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Lutein and zeaxanthin may reduce risk of AMD

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Higher dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin may be independently associated with a lower risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration, according to a study by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group.

John Paul SanGiovanni, ScD, and colleagues evaluated the relationship of dietary carotenoids, vitamin A, alpha-tocopherol and vitamin C with prevalent AMD in 4,519 patients ages 60 to 80 years who were enrolled in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The patients were divided into four groups based on AMD severity and a control group of patients with less than 15 small drusen, according to the study.

The patients also completed a food frequency questionnaire that measured nutrient intake, and the values were adjusted for total energy intake and nonnutrient-based covariates, the authors noted.

Comparing the highest vs. the lowest quintiles of intake, dietary lutein and zeaxanthin intake was inversely associated with neovascular AMD, as well as geographic atrophy and large or extensive intermediate drusen, the authors reported.

This study is published in the September issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.