AREDS supplements could have significant public health impact

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Adoption of nutritional supplements by those at risk for advanced macular degeneration could spare hundreds of thousands of people from progression of the disease, according to a presentation here.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that use of nutritional supplements can significantly reduce the likelihood of progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Calculations based on the AREDS data now show that adopting the AREDS supplement regimen could have a large impact on the general public health. The information was presented in a paper here at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Neil M. Bressler, MD, and colleagues reported that an estimated 6 million Americans age 55 to 80 are at high risk for developing advanced AMD, and about 1.2 million are likely to develop advanced AMD in the coming 5 years. The authors stated that if all of these people took the antioxidant plus zinc daily supplement as suggested by AREDS, the 25% risk reduction for the group over the 5 years would spare more than 300,000 people from progression to advanced AMD during this time.

The AREDS study included two clinical trials: high-dose antioxidant and/or zinc supplements to delay development of advanced AMD, and to delay progression of cataract. There were 4,757 participants of ages 55 to 80 at varying levels of risk for developing advanced AMD enrolled in the trials at 11 clinical centers in the United States. The patients were randomized to receive daily tablets of antioxidants (vitamins C and E and beta carotene), zinc (with copper), antioxidants plus zinc, or placebo.

After a median follow-up of 6.3 years, results showed the treatments were not effective for reducing the likelihood of cataract development. However, antioxidants plus zinc significantly reduced the risk of development of advanced AMD by 25% in participants at moderate risk of advanced AMD.