06.29.07
Indication: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Source:
Arch Ophthalmol, May 2007;125(5):671-9.Research: Researchers set out to evaluate the association of lipid intake with baseline severity of AMD in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). This study included over 4500 participants aged 60 to 80 years at enrollment, who provided estimates of habitual nutrient intake through a self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Stereoscopic color fundus photographs were used to categorize participants into four AMD severity groups and a control group (participants with <15 small drusen).
Results: Of the 4519 subjects, 1115 patients had no symptoms of disease at the outset, while 658 people had a severe form of the disease. When their diets were evaluated, the researchers found that people who ate more fish-more than two medium servings per week or more than one serving of broiled or baked fish-were least likely to have the disease. More specifically, dietary total omega 3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) intake was inversely associated with neovascular (NV) AMD, as was docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a retinal omega 3 LCPUFA. Dietary arachidonic acid was directly associated with NV AMD prevalence, but no statistically significant relationships existed for the other lipids or AMD groups.