Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 5/9/12.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

BPA effects seen in monkey mammary glands - Science Daily, 5/7/12 - "The Tufts researchers compared the structure of newborn mammary glands from BPA-exposed and unexposed female rhesus macaques. Pregnant monkeys were fed a piece of fruit containing a small amount of BPA each day during the gestational period corresponding to the human third trimester of pregnancy, resulting in blood levels of BPA comparable to those of many Americans today ... The researchers found that, at birth, the density of mammary buds was significantly increased in BPA-exposed monkeys, and the overall development of the mammary gland was more advanced compared to unexposed monkeys ... This study buttresses previous findings showing that fetal exposure to low xenoestrogen levels causes developmental alterations that in turn increase the risk of mammary cancer later in life ... the sum of all these findings strongly suggests that BPA is a breast carcinogen in humans and human exposure to BPA should be curtailed"

Greater purpose in life may protect against harmful changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease - Science Daily, 5/7/12 - "These findings suggest that purpose in life protects against the harmful effects of plaques and tangles on memory and other thinking abilities. This is encouraging and suggests that engaging in meaningful and purposeful activities promotes cognitive health in old age ... The Rush Memory and Aging Project, which began in 1997, is a longitudinal clinical-pathological study of common chronic conditions of aging. Participants are older persons recruited from about 40 continuous care retirement communities and senior subsidized housing facilities in and around the Chicago Metropolitan area"

Exercise slows muscle wasting from age and heart failure - Science Daily, 5/7/12 - "Exercise can counteract muscle breakdown, increase strength and reduce inflammation caused by aging and heart failure ... Many physicians -- and insurance companies -- still believe that cardiac rehabilitation does not really help in old age. This study clearly falsifies this belief ... Half the participants in each age group were randomly assigned to four weeks of supervised aerobic training or no exercise. Researchers took muscle biopsies of all participants before and after the intervention ... In both age groups, four training sessions of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise per day, five days a week plus one 60 minute group exercise session was associated with increased muscle force endurance and oxygen uptake. Heart failure patients 55 and under increased their peak oxygen uptake by 25 percent, while those 65 and over increased it by 27 percent ... Exercise switches off the muscle-wasting pathways and switches on pathways involved in muscle growth, counteracting muscle loss and exercise intolerance in heart failure patients"

Yogurt Makes Mice Slimmer, Sexier - ABC News, 5/7/12 - "Not only does yogurt make mice slimmer; it also makes them sexier ... Maybe probiotics in the yogurt have something to do with the effects on weight ... It turns out their testicles were 5 percent bigger than those of their non-yogurt eating counterparts, and 15 percent bigger than those of mice on a diet designed to mimic “junk food” in humans. And in this case, bigger was better ... And let’s not forget the ladies. Female mice that ate yogurt were even shinier than the males, and tended to be better moms to their larger litters" - See my yogurt recipe at the top of my yogurt page.  Speaking of yogurt, I just took this pix of the refrigerator in my office. Two half gallon containers of homemade yogurt on the bottom with Smucker’s Select strawberry jam to sweeten it on the top. See the refrig at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000FAR33M/qualitycounts

Diabetes shrinks elderly brain - Science Daily, 5/7/12 - "While some brain volume loss is a normal part of aging, the researchers found that elderly people with blood sugar levels in flux, as well as type 2 diabetes, lost almost two and a half times more brain volume than their peers over two years. The reduction in size of the frontal lobe -- associated with higher mental functions like decision-making, emotional control, and long term memory -- has a significant impact on cognitive function and quality of life"

Regular jogging shows dramatic increase in life expectancy - Science Daily, 5/3/12 - "Results show that in the follow-up period involving a maximum of 35 years, 10,158 deaths were registered among the non-joggers and 122 deaths among the joggers. Analysis showed that risk of death was reduced by 44% for male joggers (age-adjusted hazard ratio 0.56) and 44% for female joggers (age-adjusted hazard ratio 0.56) ... Furthermore the data showed jogging produced an age adjusted survival benefit of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women. Further analysis exploring the amounts of exercise undertaken by joggers in the study has revealed a U-shaped curve for the relationship between the time spent exercising and mortality. The investigators found that between one hour and two and a half hours a week, undertaken over two to three sessions, delivered the optimum benefits, especially when performed at a slow or average pace ... The ideal pace can be achieved by striving to feel a little breathless. "You should aim to feel a little breathless, but not very breathless," ... It improves oxygen uptake, increases insulin sensitivity, improves lipid profiles (raising HDL and lowering triglycerides), lowers blood pressure, reduces platelet aggregation, increases fibrinolytic activity, improves cardiac function, bone density, immune function, reduces inflammation markers, prevents obesity, and improves psychological function"

Soy-based formula? Neonatal plant estrogen exposure leads to adult infertility in female mice - Science Daily, 5/2/12 - "A paper published May 2 in Biology of Reproduction describes the effects of brief prenatal exposure to plant estrogens on the mouse oviduct, modeling the effects of soy-based baby formula on human infants. The results suggest that exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood has the potential to affect a woman's fertility as an adult, possibly providing the mechanistic basis for some cases of unexplained female infertility ... part of the National Institutes of Health, previously demonstrated that neonatal exposure to the plant estrogen genistein results in complete infertility in female adult mice. Causes of infertility included failure to ovulate, reduced ability of the oviduct to support embryo development before implantation, and failure of the uterus to support effective implantation of blastocyst-stage embryos ... The team now reports that neonatal exposure to genistein changes the level of immune response in the mouse oviduct, known as mucosal immune response. Some of the immune response genes were altered beginning from the time of genistein treatment, while others were altered much later, when the mouse was in early pregnancy. Together, those changes led to harmfully altered immune responses and to compromised oviduct support for preimplantation embryo development, both of which would likely contribute to infertility ... estrogenic chemical exposure to the female fetus, infant, child, and adolescent all have potential impacts on mucosal immunity in the reproductive tract and, therefore, on adult fertility. The authors present the view that limiting such exposures, including minimizing use of soy-based baby formula, is a step toward maintaining female reproductive health"

Eating fish, chicken, nuts may lower risk of Alzheimer's disease - Science Daily, 5/2/12 - "A new study suggests that eating foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish, chicken, salad dressing and nuts, may be associated with lower blood levels of a protein related to Alzheimer's disease and memory problems ... 1,219 people older than age 65, free of dementia, provided information about their diet for an average of 1.2 years before their blood was tested for the beta-amyloid. Researchers looked specifically at 10 nutrients, including saturated fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, mono-unsaturated fatty acid, vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B12, folate and vitamin D ... the more omega-3 fatty acids a person took in, the lower their blood beta-amyloid levels. Consuming one gram of omega-3 per day (equal to approximately half a fillet of salmon per week) more than the average omega-3 consumed by people in the study is associated with 20 to 30 percent lower blood beta-amyloid levels ... Other nutrients were not associated with plasma beta-amyloid levels" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.

Unmasking black pepper's secrets as a fat fighter - Science Daily, 5/2/12 - "piperine also can block the formation of new fat cells ... piperine interferes with the activity of genes that control the formation of new fat cells. In doing so, piperine may also set off a metabolic chain reaction that helps keep fat in check in other ways" - See piperine at Amazon.com.

Blood pressure drugs linked with lower PTSD symptoms - Science Daily, 5/1/12 - "These data come from an observational study, not a randomized clinical trial, so it is important to limit our interpretation until larger, placebo-control, double-blinded trials can be performed ... Patients taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs had an approximately 30 percent decrease in PTSD symptom scores, but no significant differences were apparent for those taking other blood pressure medications, including beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics. In particular, individuals taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs tended to have lower levels of hyperarousal and intrusive thoughts" - See telmisartan or ramipril at OffshoreRx1.com.

Biosynthetic grape-derived compound prevents progression of Alzheimer’s disease in animal model - Science Daily, 5/1/12 - "Polyphenols, which occur naturally in grapes, fruits, and vegetables, have been shown to prevent the cognitive decline associated with AD in a mouse model, but the molecules are very complex and are extensively metabolized in the body. This is the first study to determine which specific subfraction of these molecules penetrates the animal brain, and demonstrate that a drug compound similar to polyphenols can exert similar bioactivities ... Dr. Pasinetti's team analyzed the structure of this polyphenol by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and recreated it biosynthetically in the laboratory. Dr. Pasinetti and his collaborators discovered that the synthetic polyphenol generated in the laboratory also promoted plasticity and benefits in learning and memory functions in the brains of the mice" - Note:  Sounds like a way to get rich off a patent when the original natural version is probably better in the first place. - See grape seed extract at Amazon.com.

Vitamin D blood level for reducing major medical risks in older adults identified, study suggests - Science Daily, 5/1/12 - "the researchers concluded that the risk of these disease events rose when the concentration of 25(OH)D fell below 20 ng/milliliter or 50 nmol/liter" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.

Study resolves controversy on life-extending red wine ingredient, restores hope for anti-aging pill - Science Daily, 5/1/12 - "The new findings show for the first time that the metabolic benefits of the red wine ingredient known as resveratrol evaporate in mice that lack the famed longevity gene SIRT1 ... They show that resveratrol targets SIRT1 directly at moderate doses and hits other targets at higher ones. Importantly, SIRT1 is required for resveratrol's benefits irrespective of dose" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds (Click here for the journals, the PubMed ones at the top):

Dutasteride/Tamsulosin: in benign prostatic hyperplasia - Drugs Aging. 2012 May 1;29(5):405-19 - "Dutasteride 0.5 mg/day plus tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day improved lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) to a significantly greater extent than dutasteride or tamsulosin alone in men with BPH, moderate to severe LUTS and an increased risk of disease progression, according to the results of the randomized, double-blind, multinational CombAT trial. The mean change from baseline in the total International Prostate Symptom Score was significantly greater with dutasteride plus tamsulosin than with dutasteride or tamsulosin alone after 2 years (primary endpoint) and 4 years of therapy. After 4 years' therapy in the CombAT trial, the time to first acute urinary retention or BPH-related surgery (primary endpoint) significantly favoured men with symptomatic BPH who were receiving dutasteride plus tamsulosin versus those receiving tamsulosin alone, with no significant difference between recipients of dutasteride plus tamsulosin and recipients of dutasteride alone. In the CombAT trial, health-related quality of life and treatment satisfaction were improved to a significantly greater extent with dutasteride plus tamsulosin than with dutasteride or tamsulosin alone. Combination therapy with oral dutasteride plus tamsulosin was generally well tolerated in patients with symptomatic BPH in the CombAT trial" - See dutasteride (Avodart) 30 x 0.5mg capsules at International Antiaging Systems.

Habitual flavonoid intakes are positively associated with bone mineral density in women - J Bone Miner Res. 2012 May 1 - "The aim of this observational study was to examine the association between habitual intake of flavonoid sub-classes with bone mineral density (BMD) in a cohort of female twins. 3160 women from the TwinsUK adult twin registry participated in the study. Habitual intakes of flavonoids and sub-classes (flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, polymers, flavonols, flavones) were calculated from semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires using an updated and extended USDA database ... total flavonoid intake was positively associated with higher BMD at the spine but not at the hip ... total flavonoid intake was positively associated with BMD, with effects observed for anthocyanins and flavones at both the hip and spine supporting a role for flavonoids present in plant-based foods on bone health"

Health Focus (Macular Degeneration):

Related Topics:

• eye care / cataracts / glaucoma

Popular Supplements:

• Carotenoids / Vitamin C / Vitamin E / Zinc / Selenium / Copper / Silicon / Bilberry / Grape Seed / Ginkgo

Alternative News:

• Nutrients Promote Eye Health in Aging, Says Panel - Medscape, 4/17/12 - "They pointed out that many multivitamin supplements do not contain nutrients important for eye health, including lutein, zeaxanthin, and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. "Taking a supplement specifically designed for eye health that contains these key nutrients, in addition to a general nutritional supplement, may therefore be a better approach to filling dietary shortfalls,""
• Zeaxanthin Supplements as Effective as Lutein in AMD - Medscape, 11/1/11 - "Both lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids found in the color pigment of the eye ... Using a visual test designed to identify early signs of AMD, the researchers found that the vision in the zeaxanthin group sharpened from 0.97 to 0.57 (P > 0.06, 1-tail)" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• Meta-analysis supports lutein’s eye health benefits - Nutra USA, 10/3/11 - "The new meta-analysis pooled data from only six longitudinal cohort studies. Crunching the numbers showed that the highest intakes of lutein and zeaxanthin were not associated with a reduced risk of early AMD ... On the other hand, the highest intake of these carotenoids was associated with 26% reduction in the risk of late AMD, and a significant reduction in the risk of neovascular AMD" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin intake and the risk of age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis - Br J Nutr. 2011 Sep 8:1-10 - "We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the relationship between dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin and AMD risk. Relevant studies were identified by searching five databases up to April 2010 ... The pooled relative risk (RR) for early AMD, comparing the highest with the lowest category of lutein and zeaxanthin intake, was 0.96 (95 % CI 0.78, 1.17). Dietary intake of these carotenoids was significantly related with a reduction in risk of late AMD (RR 0.74; 95 % CI 0.57, 0.97); and a statistically significant inverse association was observed between lutein and zeaxanthin intake and neovascular AMD risk (RR 0.68; 95 % CI 0.51, 0.92). The results were essentially consistent among subgroups stratified by participant characteristics. The findings of the present meta-analysis indicate that dietary lutein and zeaxanthin is not significantly associated with a reduced risk of early AMD, whereas an increase in the intake of these carotenoids may be protective against late AMD" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL at Amazon.com.
• High Antioxidant Intake May Lower Risk for Early AMD - Medscape, 6/14/11 - "We assessed the intake of antioxidants, zinc, and ω-3 fatty acids in daily foods, diagnosed the onset of early AMD during a lengthy follow-up, and investigated the risk-reducing effect of these nutrients in the various genotypes of CFH [complement factor H] Y402H and LOC387715 A69S ... Median follow-up duration was 8.6 years ... There appeared to be a possible biological interaction between the CFH Y402H genotype and intakes of zinc, β-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA), and between the LOC387715 A69S genotype and zinc and EPA/DHA, based on significant synergy indices ... High dietary intake of nutrients with antioxidant properties reduces the risk of early AMD in those at high genetic risk"
• Vitamin D Protects Against Age-Related Vision Loss in Women - ABC News, 4/12/11 - "women who consume high levels of vitamin D through certain fish, dairy, eggs, and leafy greens could lower the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in later life, by 59 percent" - [Nutra USA] - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 fatty acid intake linked with reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration in women - Science Daily, 3/14/11 - "Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues collected data on 38,022 women who had not been diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration. Information on women's eating habits was obtained via questionnaire at the beginning of the study and included information on intake of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) [Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish], and arachidonic acid and linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids). During ten years of follow-up, additional questionnaires tracked the women's eye health, with specific focus on diagnosis of age-related macular degeneration ... women who consumed the most DHA compared with women who consumed the lowest amount had a 38 percent lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. Similar results were observed for higher intake of EPA and for higher consumption of both types of acid together ... consumption of one or more servings of fish per week, when compared to less than one per month, was associated with a 42 percent lower risk of age-related macular degeneration ... For omega-6 fatty acids, higher intake of linoleic acid but not arachidonic acid was associated with an increased risk of age-related macular degeneration, however this association was non-significant after adjustment for other risk factors and fats" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• How omega 3s help to prevent several forms of blindness - Science Daily, 2/9/11 - "The cost of omega-3 supplementation is about $10 a month, versus up to $4,000 a month for anti-VEGF therapy ... In the new study, they document another protective mechanism: a direct effect on blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) that selectively promotes the growth of healthy blood vessels and inhibits the growth of abnormal vessels ... In addition, Smith and colleagues isolated the specific compound from omega-3 fatty acids that has these beneficial effects in mice (a metabolite of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, known as 4-HDHA), and the enzyme that produces it (5-lipoxygenase, or 5-LOX). They showed that COX enzymes are not involved in omega-3 breakdown, suggesting that aspirin and NSAIDs -- taken by millions of Americans -- will not interfere with omega-3 benefits ... Finally, the study demonstrated that 5-LOX acts by activating the PPAR-gamma receptor, the same receptor targeted by "glitazone" drugs such as Avandia, taken by patients with type 2 diabetes to increase their sensitivity to insulin. Since these drugs also increase the risk for heart disease, boosting omega-3 intake through diet or supplements might be a safer way to improve insulin sensitivity in patients with diabetes or pre-diabetes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• New evidence for eye-protective effects of omega-3-rich fish, shellfish - Science Daily, 12/1/10 - "Our study corroborates earlier findings that eating omega-3-rich fish and shellfish may protect against advanced AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Ingredient in red wine may prevent some blinding diseases - Science Daily, 6/26/10 - "Resveratrol -- found in red wine, grapes, blueberries, peanuts and other plants -- stops out-of-control blood vessel growth in the eye ... There are three major eye diseases that resveratrol treatment may help: age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity" - See resveratrol products at Amazon.com.
• Fruits, Leafy Greens Are Good for the Eyes - WebMD, 12/22/09 - "These foods contain the carotenoids such as lutein and zeaxanthin, which play an important role in vision and have a positive impact on the retina ... Lutein and zeaxanthin may help reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times ... about 600 carotenoids can be identified in nature ... Lutein and zeaxanthin are found in kale and spinach, among other vegetables ... Of about 20 carotenoids found in human blood, only lutein and zeaxanthin are found in the visual system, the researchers write, suggesting these pigments play a "special role" in human vision" - Great, I'll definitely stock up on kale. That'd be as much fun as eating worms from my lawn.  See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Eat Fruits and Vegetable for Better Vision - Science Daily, 12/18/09 - "Carotenoids, found in green leafy vegetables and colored fruits, have been found to increase visual performance and may prevent age-related eye diseases ... macular pigments, such as lutein and zeaxanthin do have an effect on visual performance. Lutein and zeaxanthin can reduce disability and discomfort from glare, enhance contrast, and reduce photostress recovery times. They can also reduce glare from light absorption and increase the visual range"
• Egg Yolks May Reduce Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 11/13/09 - "Two eggs per day is probably all that is needed to maximize blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin as well as macular pigment optic density (MPOD) status"
• Omega-3 may prevent age-related sight loss - Nutra USA, 10/8/09 - "a meta-analysis published in the June 2008 issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology found that a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish may reduce the risk of AMD by up to 38 per cent ... Over 12 years of study, the researchers found that intakes of omega-3, estimated using a food-frequency questionnaire, were related to both wet and dry AMD risk ... Indeed, participants with the highest omega-3 intakes, equivalent to about 0.11 per cent of their total energy intakes, had a 30 per cent lower risk of developing both types than people with the lowest intakes" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• {omega}-3 Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake and 12-y incidence of neovascular age-related macular degeneration and central geographic atrophy: a prospective cohort study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Oct 7 - "Participants who reported the highest omega-3 LCPUFA intake (median: 0.11% of total energy intake) were 30% less likely than their peers to develop CGA and NV AMD. The respective odds ratios were 0.65 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.92; P </= 0.02) and 0.68 (95% CI: 0.49, 0.94; P </= 0.02)" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 may prevent blindness in the elderly: Study - Nutra USA, 7/23/09 - "A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may prevent the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... mice fed a high omega-3 fatty acid diet displayed a slower development of lesions in their retina, compared to animals fed a low omega-3 diet. Furthermore, some of the mice in the omega-3 group displayed some reversion of the lesions" - [Abstract] - [Science Daily] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• A High Omega-3 Fatty Acid Diet Reduces Retinal Lesions in a Murine Model of Macular Degeneration - Am J Pathol. 2009 Jul 16 - "Ccl2(-/-)/Cx3cr1(-/-) mice that ingested a high n-3 fatty acid diet showed a slower progression of retinal lesions compared with the low n-3 fatty acids group. Some mice that were given high levels of n-3 fatty acids had lesion reversion" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• New Supplement May Help Slow Sight Loss In Elderly - Science Daily, 6/19/09 - "As the macula of the eye is very rich in antioxidants the researchers wanted to see if a supplement called CARMA (Caroteneoids and Co-antioxidants in Age-related Maculopathy) containing the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin could help slow down AMD ... The supplement also contained vitamins C,E and Zinc"
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Protect Against Progression Of Age-related Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 6/18/09 - "we observed participants with early stages of AMD in the placebo group benefited from higher intake of DHA, but it appears that the high-dose supplements of the antioxidants and/or the minerals somehow interfered with the benefits of DHA against early AMD progression ... The antioxidant supplements did not seem to interfere with the protective effects of DHA and EPA against progression to advanced stages of AMD. Participants who consumed higher amounts of DHA and EPA appeared to have lower risk of progression to both wet and dry forms of advanced AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Omega-3 plus AREDS supplement works for eye health: Study - Nutra USA, 6/16/09 - "Increased intake of DHA was associated with a 27 per cent reduction in the progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), while EPA was linked to a 26 per cent reduction" - [Abstract] - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Does eating particular diets alter risk of age-related macular degeneration in users of the age-related eye disease study supplements? - Br J Ophthalmol. 2009 Jun 12 - "Independent of AREDS supplementation, higher intakes of DHA (>/= 64.0 vs. < 26.0 mg/d) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.57, 0.94), EPA (>/= 42.3 vs. < 12.7 mg/d) (HR = 0.74, 95% CI, 0.59, 0.94), and lower dGI (dGI, < 75.2 vs. >/= 81.5) (HR = 0.76, 95% CI, 0.60, 0.96) were associated with lower risk for progression to advanced AMD. Participants consuming lower dGI and higher DHA or EPA had the lowest risk (P for synergistic interaction < 0.001) ... Our findings show an association of consuming a diet rich in DHA with lower progression of early AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish, Nuts And Olive Oil May Be Associated With Reduced Risk Of Age-related Blindness - Science Daily, 5/15/09 - "Individuals who consumed higher levels of trans-unsaturated fats—found in baked goods and processed foods—were more likely to have late AMD, whereas those who consumed the most omega-three fatty acids were less likely to have early AMD. "Olive oil intake (100 milliliters or more per week vs. less than 1 milliliter per week) was associated with decreased prevalence of late AMD," the authors write. "No significant associations with AMD were observed for intakes of fish, total fat, butter or margarine.""
• Dietary fatty acids and the 10-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration: the Blue Mountains Eye Study - Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 May;127(5):656-65 - "1 serving of fish per week was associated with reduced risk of incident early AMD (relative risk, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.49-0.98]), primarily among participants with less than the median linoleic acid consumption (0.57 [0.36-0.89]). Findings were similar for intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. One to 2 servings of nuts per week was associated with reduced risk of incident early AMD (relative risk, 0.65 [95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.91])"
• Fat consumption and its association with age-related macular degeneration - Arch Ophthalmol. 2009 May;127(5):674-80 - "Higher trans-unsaturated fat intake was associated with an increased prevalence of late AMD; the odds ratio comparing the highest with the lowest quartile of trans fat was 1.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.92-3.37; P = .02). Higher omega-3 fatty acid intake (highest quartile vs lowest quartile) was inversely associated with early AMD (odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-1.02; P = .03). Olive oil intake (> or =100 mL/week vs <1 mL/week) was associated with decreased prevalence of late AMD (odds ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.22-1.04; P = .03). No significant associations with AMD were observed for intakes of fish, total fat, butter, or margarine" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Lutein, Zeaxanthin Supplements May Result in Better Macular Function in Early AMD - Medscape, 5/13/09 - "Although no statistically significant difference was seen in best corrected distance visual acuity (BC DVA) at 12 months, oral supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin with coantioxidants may improve functional and morphologic outcomes at 36 months in patients at high risk for progression to late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... Results at 36 Months Significant" - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Mediterranean Diet May Boost Eye Health - WebMD, 5/11/09 - "people who ate one serving of fish per week had a 31% lower risk of early signs of AMD. Those who ate one to two servings of nuts rich in omega-3 fatty acids had a 35% lower risk" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Can B Vitamins Lower Risk of Blindness? - WebMD, 2/23/09 - "researchers randomly assigned more than 5,000 women over 40 without signs of age-related macular degeneration to take a combination of 2.5 milligrams of folic acid, 50 milligrams of vitamin B6, and one milligram of vitamin B12 or a placebo every day ... The results showed that women taking the B vitamin supplements had a 34% lower risk of any AMD and a 41% lower risk of AMD with vision loss than the placebo group ... the benefits of the vitamin Combination in preventing AMD appeared to emerge about two years after treatment began"
• Dietary glycemic index and the risk of age-related macular degeneration - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Oct;88(4):1104-10 - "a higher mean dietary glycemic index was associated with an increased 10-y risk of early AMD in a comparison of quartiles 1 and 4 [relative risk (RR): 1.77; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.78; P for trend = 0.03]. Conversely, a greater consumption of cereal fiber (RR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.04; P for trend = 0.05) and breads and cereals (predominantly lower glycemic index foods such as oatmeal) (RR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.44, 1.02; P for trend = 0.03) was associated with a reduced risk of incident early AMD ... A high-glycemic-index diet is a risk factor for early AMD-the recognized precursor of sight-threatening late AMD. Low-glycemic-index foods such as oatmeal may protect against early AMD"
• Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration - Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Aug;88(2):398-406 - "neovascular AMD (NV-AMD) ... Eating oily fish at least once per week compared with less than once per week was associated with a halving of the OR for NV-AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fatty Fish Can Help Aging Eyes - WebMD, 6/10/08
• Eat Oily Fish At Least Once A Week To Protect Your Eyesight In Old Age - Science Daily, 8/8/08 - "people who habitually consume oily fish at least once a week compared with less than once a week are 50% less likely to have wet AMD. There was no benefit from consumption of non oily white fish. There was a strong inverse association between levels of DHA and EPA and wet AMD. People in the top 25% of DHA and EPA levels (300 mg per day and above) were 70% less likely to have wet AMD" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com and Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish And Foods With Omega-3 Fatty Acids Linked To Lower Risk Of Age-related Eye Disease - Science Daily, 6/9/08 - "When results from all nine studies were combined, a high dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with a 38 percent reduction in the risk of late (more advanced) AMD, while eating fish twice a week was associated with a reduced risk of both early and late AMD ... "Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid in particular, form an integral part of the neural retina," the layer of nerve cells in the retina" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com.
• Lutein, zeaxanthin for AMD protection: more science - Nutra USA, 3/13/08 - "people with the highest average intakes of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin had a 65 per cent reduced risk of neo-vascular AMD than those with the lowest average intakes" - [Abstract] - See Jarrow Formulas, CarotenALL, Mixed Carotenoid Complex at Amazon.com.
• Are there any vitamins that can help to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts? - Drugstore.com
• Dietary carbohydrate and the progression of age-related macular degeneration: a prospective study from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1210-1218 - "The latter gives an estimate that 7.8% of new advanced AMD cases would be prevented in 5 y if people consumed the low-dGI diet"
• Limiting Refined Carbohydrates May Stall AMD Progression - Science Daily, 10/8/07 - "Our data showed those people in the high-glycemic-index group were at greater risk of AMD progression, especially those already in the late stages ... Participants who consumed the most refined carbohydrates were 17 percent more likely to develop blinding AMD than the group that consumed the least"
• Nutrients May Help Save Eyes - WebMD, 9/11/07 - "Those with the highest self-reported intake of foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin were 35% less likely than those with the lowest lutein and zeaxanthin intake to have "wet" age-related macular degeneration"
• Certain Nutrients Associated With Reduced Risk For Age-related Eye Disease - Science Daily, 9/10/07 - "If these cross-sectional results can be confirmed in prospective samples and experimental studies, lutein and zeaxanthin may be considered as useful agents in food or supplement-based interventions designed to reduce the risk of AMD"
• Zinc Linked To Macular Degeneration, Study Suggests - Science Daily, 8/27/07 - "In studying eye tissue samples, the researches found that deposits, that are hallmarks of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), contain large amounts of zinc ... The double-edged sword is that zinc has been found to enhance the immune system, but also could play a role in the advancement of macular degeneration"
• Lutein and Zeaxanthin review - ConsumerLab.com, 7/17/07
• Dietary Glycemic Index Tied to Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 7/30/07
• High-Sugar Foods May Affect Eyesight - WebMD, 7/13/07 - "People with the diets highest on the glycemic index were the most likely to have advanced AMD in at least one eye"
• Link Between Carbohydrate Quality And Vision Loss Is Strengthened By New Data - Science Daily, 7/11/07 - "the risk for AMD may be diminished by improving dietary carbohydrate quality, as defined by dietary glycemic index. This may be achieved by relatively simple dietary alterations, such as replacing white bread with whole grain bread"
• Association between dietary glycemic index and age-related macular degeneration in nondiabetic participants in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):180-8 - "Compared with eyes in the first quintile of dGI, eyes in the fourth and fifth quintiles had a significantly or suggestively higher risk of large drusen, geographic atrophy, and neovascularization. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) for the highest quintile were 1.42 (1.09, 1.84), 1.78 (0.81, 3.90), and 1.41 (0.95, 2.08), respectively, of which only the odds ratio for large drusen was significant. A significant positive relation between dGI and severity of AMD was also noted (P for trend < 0.001). There was a 49% increase in the risk of advanced AMD (geographic atrophy plus neovascularization) for persons with a dGI higher than the sex median"
• Association Between Vitamin D and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 Through 1994 - Arch Ophthalmol. 2007 May;125(5):661-669 - "The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for early AMD among participants in the highest vs lowest quintile of serum vitamin D was 0.64 ... This study provides evidence that vitamin D may protect against AMD" - See vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• Eating Fish May Preserve Eyesight - WebMD, 5/15/07
• Higher Intake Of Fish And Vitamin D Levels Linked To Lower Risk Of Age-related Macular Disease - Science Daily, 5/14/07 - "Individuals who have higher dietary intake of foods with omega-3 fatty acids and higher fish consumption have a reduced risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration, while those with higher serum levels of vitamin D may have a reduced risk of the early stages of the disease" - See Jarrow Max DHA at Amazon.com and vitamin D at Amazon.com.
• High Dose Vitamins May Boost Macular Health - Doctor's Guide, 11/16/06 - "A small study of high-dose dietary supplementation with betacarotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, copper, lutein, and zeaxanthin shows that a potential way to improve macular health in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration"
• Low-Glycemic-Index Diet Slows AMD Progression - Medscape, 5/8/07 - "age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... consumption of highly refined carbohydrates can lead to up to a 17% increased risk of AMD progression"
• Predictors of optical density of lutein and zeaxanthin in retinas of older women in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study, an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative - Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Nov;84(5):1107-22 - "Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was measured by heterochromatic flicker photometry ... MPOD is directly related to dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin but even more strongly to serum concentrations, which may reflect unmeasured physical and medical factors that influence the uptake, distribution, and utilization of lutein and zeaxanthin. Higher abdominal body fat and diabetes are related to lower MPOD"
• Exercise May Help Protect Against Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 11/7/06 - "An active lifestyle reduced the risk for incident exudative AMD by 70% ... Increased walking of more than 12 blocks daily decreased the incidence of exudative AMD by 30% over 15 years"
• Protection for Aging Eyes - New Hope Natural Media Online, 8/31/06 - "A 40% reduction in the incidence of early age-related macular degeneration was associated with eating fish at least once a week; eating fish at least three times per week even reduced the incidence of late-stage age-related macular degeneration"
• Associations between intermediate age-related macular degeneration and lutein and zeaxanthin in the Carotenoids in Age-related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS): ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative - Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Aug;124(8):1151-62 - "Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate AMD in healthy women younger than 75 years"
• Fish Oil May Help Save Your Eyes - WebMD, 7/10/06 - "men with the highest fish consumption (at least two weekly servings) were 45% less likely to have AMD than those with the lowest fish consumption (less than one weekly serving)"
• Dietary Fatty acids and the 5-year incidence of age-related maculopathy - Arch Ophthalmol. 2006 Jul;124(7):981-6 - "A 40% reduction of incident early ARM was associated with fish consumption at least once a week (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.58 [0.37-0.90]), whereas fish consumption at least 3 times per week could reduce the incidence of late ARM (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 0.25 [0.06-1.00]). We found no association between incident ARM and butter, margarine, or nut consumption"
• Loss of Central Vision with Age May Be Linked to Quality of Dietary Carbohydrates - Doctor's Guide, 6/6/06 - "Women who consumed diets with a relatively high dietary glycemic index had greater risk of developing signs of early age-related macular degeneration when compared with women who consumed diets with a lower dietary glycemic index"
• Nutritional Strategies for Preventing Age-Related Vision Loss - Life Extension Magazine, 5/06
• High Glycemic Index Diet May Increase Risk of Developing AMD - Medscape, 4/18/06 - "The age-adjusted model showed more than a 2-fold increase in risk for ARM for the third tertile of dietary GI"
• Fish Oil May Help Protect Against Retinal Degenerative Diseases - Science Daily, 4/6/06
• Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health - WebMD, 3/24/06 - "Eating healthfully, not smoking, and not being overweight could help keep age-related macular degeneration at bay"
• Dietary intake of antioxidants and risk of age-related macular degeneration - JAMA. 2005 Dec 28;294(24):3101-7 - "In this study, a high dietary intake of beta carotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc was associated with a substantially reduced risk of AMD in elderly persons"
• Healthy Diet May Help Seniors' Vision - WebMD, 12/27/05 - "People with above-average intakes of all four antioxidants were 35% less likely to develop AMD during the study ... Vitamin E and zinc stood out"
• Antioxidants Reduce Visual Acuity Loss in Patients with Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/05 - "The high-dose formulation has been shown to have beneficial effects in reducing by 25% the risk of advanced AMD ... The first group received three antioxidant vitamins: vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, and beta carotene 15 mg. Group two received zinc oxide 80 mg, plus cupric acid 2 mg. The third group received the antioxidant vitamins plus the zinc and cupric oxide"
• AREDS II to Answer Questions Raised by AREDS - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/05 - "Lutein and omega-3 "are of particular interest because of the mounting epidemiologic data that suggests that nutrients are associated with a decreased risk of AMD"
• Plasma homocysteine, vitamin B12 and folate levels in age-related macular degeneration - Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2005 Sep 15;:1-5 - "Patients with both exudative and dry types of AMD had significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels ... Plasma vitamin B12 levels were found to be significantly lower in the exudative AMD group"
• Lutein, zeaxanthin appear to restore eye cell health - Nutra USA, 8/25/04
• Innovative Research and Applications for CoQ10 - Life Extension Magazine, 8/04 - "biomedical researchers are discovering that CoQ10 shows promising effects against disorders as far-ranging as kidney failure, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, and macular degeneration"
• Lutein may benefit more elderly than thought - Nutra USA, 7/27/04
• Broccoli compound may protect against AMD - Nutra USA, 7/15/04
• Broccoli May Prevent Blindness - WebMD, 7/13/04 - "sulforaphane, the naturally occurring antioxidant in broccoli and broccoli sprouts, protects the eye from damage caused by the sun's ultraviolet light"
• Fruit May Help Prevent Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 6/14/04 - "people who ate three or more servings per day of fruits had a 36% lower risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARM) compared those who ate less than one-and-a-half servings per day"
• The Role of Nutrition in Macular Degeneration - Life Extension Magazine, 5/04
• Lutein Improves Visual Function in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 4/8/04 - "Snellen equivalent visual acuity improved 5.4 letters in the lutein-only group and 3.5 letters in the lutein/antioxidant group. The lutein-only group also had a net subjective improvement in Amsler grid, and the lutein/antioxidant group had a nearly significant improvement in subjective glare recovery" - See iHerb or Vitacost lutein products.
• Lutein improves eyesight for AMD patients, suggests study - Nutra USA, 4/8/04
• In the Blink of an Eye - Health Supplement Retailer 11/03
• Fish Oil Benefits Your Eyes - WebMD, 5/8/03 - "Why might fish oil protect eyes from age-related macular degeneration? One component of fish oil is docosahexaenoic acid -- DHA for short. It's one of the omega-3 fatty acids linked to other health benefits. Interestingly, DHA builds up in the eye near light-sensing nerve cells"
• Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Reduce Risk of AMD - Medscape, 5/6/03 - "Dietary omega-3 fatty acids but not beta-carotene supplementation is associated with a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ... omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce the risk of dry eye syndrome in women" - See Mega Twin EPA at Amazon.com or Vitacost.
• Increasing Retinal Antioxidant Levels Might Influence Macular Function - Doctor's Guide, 1/20/03
• Lutein Holds Promise for Cataract Sufferers - Health Supplement Retailer, 12/30/02 - "gave 17 cataract patients 15 mg of lutein (as 12 mg of all-trans-lutein and 3 mg of 13/15-cis-lutein present as mixed lutein esters) or 100 mg of vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) or a placebo three times per week for up to two years ... The lutein group also experienced improved visual acuity and glare sensitivity, while the vitamin group was found to experience only a maintenance in visual acuity and the placebo group a decrease" - Click here for the actual study.  See iHerb or Vitacost lutein products.
• Harvard Study Shows Zeaxanthin Good for AMD - Health Supplement Retailer, 11/11/02 - "Our studies showed that light damage was strongly influenced by the amount of zeaxanthin in the retina, and that significantly greater retinal protection was provided at dietary levels higher than those normally occurring in the diet"
• Macular Degeneration Epidemic - Life Extension Magazine, 5/02 - "AMD patients who have begun taking high-dose lutein supplements (4 mg or more per day) appear to return to 'normal' levels after a few months. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a long-term deficiency of macular carotenoids may be associated with higher risk of AMD"
• The Aging Eye ...and what can be done to protect it - Life Extension Magazine, 2/02
• Antioxidants Plus Zinc May Prevent Age-Related Vision Loss - Intelihealth, 10/18/01
• Zinc, Antioxidants Prevent Some Forms of Vision Loss - WebMD, 10/12/01 - "people at risk of losing more sight due to a condition called "age-related macular degeneration" (AMD) could prevent further vision loss by taking a combination of zinc and antioxidants, including vitamins C and E and beta-carotene ... The antioxidants were taken once a day at a dose of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, and 15 mg of beta-carotene. Zinc was given as 80 mg of zinc oxide along with 2 mg of copper in the form of cupric oxide to prevent anemia, which can occur from too much zinc ... the high levels of dietary supplements that were taken in this study are very difficult to achieve from diet alone"
• Vitamin Regimen Can Prevent Blindness - Intelihealth, 10/12/01 - "High doses of antioxidant vitamins plus the mineral zinc can slow or even prevent vision loss in people with macular degeneration ... for those with intermediate disease, a daily vitamin supplement plus 80 milligrams of zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced disease by about 25 percent compared with a placebo ... Patients received 500 milligrams of vitamin C per day, along with 400 international units of vitamin E and 15 milligrams of beta-carotene ... High doses of zinc can cause anemia, but participants also took 2 milligrams of copper daily to counter that effect"
• Dietary Supplements Reduce Risk of Vision Loss From Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/12/01
• Study: Snacks May be Bad for Vision - Intelihealth, 8/15/01 - "Overindulging in fat-filled snack foods may heighten the risk of developing advanced age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in the United States for those over 55 ... The foods that contain these fats are highly processed, store-bought junk foods. Included in the study: margarine, chocolate, commercially prepared pie, cake, cookies, peanut butter, potato chips, french fries and nuts ... The study found that diets high in omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in albacore tuna and salmon, could lessen the risk for age-related macular degeneration, as long as fish eaters maintain a low intake of linoleic acid (found in processed food and margarine)."
• Put Down Those Chips -- While You Can Still See Them - WebMD, 8/14/01

Other News:

• AMD-like lesions delayed in mice fed lower glycemic index diet - Science Daily, 11/14/11 - "The dietary glycemic index (DGI) measures the rate at which glucose is delivered to the bloodstream after consuming carbohydrates. Higher GI foods including white bread and white potatoes trigger a rapid delivery of glucose that pushes the body to work overtime to absorb, whereas lower GI foods, like whole grain bread and fruits and vegetables, initiate a slower release of glucose that is more easily processed by cells ... Compared to the mice on the lower GI diet, mice on the higher GI diet demonstrated elevated accumulations of debris known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the whole retina, particularly in the cells of the RPE. The RPE plays a crucial role in maintaining vision and its dysfunction results in the gradual central vision loss that is the hallmark of AMD. AGE accumulation has also been linked to tissue damage in other age-related diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease"
• Researchers' detective work shows possible side effect in macular degeneration drug - Science Daily, 10/24/11
• Avastin and Lucentis are equally effective in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), study suggests - Science Daily, 4/28/11
• Inexpensive drug to stop sight loss shown to be effective, study finds - Science Daily, 6/10/10
• Aspirin Use Linked to Aging Macula Disorder in Older Individuals - Medscape, 5/4/10 - "People 65 years and older who frequently take aspirin have an increased risk of developing aging macula disorder — a loss of central vision similar to age-related macular degeneration — according to a population-based ... the odds ratios for grade 1 early aging macula disorder rose with increasing aspirin intake frequency, and reached 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]. 1.08 - 1.46; P trend < .001) for subjects who reported daily use ... Similarly, the odds ratio for grade 2 early aging macula disorder was 1.40 (95% CI, 1.16 - 1.68; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users; for neovascular aging macula disorder, the odds ratio was 2.26 (95% CI, 1.66 - 3.08; P trend < .001) in daily aspirin users"
• Signs Of Macular Degeneration May Predict Heart Disease - Science Daily, 10/10/09
• 'Nature' And 'Nurture' Variables Early Predictors Of Age-related Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 7/6/09
• How Diet, Antioxidants Prevent Blindness In Aging Population - Science Daily, 8/25/08 - "They found antioxidants disrupt the link and extend the lifetime of irreplaceable photoreceptors and other retinal cells ... The implication is that people at risk of macular degeneration could help prevent the disease by consuming antioxidants ... The experiments performed with visual cells from rats, cows and humans showed that antioxidants could completely counter the damage"
• Hormone Therapy May Cut Risk of AMD - WebMD, 4/14/08 - "Current hormone users were found to have a 48% lower risk for developing the neovascular, or wet, form of AMD, compared with women who had never taken postmenopausal hormones"
• Vision Loss Treatment For Age-related Macular Degeneration Looks Hopeful - Science Daily, 2/20/08
• Triple Therapy Offers Lasting Improvement in Vision in Patients With Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 11/13/07
• Immune Cell Age Plays Role In Retinal Damage In Age-related Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 11/1/07
• Inflammation Linked to Eye Disease - WebMD, 10/8/07 - "participants with the highest CRP levels at the study's start were 40% more likely to develop early-stage AMD during the study, compared to those with the lowest initial CRP levels"
• Treatment Advances in Age-related Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Macular Edema - Medscape, 6/19/07
• Drug Treatment Slows Macular Vision Loss in Diabetics - Doctor's Guide, 12/15/06
• FDA OKs Macular Degeneration Drug - WebMD, 6/30/06
• Bevacizumab Continues to Show Strong Safety and Efficacy for Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/8/06
• Ranibizumab Appears Safe After 2-Year Use in Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/06
• No Association Between Cataracts and Macular Degeneration Seen in Large Study - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/06
• Triple Regimen Safe and Effective for Choroidal Neovascularization Associated With Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/06
• Biomarker For Age-related Macular Degeneration Found - Science Daily, 1/8/06 - "elevated homocysteine in the blood may be another biomarker for increased risk of AMD"
• Passive Smoking Almost Doubles Risk Of Degenerative Eye Disease - Science Daily, 1/3/06 - "Passive smoking almost doubles the risk of the progressively degenerative eye disease, age related macular degeneration"
• Implantable Miniature Telescope Improves Vision and Quality of Life in Patients with End-stage Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 11/1/05
• VISION Trials Provide Evidence Supporting Macugen for Treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/26/05
• Quality of Life in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/19/05
• Patients Benefit From Early Treatment in AMD - Medscape, 10/18/05
• Controversial Study Uses Avastin (Bevacizumab) to Treat Age-related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/18/05
• New Eye Drugs Treat Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 10/17/05
• Early Treatment of Macular Degeneration With Macugen May Help Patients Preserve Their Vision - Doctor's Guide, 10/6/05
• Treatment of Early Disease With Macugen (Pegaptanib Sodium Injection) May Further Reduce Risk of Vision Loss Associated With Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/05
• Excess Body Fat May Elevate Risk for Age-Related Eye Diseases - Doctor's Guide, 9/14/05 - "excess body fat may elevate one's risk for age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts ... if the body has too much adipose tissue, too much lutein and zeaxanthin remain there in storage and do not get to the eye where they are needed"
• Studies Shed Light On Role Of Melanin In Preventing Macular Degeneration - Science Daily, 7/29/05
• Lucentis (Ranibizumab) Appeared to Improve Vision in Patients With Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration When Used in Combination With Visudyne (Verteporfin) - Doctor's Guide, 7/18/05
• FDA Issues Approvable Letter for Retaane Suspension (Anecortave) for treatment of Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/25/05
• Rheopheresis Procedure Safe and Effective in Patients With Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/05
• Evizon (Squalamine Lactate) May Provide Boost to Verteporfin Treatment in Patients With Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/05
• Review of Studies Shows Anecortave (Retaane) Safe in Treatment of Exudative Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/05
• Single Treatment with Photodynamic Therapy Still Beneficial for Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/3/05
• Avastin Beneficial in Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Small Study Shows - Doctor's Guide, 5/3/05
• Triamcinolone Injections Slightly Better than Vitrectomy for Treating Macular Oedema, but Benefit Short-Lived - Doctor's Guide, 5/3/05
• Visual Acuity at Baseline Best Predictor of Outcome when Photodynamic Therapy Used to Treat Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05
• Vision Loss from Macular Degeneration Results has Profound Psychological Impact on Patients - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05
• High Recurrence Rate of Neovascularisation in Patients Treated with Photodynamic Therapy for Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05
• Triamcinolone Injections Used to Bolster Photodynamic Therapy in Patients with Age-related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/2/05
• Smoking Doubles Risk Of Degenerative Eye Condition - Science Daily, 4/15/05
• New Drug Available For Treatment Of "Wet" Macular Degeneration Disease - Science Daily, 2/18/05
• Eyetech Announces Launch Date for Macugen (Pegaptanib Sodium Injection) - Doctor's Guide, 1/21/05
• New Macular Degeneration Drug Preserves Sight - WebMD, 12/29/04
• Macugen (Pegaptanib Sodium Injection) Appears Effective in Treating Neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 12/29/04
• New Drug for Rare Type of Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 12/21/04
• FDA Approves Macugen (Pegaptanib Sodium) for Treatment of Neovascular (Wet) Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/04
• Growing Epidemic Of Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration Ushers In New Era In Treatment Of The Disease - Science Daily, 10/28/04
• FDA Grants Fast Track Status for Squalamine Treatment for Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 10/4/04
• Elderly Blindness Drug Impresses FDA Panel - Intelihealth, 8/30/04
• Statins for Blindness? - Time Magazine, 4/26/04 - "The more serious, wet form occurs when abnormal blood vessels obscure vision ... those who were taking statins were half as likely to develop wet AMD"
• Statins Fight Vision Loss - WebMD, 4/15/04
• Statins and Aspirin May Protect Against Severe Vision Loss in Elderly - Doctor's Guide, 4/13/04 - "those patients already taking statins were half as likely as those without statins to develop the more severe wet AMD, caused by the growth of new blood vessels underneath the retina. Those already on aspirin were about 40 percent less likely to develop this new blood vessel growth, technically called choroidal neovascularization"
• High C-Reactive Protein Levels Associated with Increased Risk of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 2/13/04 - "CRP levels were significantly higher among individuals with intermediate and advanced stages of AMD compared with controls"
• Fat Intake Modifies Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 12/8/03 - "Most types of dietary fat are associated with increased risk of progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), whereas nuts and fish are protective ... Specifically, higher intake of vegetable fat, and to a lesser extent animal fat, increased rates of progression"
• Ranibizumab (rhuFab) May Improve Vision in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 11/24/03
• Experimental Drug [Macugen] May Benefit Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 11/20/03
• Macular Translocation Helpful in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 11/3/03
• New Drug Slows Wet Macular Degeneration - WebMD, 8/21/03
• Transpupillary Thermotherapy Helpful in Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Medscape, 6/16/03
• Obesity Linked to Blindness - WebMD, 6/12/03
• Prolonged Exposure To Bright Sunlight May Significantly Increase Risk Of Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/03
• Inflammation Linked to Age-Related Maculopathy - Doctor's Guide, 6/11/03 - "2 physiological signs of systemic inflammation, high white blood cell (WBC) count and low serum albumin levels, were associated with long term incidence of lesions characteristic of ARM ... Specifically, higher WBC count at baseline was linked to 2 early signs of ARM, an increase in large retinal drusen and RPE depigmentation, as well as progression of ARM. Lower serum albumin was associated with a late sign of ARM, exudative macular degeneration" - See my inflammation page for ways to reduce it.
• Sudden Vision Loss Possible Following Photodynamic Therapy For Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/03
• Statin Use Tied to Lower Risk for Choroidal Neovascularization with Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/7/03
• Visudyne (Verteporfin) Promising In Reducing Vision Loss Age-Related Macular Degeneration - Doctor's Guide, 5/5/03
• Retinal Abnormalities Age-Related Macular Degeneration Associated With Hypertension, Pulse Pressure - Doctor's Guide, 4/10/03 - "Retinal abnormalities in older people without diabetes are related to hypertension. Higher blood and pulse pressure are also associated with an increased incidence of macular abnormalities, including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)"
• Pig's Eye May Aid In Disease Fight - Intelihealth, 1/23/03
• HRT May Save Women's Sight - WebMD, 12/13/02 - "Women who take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be more than 50% less likely to develop the common, sight-robbing condition known as macular degeneration as they grow older then women who have never used HRT"