marked by medium-sized drusen or one or more large drusen. And advanced AMD involves the breakdown of cells and tissue in the central retina. The "wet" form of AMD occurs when new blood vessels form behind the retina and start to grow toward the macula and leak or bleed into the eye.
Below, Lylas Mogk, MD, an ophthalmologist at the Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center in the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, discusses how dietary supplements may help improve eye health.
But a combination of dietary supplements, which includes high levels of antioxidants and zinc, may help preserve the sight of people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). And while studies have not yet proven that this supplement combination prevents AMD, some ophthalmologists recommend it to people who are at risk for this eye condition, such as those with a parent or sibling and those with fair skin and blue eyes.
AMD is a disorder of the macular, the central part of the retina, that makes vision less sharp and affects the ability to see straight ahead. There are two forms of the disease, dry and wet. The dry form is more common than the wet form and involves a more gradual loss of vision. In the early stage of the dry form of disease, someone will have several yellow deposits, called "drusen," on the macula. Intermediate AMD is marked by medium-sized drusen or one or more large drusen. And advanced AMD involves the breakdown of cells and tissue in the central retina. The "wet" form of AMD occurs when new blood vessels form behind the retina and start to grow toward the macula and leak or bleed into the eye.
Below, Lylas Mogk, MD, an ophthalmologist at the Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center in the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, discusses how dietary supplements may help improve eye health.
