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.
Eye diseases are some of the most debilitating. Almost a million people in the United States are blind and around 90% of these are elderly. There are several different reasons someone might end up with an eye disease. Some people are born blind due to defects during the gestation period. Others are caused by diabetes or eye injury. However, most appear to be associated with aging, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
There are some treatments available today, but most of them work only for a certain segment of affected people. Many people have used laser surgery and it has been found to be very effective. However, it is expensive and has side effects that could actually worsen sight. Side effects from laser surgery are not uncommon, although they are rarely severe. Still, they can cause you to lose your peripheral vision, can worsen your visual acuity, can reduce your night vision, or can even cause hemorrhaging.
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.
In the first study, the researchers found that a high level of antioxidants could reduce the possibility of blindness in high risk individuals by about 25 percent. High risk individuals were those who either already had intermediate AMD or AMD in only one of their eyes. However, one ingredient of the original formula was beta-carotene, which has been linked to an increase in risk of lung cancer for smokers. Additionally, there was no effect on cataracts.
The second study, completed in May 2013, had several interesting findings. One of their goals was to attempt to find a substitute for beta-carotene in the original formula. They found that the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene without reducing the effectiveness of this formula. People at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the antioxidant combination to reduce their chance of blindness.
Many older persons are on prescription medications. Also, they use many over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. High-dose supplemental nutrients could interfere with some of these medications and keep other vital nutrients from properly absorbing.
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.
Eye diseases are some of the most debilitating. Almost a million people in the United States are blind and around 90% of these are elderly. There are several different reasons someone might end up with an eye disease. Some people are born blind due to defects during the gestation period. Others are caused by diabetes or eye injury. However, most appear to be associated with aging, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
There are some treatments available today, but most of them work only for a certain segment of affected people. Many people have used laser surgery and it has been found to be very effective. However, it is expensive and has side effects that could actually worsen sight. Side effects from laser surgery are not uncommon, although they are rarely severe. Still, they can cause you to lose your peripheral vision, can worsen your visual acuity, can reduce your night vision, or can even cause hemorrhaging.
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.
In the first study, the researchers found that a high level of antioxidants could reduce the possibility of blindness in high risk individuals by about 25 percent. High risk individuals were those who either already had intermediate AMD or AMD in only one of their eyes. However, one ingredient of the original formula was beta-carotene, which has been linked to an increase in risk of lung cancer for smokers. Additionally, there was no effect on cataracts.
The second study, completed in May 2013, had several interesting findings. One of their goals was to attempt to find a substitute for beta-carotene in the original formula. They found that the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin could be substituted for beta-carotene without reducing the effectiveness of this formula. People at high risk for developing advanced AMD should consider taking the antioxidant combination to reduce their chance of blindness.
Many older persons are on prescription medications. Also, they use many over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements. High-dose supplemental nutrients could interfere with some of these medications and keep other vital nutrients from properly absorbing.
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.
About the Author:
To find out what AREDS II formula is all about, click this link to visionaryvites.com. For wholesale product info and important supplement resources, come to the Visionary Vitamins homepage today at http://visionaryvites.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment