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.
In 2001, the results of the first Age-Related Eye Disease Study were released. The study was designed to learn about risk factors and history of AMD and cataracts. One primary purposes of the study was to determine whether high doses of antioxidants might have an effect on AMD or 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.
The next study was finished in May 2013 and had some interesting results. One goal that they had was to discern whether an adequate substitute existed for the beta-carotene. They tried lutein and zeaxanthin and found that they were as effective as the beta-carotene. For people at high risk of advanced AMD this is an important consideration and could help lessen the possibility of developing blindness.
A lot of the elderly are already on various prescriptions. In addition to this they may use over-the-counter drugs or supplements. The high-dose supplements in this combination could interfere or cause some of these medications to lose their effectiveness.
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.
In 2001, the results of the first Age-Related Eye Disease Study were released. The study was designed to learn about risk factors and history of AMD and cataracts. One primary purposes of the study was to determine whether high doses of antioxidants might have an effect on AMD or 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.
The next study was finished in May 2013 and had some interesting results. One goal that they had was to discern whether an adequate substitute existed for the beta-carotene. They tried lutein and zeaxanthin and found that they were as effective as the beta-carotene. For people at high risk of advanced AMD this is an important consideration and could help lessen the possibility of developing blindness.
A lot of the elderly are already on various prescriptions. In addition to this they may use over-the-counter drugs or supplements. The high-dose supplements in this combination could interfere or cause some of these medications to lose their effectiveness.
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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