Articles about Eye Health and Disease from 2005


The Age-Related Eye Disease Study II (AREDS II) to Begin Soon

(From Emily Y. Chew, M.D., Retinal Subspecialty Day, American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting, Chicago, Illinois, October, 2005)

Data from AREDS found that supplements containing vitamins C, E, beta carotene, and zinc significantly reduced the risk of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in those at moderate to high risk of vision loss.  Emily Y. Chew, M.D. discussed the study design of AREDS II during the Retinal Subspecialty Day of the Annual American Academy of Ophthalmology (October 2005, Chicago Illinois).  Emily Y. Chew, MD is the deputy director of the division of epidemiology and clinical research at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

The goal of AREDS II is to refine the findings of AREDS, which demonstrated that oral supplementation with high-dose anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals (vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper) reduced the risk of advanced AMD by 25%.  AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States.

In AREDS II, the micronutrients lutein and zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are to be evaluated related to the risk of AMD.

AREDS data, and other epidemiologic studies, have reported evidence that patients with lower dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids and lutein have an increased risk of developing AMD. In AREDS II, the importance of these micronutrients will be tested by using oral supplements that contain lutein (10 mg), zeaxanthin (2 mg) and/or omega-3  fatty acids (DHA and EPA) compared with placebo.

In AREDS II, patients with AREDS AMD categories 3 (patients with large drusen) and 4 (patients with advanced AMD already in one eye) will be included in AREDS II, and will receive placebo, lutein and zeaxanthin, omega 3, or all three micronutrients assigned in a randomized fashion.

Additionally, AREDS II will refine the original AREDS formulation of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper by including a second randomization in patients choosing to take the AREDS formulation or a new modified AREDS formulation.  One issue is that beta-carotene supplementation has been found to increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, and an AREDS supplement without beta-carotene will be included.  Also, the high dosage of zinc in the original formulation has lead to increased hospitalizations for genitourinary problems, and thus a low zinc dosage AREDS formulation will be evaluated.

It is hoped that 4000 patients will be recruited for this multicenter study.  Academic centers as well as private practices will be included, and cataract progression will be evaluated as well.




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