AREDS2
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Nearly 100 centers working on an NIH study on the effects of antioxidants and fish oil on progression of age-related macular degeneration seek 4,000 people ages 50 to 85 with AMD to participate, according to an Oct. 12 announcement. The National Eye Institute, which says nearly 2 mil. people in the U.S. suffer from vision loss due to advanced AMD and 7 mil. with AMD are at "substantial risk," expects the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) to build upon results from the first AREDS data released in 2001 (1"The Tan Sheet" Oct. 15, 2001, p. 3). Those results showed high-dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper) reduced the risk of progression to advanced AMD by 25%, and the risk of moderate vision loss by 19%. Results of a separate study published this year showed higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids could have prevented an estimated 22% of the cases of AMD (2"The Tan Sheet" July 17, 2006, p 9). DSM will supply the supplements for AREDS2...