Early AMD may be more readily treated via metabolics than antioxidants

ANAHEIM, Calif. — A metabolic rather than an antioxidant approach may be a more specific way of treating early age-related macular degeneration, according to a poster presented here.

Janos Faher, MD, was the principal author of a study concluding that an appropriate combination of n-3 fatty acid, acetyl-L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 may improve visual functions in early age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The 1-year results of the study, presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, determined that improvement in visual field mean defect and visual acuity was observed in the treated group, while both of these indicators worsened in the control group.

The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 104 patients. The treatment group received two capsules per day, each containing all three compounds, while the placebo group received two capsules, each containing soybean oil.

In the treatment group, improvement was found in each of four parameters of visual function, including visual field mean defect, visual acuity and foveal sensitivity. The improvement was significant at some points in time compared to the placebo group.

Dr. Faher and colleagues said the study challenges the findings of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study, which found that several single antioxidants or a combination were effective in delaying the onset of AMD. These results have since been challenged, according to the poster authors, and now there is accumulating evidence suggesting that mitochondria play a central role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. An early intervention on cellular lipid metabolism via a careful selection of mitochondriotropic compounds now appears to be a promising early treatment for AMD, the authors explained.