(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Vitamin supplements may be the key to preventing
the most common cause of vision loss in older Americans.
A new study found women who took a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic
acid appeared to significantly decrease the risk of age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). Although there are treatment options for severe cases of the
eye disease, the only current known prevention method is to avoid smoking.
In a randomized, double-blind clinical trial involving 5,442 women age 40 and
over, women who took supplements had a 34 percent lower risk of any AMD and 41
percent lower risk of visually significant AMD, which results in a visual acuity
of 20/30 or worse.
The study's authors said their findings are the strongest evidence to date in
support of a possible beneficial effect of folic acid and B vitamin supplements
in AMD prevention. Since the benefits were observed in the early stages of the
disease development, this appears to be the first identified way, other than not
smoking to reduce the risk of AMD in women at an average risk.
"From a public health perspective, this is particularly important because
persons with early AMD are at increased risk of developing advanced AMD, the
leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in older Americans," the
authors wrote.
SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009;169:335-341
