This new study, called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2), will build upon results from the earlier Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). Results of the original study were released five years ago and found that high-dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper) taken by mouth reduced the risk of progression to advanced AMD by 25%, and the risk of moderate vision loss by 19%.
AREDS2 will refine the findings of the original study by adding lutein and zeaxanthin (plant-derived yellow pigments that accumulate in the macula, the small area responsible for central vision near the center of the retina) and the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (derived from fish and vegetable oils) to the study the formulation. The main study objective is to determine if this new combination of nutrients will further decrease a persons risk of progression to advanced AMD. Previous observational studies have suggested these nutrients may protect vision.
Emily Chew, MD, study chair and deputy director of the Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Research for the National Eye Institute at NIH said, The AREDS2 study is seeking 4000 people between 50 and 85 years of age with AMD in both eyes, or advanced AMD in one eye. They must be available for yearly eye examinations for at least five years. Until we get the results from AREDS2, we encourage people with AMD to visit their eye care professional to see if they need to take the AREDS vitamin and mineral formulation. This alone could save more than 300,000 people from vision loss over the next five years.