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Clinician promotes ‘nutrigenomic’ approach to retinal wellness
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PHOENIX – A speaker here at the joint meeting of the Ocular Nutrition Society and the Optometric Retina Society, held prior to Academy 2012, urged attendees to consider nutrients and genetic factors in age-related macular degeneration.
“Nutrigenomics refers to the application of genomics in nutrition research,” Joseph J. Pizzimenti, OD, FAAO, an associate professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., said.
This philosophy enables associations to be made between specific nutrients and genetic factors, he added.
“Maybe we can improve health and prevent disease through a personalized diet,” Pizzimenti said.
Pizzimenti referred to the Rotterdam study, which concluded that “high dietary antioxidant intake may reduce the risk of early AMD, even in those with the highest genetic risk,” he said.
The study of 2,167 patients 55 years of age and older showed that 517 developed early AMD during a 9-year period.
“Researchers discovered interactions between the complement factor H gene and things like zinc, beta-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin,” he said.
A nutrigenomic approach to retinal wellness would include genetic testing in patients with one or two drusen or those at risk due to smoking, an immediate family member with advanced disease or a low macular pigment density, Pizzimenti said.
“Increase the macular pigment optical density through diet and supplementation,” he said.
Pizzimenti concluded by urging attendees to evaluate the posterior segment structure, visual function and metabolic activity.
“Nutritional factors may act synergistically with genetics to allow for enhanced expression of disease,” he said. “Modifying a person’s diet may decrease the risk of developing the disease phenotype even if the genotype is there.”