A high-dose blend of zinc and antioxidants can give new hope to people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness.

A government-sponsored study has shown that people with intermediate and advanced cases of AMD cut the risk of the disease progressing further by about 25 percent when they took a special combination of zinc and vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

"Macular degeneration affects the high-definition central vision, sometimes making it difficult to read, drive or perform other activities. The disease is the number one cause of visual impairment and blindness in Americans ages 65 and older," says Dr. Ronald Kurtz, a UCI Medical Center ophthalmologist who specializes in treating patients with AMD.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) uncovered the benefits of a daily regimen of 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 15 mg of beta-carotene, 80 mg of zinc, and two mg of copper (to prevent copper deficiency, which may be associated with high levels of zinc).

"Since these nutrients can interact with medications or negatively affect people with other problems, those interested in taking the combination should consult their physician before taking the nutrients," Kurtz advises.

There are two types of macular degeneration, each resulting in deterioration of the macula, the central and most important area of the retina. In "wet" AMD, abnormal blood vessels beneath the retina leak blood and fluid, leading to scarring. In "dry" AMD, the macular cells themselves gradually erode. In both forms, a blind spot forms in the center of vision and expands outward, causing blindness.

"AMD strikes women more often than men, whites much more often than blacks, seems to be more common in smokers, and tends to run in families," Kurtz says.

This is the first effective treatment to slow AMD's progression in people with the intermediate and advanced cases of "dry" form of the disease who are at high risk for developing advanced stages, the study reported. The study evaluated 4,757 participants, ages 55 to 80, for more than six years at 11 institutions.

"The nutrients will not cure AMD or restore lost vision," says Kurtz, "but they can help people at high risk for developing advanced AMD keep their vision."

　　From Healthy.net