What Is the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS)?

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) [1] is a major clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute to:

• Learn more about the history of, and risk factors for, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract;
• Evaluate the effect of high doses of antioxidants and zinc on the progression of AMD and cataract.

Results from the AREDS trial [2] indicated that five years of supplementation with high doses of antioxidant vitamins, copper, and zinc reduced the risk of developing advanced AMD in 30% of individuals in the study who took the supplements and had already-existing moderate to advanced dry or wet AMD. Macular Degeneration Support provides a follow-up information sheet about the AREDS results [3] and future AREDS clinical trials.

Lylas G. Mogk, MD, a renowned expert on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), founding director of the Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center of Michigan, part of the Henry Ford Health System Eye Care Services, and co-author of Macular Degeneration: The Complete Guide to Saving and Maximizing Your Sight [4], explains:

The AREDS formula includes 25 IU of beta carotene (not for smokers), 500 mg of Vitamin C, 400 mg of Vitamin E, 80 mg of Zinc (and 2 mg of Copper to avoid anemia with high zinc intake).

The role of beta-carotene and the high dose of zinc are now being questioned, however, and are currently being re-evaluated in a second AREDS trial that includes lutein, its cousin zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids.

The inclusion of these three new ingredients in the second AREDS trial is based on research showing that persons who eat five or more servings of dark green leafy vegetables, rich in lutein and, to a lesser degree, zeaxanthin, have significantly less AMD.

Talk with your ophthalmologist or optometrist to learn if you could benefit from taking the AREDS vitamins.