AREDS II is the second of two age-related eye disease studies designed to look at the effect of nutrients on eyesight. During the first study, which was completed in 2001, researchers found that antioxidants in high levels reduced the chance of blindness. Unfortunately, the formulation studied had some problems. The second study was designed to address these problems.
People with eye disease have said that it is very debilitating. This affects nearly a million people, around 90% elderly, in the United States. People can develop eye disease in several ways. Some are born blind because of defects during the pregnancy. Others go blind after injury or due to diabetes complications. The majority of people that are blind have suffered cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is an aging disease.
Most treatments that exist today are only good for a limited range of eye diseases and have limited efficacy. One of the most common currently available treatments is laser surgery; while it has been shown to reduce the risks of blindness, the surgery is very costly and could even result in complications. Although not usually severe, the side effects are quite common; some of these include loss of peripheral vision, reduced night vision, worsening visual acuity, and even hemorrhaging.
In 2001, the results of the first Age-Related Eye Disease Study were released. The study was designed to learn about risk factors and history of AMD and cataracts. One primary purposes of the study was to determine whether high doses of antioxidants might have an effect on AMD or cataracts.
The research team found that antioxidants in high doses could lessen the chance of blindness. For high risk individuals, such as those with AMD in one of their eyes or intermediate in both, it brought down the risk nearly 25 percent. One of the ingredients in the initial combination was beta-carotene. Later studies showed that beta-carotene increased the possibility of lung cancer in smokers. They also discovered that it had no effect on the incidence of cataracts.
The second study, completed in May 2013, had several interesting findings. One of their goals was to attempt to find a substitute for beta-carotene in the original formula. They found that the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene without reducing the effectiveness of this formula. People at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the antioxidant combination to reduce their chance of blindness.
One caution is that many elderly people are already on prescriptions. They often use over-the-counter medications or even dietary supplements. The high-dose nutrients in the formula could interfere, or lessen effectiveness, and affect the absorption rate of other drugs.
Laser surgery has definite benefits but is expensive and can cause serious complications. An alternative may be the combination formulated by the researchers in the AREDS II study. They found that high levels of antioxidants, combined with vitamins and zinc, reduced AMD risk. They also discovered that zeaxanthin and lutein were adequate substitutes for beta-carotene, while not reducing the beneficial properties. Before you start any new medicines you should consult your physician.
People with eye disease have said that it is very debilitating. This affects nearly a million people, around 90% elderly, in the United States. People can develop eye disease in several ways. Some are born blind because of defects during the pregnancy. Others go blind after injury or due to diabetes complications. The majority of people that are blind have suffered cataracts or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is an aging disease.
Most treatments that exist today are only good for a limited range of eye diseases and have limited efficacy. One of the most common currently available treatments is laser surgery; while it has been shown to reduce the risks of blindness, the surgery is very costly and could even result in complications. Although not usually severe, the side effects are quite common; some of these include loss of peripheral vision, reduced night vision, worsening visual acuity, and even hemorrhaging.
In 2001, the results of the first Age-Related Eye Disease Study were released. The study was designed to learn about risk factors and history of AMD and cataracts. One primary purposes of the study was to determine whether high doses of antioxidants might have an effect on AMD or cataracts.
The research team found that antioxidants in high doses could lessen the chance of blindness. For high risk individuals, such as those with AMD in one of their eyes or intermediate in both, it brought down the risk nearly 25 percent. One of the ingredients in the initial combination was beta-carotene. Later studies showed that beta-carotene increased the possibility of lung cancer in smokers. They also discovered that it had no effect on the incidence of cataracts.
The second study, completed in May 2013, had several interesting findings. One of their goals was to attempt to find a substitute for beta-carotene in the original formula. They found that the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene without reducing the effectiveness of this formula. People at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the antioxidant combination to reduce their chance of blindness.
One caution is that many elderly people are already on prescriptions. They often use over-the-counter medications or even dietary supplements. The high-dose nutrients in the formula could interfere, or lessen effectiveness, and affect the absorption rate of other drugs.
Laser surgery has definite benefits but is expensive and can cause serious complications. An alternative may be the combination formulated by the researchers in the AREDS II study. They found that high levels of antioxidants, combined with vitamins and zinc, reduced AMD risk. They also discovered that zeaxanthin and lutein were adequate substitutes for beta-carotene, while not reducing the beneficial properties. Before you start any new medicines you should consult your physician.
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