Using data from the AREDS study, researchers find that consuming a diet rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - one of the active ingredients in fish oil - decreases the risk of progression of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Fish oil is rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the...

Using data from the AREDS study, researchers find that a low glycemic index diet rich in vitamins C and E, zinc, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and lutein/zeaxanthin was associated with a lower risk of early and late age-related macular degeneration. Foods provide many nutrients that may interact to modify risk for...

A new study involving laboratory rats finds that both the retina and the lacrimal gland, whose role is to secrete tears onto the surface of the eye, absorbs omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids from the diet. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are important components of fish oil, and it has been suggested that they are...

A new report from the Blue Mountains Eye Study finds that eating fish and nuts decreases the risk of early AMD, especially in people who avoid foods containing linoleic acid. There is growing evidence of the role of diet on the risk or the progression of AMD. The AREDS study found that a high-dose supplement of zinc and antioxidant vitamins (...

Experts say there are things that can help you avoid AMD or at least ward off the worst effects. Unfortunately, some of the known risk factors for AMD are things you can't change: Age - Greater risk with increasing age Gender - Women may be at higher risk Race - Whites are most affected Genetics - AMD runs in families But there are some...

A new study finds that weekly fish consumption decreases the risk of late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in persons with the high-risk complement factor H (CFH) genotype but not in persons with the low risk CFH genotypes. Complement factor H is an important regulator of the complement system. CFH specifically inhibits the alternative...

A new study suggests that eating lots of red meat is linked to a higher risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The researchers conducted a cohort study of 6,734 persons aged 58–69 years in 1990–1994 in Melbourne, Australia. Meat intake was estimated from a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. The investigators...

Marilyn Gozdon can tell you from personal experience why it's crucial to know your risks for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Marilyn lost most of the vision in her left eye to "wet" AMD five years ago, before new medications revolutionized treatment of this form of the disease. Today Marilyn is fiercely committed to working with her eye...

A new report from the AREDS study group report that dietary ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (fish oil) intake is associated with a 50% decreased risk of progression from bilateral drusen to central geographic atrophy (CGA). A reduced likelihood of progression from bilateral drusen to CGA was found among people who reported the highest...

Diet-induced deficiencies in Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) are well known to alter the function of retinal photoreceptor (rods and cones). In this study, the broader functional changes in a diversity of retinal neurons were considered. Female laboratory mice were fed either omega-3-sufficient or omega-3-deficient diets 5 weeks before...