Supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin may decrease the risk of age-related eye disease (ARED) such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as well as minimize individual and societal healthcare savings, according to the economic report, “Smart Prevention – Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements.” The report from Frost & Sullivan, and sponsored by a grant from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), found that an average of $3.87 billion per year in avoidable health care utilization costs is potentially possible if all U.S. adults over the age of 55 diagnosed with ARED were to use lutein and zeaxanthin dietary supplements at preventive intake levels.
 
In a systematic review of scientific studies, Frost & Sullivan examined the relationship between lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation and the risk of an ARED-attributed event. The firm then projected the rates of ARED-attributed medical events across U.S. adults over the age of 55 with ARED and applied a cost benefit analysis to determine the cost savings if people in this targeted population took lutein and zeaxanthin supplements at preventive intake levels.
 
“Smart prevention is protecting your health and also protecting your wallet. Age-related eye disease poses risks that are debilitating and expensive, so supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin can help reduce those risks,” said Duffy MacKay, N.D., senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs for the Council for Responsible Nutrition.