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Dietary supplement may help early AMD
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Patients with early age-related macular degeneration may benefit from a dietary supplement containing highly concentrated omega-3 fatty acids and other mitotropic compounds, a clinical study suggests.
Janos Feher, MD, PhD, and researchers at the University of Rome La Sapienza performed the single center, randomized, double-blind study to compare the effects of the supplement Phototrop to a soy oil placebo. The study included 106 patients with early AMD.
Phototrop is a dietary supplement manufactured and marketed by Italy-based sigma-tau HealthScience SpA. It contains a blend of omega-3 fatty acids, acetyl-L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10. Currently, it is available only to ophthalmologists in Italy.
In an e-mail interview with Ocular Surgery News, Dr. Feher said a statistically and clinically significant improvement in central retinal sensitivity of visual field was seen in the Phototrop group after 6 and 12 months. No significant changes were seen in patients treated with the soy oil placebo. He said the difference between groups was significant at 6 months and showed a trend at 12 months.
Similar results were obtained when visual acuity and foveal sensitivity were compared.