Acetylcysteine (NAC) may help protect the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from the effects of chronic oxygen stress, according to a new study. NAC is a pharmaceutical drug and nutritional supplement used primarily as a mucolytic agent and in the management of acetaminophen overdose. It has also been shown to have antiviral effects in patients...

A study on mice finds that lutein decreases retinal cell damage during inflammation. Lutein is a carotenoid that is concentrated in the retina. It is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, and is also found in egg yolks. It is thought that lutein may help protect the retina from oxidative stress (antioxidant effect) and...

A recent study finds that women taking folic acid and B vitamins supplements have a lower risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Recent studies indicate a direct association between homocysteine concentration in the blood and the risk of AMD, suggesting that homocysteine may be a modifiable risk factor for AMD. Homocysteine...

In most patients, AMD progresses relentlessly over decades, from asymptomatic precursor signs such as fine drusen and mild pigment dispersion to a more severe non-exudative AMD such as evidenced by geographic atrophy and, in some 20% of patients, to exudative AMD. Doctors who follow these patients today are forced to make many decisions that...

Erythropoietin protects cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from oxidative damage, making it potentially useful in the treatment and prevention of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a recently published research report. Although the exact cause of dry AMD is not fully understood, it is believed that oxidative...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued Othera Pharmaceuticals the first patent covering a broad class of disubstituted hydroxylamine small molecules that target oxidative stress and inflammation involved in age-related macular degeneration and other ocular disorders. U.S. Patent No. 7,442,711 covers several new chemical entities,...

A new European population-based study finds that sunlight exposure increases the risk of wet AMD in those people with low serum antioxidant levels. It has been suggested that high-energy blue light from sunlight may be damaging to the retina. However, this is the first study to find an adverse association of blue light exposure with...