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Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 or AREDS II is a study of how nutrients can affect the eyesight. The first study, conducted in 2001, had shown that a high level of antioxidants could reduce the risk of blindness up to 25 percent. However, there were problems with the formulation and the second study effectively addressed these issues.
One very debilitating illnesses is that of blindness. In the United States there are nearly one million people that are blind. 90 percent of the blind are older. Eye disease can come about several ways. There are some people who are born blind. This can be as a result of problems in gestation or childbirth. Others go blind as a result of diabetes or they injure their eyes. Most blindness is caused by getting old.
There are treatments available but they are limited in their effectiveness and are only good for a certain range of disease. One of these is laser surgery; this is effective in reducing the threat of blindness. However, it is also too expensive for many people and it comes with some of its own hazards. Normally the side effects are not serious, however, they are common. These include reduced night vision and loss of peripheral vision as well as a worsening of visual acuity and sometimes eye hemorrhages.
The first Age-Related Eye Disease Study was released in 2001. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the risk factors surrounding age-related macular degeneration and cataracts and to research the history of the victims. They also wanted to determine whether high doses of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc would have any effect on AMD and 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.
In May 2013, the results of the second study were released. One research goal of this study was to determine whether there was a good substitute for the beta-carotene that was used for the initial formula. Researchers found that two antioxidants, zeaxanthin and lutein, were effective substitutes for the beta-carotene and did not reduce the effectiveness. This is important news for high risk AMD individuals who are interested in trying this formula.
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.
There are definitely beneficial effects of laser surgery although this is expensive and can have complications. A safer alternative may be the formulation developed in the AREDS II study. The study confirmed that high levels of zinc and antioxidants reduced the risk of AMD. The study further showed that lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene with no reduction in benefits. Of course, before using any medication you should always consult your doctor.
One very debilitating illnesses is that of blindness. In the United States there are nearly one million people that are blind. 90 percent of the blind are older. Eye disease can come about several ways. There are some people who are born blind. This can be as a result of problems in gestation or childbirth. Others go blind as a result of diabetes or they injure their eyes. Most blindness is caused by getting old.
There are treatments available but they are limited in their effectiveness and are only good for a certain range of disease. One of these is laser surgery; this is effective in reducing the threat of blindness. However, it is also too expensive for many people and it comes with some of its own hazards. Normally the side effects are not serious, however, they are common. These include reduced night vision and loss of peripheral vision as well as a worsening of visual acuity and sometimes eye hemorrhages.
The first Age-Related Eye Disease Study was released in 2001. The purpose of this study was to learn more about the risk factors surrounding age-related macular degeneration and cataracts and to research the history of the victims. They also wanted to determine whether high doses of antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, and zinc would have any effect on AMD and 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.
In May 2013, the results of the second study were released. One research goal of this study was to determine whether there was a good substitute for the beta-carotene that was used for the initial formula. Researchers found that two antioxidants, zeaxanthin and lutein, were effective substitutes for the beta-carotene and did not reduce the effectiveness. This is important news for high risk AMD individuals who are interested in trying this formula.
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.
There are definitely beneficial effects of laser surgery although this is expensive and can have complications. A safer alternative may be the formulation developed in the AREDS II study. The study confirmed that high levels of zinc and antioxidants reduced the risk of AMD. The study further showed that lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene with no reduction in benefits. Of course, before using any medication you should always consult your doctor.
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