NIH Study to Evaluate Effect of Antioxidants & Fish Oil on Progression of AMD
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, has announced a nationwide study to see if a modified combination of vitamins, minerals and fish oil can further slow the progression of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 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 and the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA (derived from fish and vegetable oils) to the study formulation.
DSM Nutritional Products, Inc., Parsippany, NJ, will provide the lutein, zeaxanthin and omega 3 fatty acids to be used in the study, which will determine if this new modified combination of ingredients can further slow the progression of vision loss from AMD.