Supplementation may improve vision in some people with dry AMD

LISBON, Portugal — Regular consumption of high-dose antioxidants seems to offer a visual benefit to some patients with dry age-related macular degeneration, a speaker here said.

Stuart Richer, OD, PhD, FAAO, presented results of a clinical trial of daily supplementation with 6 mg to 10 mg of lutein, along with zeaxanthine, here at the Euretina conference. He said the supplement could help 100,000 people with dry AMD in American alone.

This recent trial confirmed results from earlier studies that showed “improved visual function in most AMD patients” who were taking the lutein supplement, Dr. Richer said.

“The objective of the Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial was to determine whether nutritional supplementation with the carotenoid lutein or lutein together with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals improves visual function and symptoms in atrophic AMD,” Dr. Richer said.

The study was a prospective, randomized, 12-month trial of 90 patients with atrophic AMD, Dr. Richer said. Patients were separated into three groups, one receiving 10 mg lutein supplementation alone, a second receiving a lutein formulation with broad-spectrum antioxidants and vitamin supplement called Ocupower, and a third receiving a placebo.

At 12 months, visual improvement was 36% in the lutein group and 43% in the lutein and antioxidants group.

“Visual function improved with lutein alone or lutein together with other nutrients in that small and brief study of mid-western U.S. male subjects with atrophic macular degeneration,” Dr. Richer said.