HEALTH FOOD SUPPLEMENTS, DIETS, AND
RECENT MEDICAL ADVANCES FOR
AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION
Age-related macular degeneration is a common cause of blindness,
affecting about 15 million American. It is the most common cause of
severe vision loss among people over 60.

The condition is characterized by the appearance of retinal deposits.
These and other changes form a barrier between the retinal pigment
epithelium and the choroidal circulation. As a result, new vessels may
grow from the choroid and penetrate the retina. These new vessels are
delicate and can leak or bleed. Such episodes occur in the "wet" form of
age-related macular degeneration and cause the well known disciform
degeneration, which in turn leads to distortion of the image and rapid loss
of vision. Even when this does not happen, areas of retina may atrophy,
probably due to anoxia: this is the "dry" form of the disease, also called
geographic atrophy. The initial symptoms may include blurry or fuzzy
vision, difficulty recognizing familiar faces, 'wavy' straight lines, dark or
empty area appears in the center of vision and rapid loss of central vision.

In trials, scattered laser burns have been applied to the retina but the
long-term benefits of this are as yet uncertain. New micro-pulse lasers are
coming into use which may be more effective. Surgical treatments include
translocation of the retina and photodynamic therapy. Medical therapies
attracting attention are intraocular injections of anti-angiogenic drugs,
such as ranibizumab.

Researchers believe that combined healthy diets (e.g. non-smoking, rich
in omega-3 fatty acids) [4], health food supplements (such as ginkgo
biloba, vitamins C and E, lutein and zeaxanthin) [2,3], examinations, and
proper treatments may reduce age-related macular degeneration
blindness. [1]

Recently, FDA approved Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for the
treatment of patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular
degeneration (AMD). Lucentis is the first treatment which, when dosed
monthly, can maintain the vision of more than 90 percent of patients with
this type of AMD. The most commonly side effects of Lucentis include
conjunctival hemorrhage, eye pain, floaters, increased eye pressure and
inflammation of the eye.  While, serious side effects are often related to
the injection procedure including endophthalmitis, intraocular
inflammation, retinal detachment, retinal tear, increased eye pressure and
traumatic cataract. [5]

[1] Arden GB. Age-related macular degeneration. J Br Menopause Soc.
2006 Jun;12(2):64-70. [2] Evans JR. Ginkgo biloba extract for age-related
macular degeneration, Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2000;(2):CD001775 [3] Bartlett H et al, An ideal ocular nutritional
supplement? Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2004 Jul;24(4):339-49. [4] Yvonne
Lee - Eating Fish Reduces Risk Of Eye Disease In Seniors All Headline
News July 11, 2006. [5] FDA Approves New Biologic Treatment for Wet
Age-Related Macular Degeneration FDA Online Publication June 30,
2006.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT EATING FISH FREQUENTLY
Eating fish frequently may have benefits of cutting the chances of
developing age-related macular degeneration, while smoking nearly
doubles the risk for this common cause of vision loss.
In a study of 681 men (average age 75 years; 222 with
intermediate/late-stage AMD and 459 had no/early-stage AMD), smokers
had a 1.9-fold increased risk of AMD and those smoked in the past had a
1.7-fold increased risk. Those who ate more fishes were less likely to
have AMD. The greatest reduction in risk was seen among individuals
who ate two or more servings of fish per week. [1] Studies have shown
cardioprotective benefits of monounsaturated fatty acids in the
Mediterranean diet and that diets high in n[omega]-3 fatty acids,
particularly docosahexaenoic acid, derived largely from fish, may protect
against retinal oxidation and degeneration. Weekly fish consumption may
have additional benefits in protecting against incident early age-related
maculopathy.

[1] Yvonne Lee - Eating Fish Reduces Risk Of Eye Disease In Seniors All
Headline News July 11, 2006.
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