The AREDS vitamin study, conducted by the National Eye Institute, or NEI, was a 5-year study of 3,600 men and women, some of whom already had age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, a leading cause of blindness. The study found significant benefits for a specific vitamin formula, called the AREDS formula, which contains 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 mg of vitamin E, 80 mg of zinc, 15 mg of beta carotene and a trace of copper. The AREDS formula has definite benefits for some people with AMD, but not others.
Limitations
The biggest drawback of AREDS and other ocular supplements is that they don't help everyone. The AREDS formulation mostly helps those who already have intermediate dry AMD or wet AMD, the more advanced and most serious form of the disease, in one eye. AREDS reduces the chance of the other eye from also developing wet AMD by about 25 percent over a 6-year period, and reduced the risk of vision loss by 19 percent according to the NEI. Taking AREDS vitamins will not restore lost vision or treat AMD in any way. The AREDS 2 study, ongoing in 2010, consists of lutein 10 mg, zeaxanthin 2 mg and omega-3 fatty acids 1,000 mg. However, since the study is still ongoing, no one knows the benefits yet.
Negative Effects
People who smoke should not take AREDS, since taking large doses of beta-carotene, 20 mg or more, increases the chance of developing lung cancer in smokers or people who quit smoking in the last 10 years, Barbara Blodi, M.D. reported in 2004 in "Insight." Smokers can take modified AREDS supplements with beta-carotene removed and lutein added. The large quantity of zinc in the AREDS formula may also slightly increase the risk of developing urinary tract problems severe enough to require hospitalization, according to the NEI.
Cost
You can buy AREDS vitamin formulations without a prescription but insurance plans usually do not pay for them. In 2010, a month's supply of AREDS vitamins costs between $15 and $20 per month, not a substantial sum but perhaps a deterrent to some of the 40 percent of people who should take AREDS vitamins but don't, according to ophthalmologist Michael Cooney, M.D. in the February 15, 2009 "Review of Optometry."
References
- National Eye Institute: The AREDS Formulation and Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- American Academy of Ophthalmology
- "Insight:" Nutritional Supplements in the Prevention of Age-Related Macular Degeneration; Barbara Blodi, M.D.; 2004
- "Review of Optometry:" Starting from theTop: The ABC's of AREDS; Michael Cooney, M.D.; February 15, 2009
