Category: Macular Degeneration

Macular Degeneration Rates On the Decline In the US

Declining Rates | Increasing Rates
 

Declining Rates

A study of over 5,000 American from various racial and ethnic backgrounds shows that across the board, an estimated 6.5% of Americans are likely to develop macular degeneration (AMD).

Unlike glaucoma, which affects a disproportionately high number of African Americans, macular degeneration is shown to be much more common in white Americans than it is in blacks.

The results of this 2005-2008 study show that fewer people are developing macular degeneration than back in the period between 1988 and 1994 when researchers reported a prevalence rate of the disease of 9.4%.  This drop in macular degeneration rates (down to 6.5%) could be due to methodological differences, but study authors do state that their findings do support the assertion that incidences of AMD are on the decline.

Source: Archives of Ophthalmology,Vol. 129, No. 1

Increasing Rates

However, another study, in 2009, concluded quite the opposite.

Research statisticians indicate that macular degeneration   will increase dramatically by 2050, due to the aging of the US population but that this increase may be offset by new treatments.

A significant preventative therapy named in this study is the use of antioxidant vitamins to slow the progression of AMD from early to late stages.  Other treatments reviewed include laser and photodynamic therapies and anti-VEGF injections.

Scientists from the Research Triangle Institute International in North Carolina simulated cases of early and advanced macular degeneration, geographic atrophy (GA), and AMD-attributable visual impairment and blindness with 5 universal treatment scenarios:

  1. no treatment;
  2. focal laser and photodynamic therapy for advanced AMD (choroidal neovascularization)
  3. vitamin prophylaxis at early-AMD incidence with focal laser & photodynamic for later;
  4. no vitamin prophylaxis followed by focal laser treatment for extra and juxtafoveal advanced AMD and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment; and
  5. vitamin prophylaxis at early-AMD incidence followed by treatment, as in 4 for advanced stage AMD.

From the results of this analysis, the researchers predicted that cases of early AMD will increase from 9.1 million in 2010 to 17.8 million in 2050 across all scenarios, but that existing medical therapies have the potential to reduce the visual impairment and blindness attributable to AMD by as much as 35 percent, translating to 565,000 fewer cases of visual impairment and blindness in 2050.

Editor’s Note:  We attribute a good part of this increase to the faster pace of life with more stress and poorer quality food (fast food, too much sugar, too many unknown toxins).

 

 

Macular Degeneration Drug Associated With Cerebral Hemorrhage

eyesThe Wall Street Journal reports that researchers at Johns Hopkins are concerned about potential safety issues with the drug Avastin, which is sometimes proscribed on an off-label basis to macular degeneration patients.  A study comparing Avastin to its leading competition Lucentis (which was formulated specifically for the eye condition) found that those taking Avastin had an 11 percent higher mortality risk and 57 percent higher risk of cerebral hemorrhage.  The study did not take into account other risk factors like smoking, hypertension, or elevated cholesterol levels.  Source: Wall Street Journal

At Natural Eye Care we offer people with macular degeneration options that include nutrition advice, lifestyle recommendations, and natural supplement suggestions.

Leafy Greens Help Prevent Macular Degeneration

red chardThe Huffington Post is on board with the idea that colorful food is good for you and that the colors on your plate indicate the nutrients that will help you thrive.

As their columnist Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D. says ” Dark, leafy greens (spinach, chard and arugula) are good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals that accumulate in the eyes and help prevent age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people.”

At Natural Eye Care, we definitely agree with that statement, though we might recommend eating 1 1/2 to 2 cups per day, not per week as Wright recommends.  A plant based diet full of leafy greens is essential for optimum eye health.

Free Radicals May Help the Heart (But Don’t Toss Your Antioxidants!)

Free Radicals - Heart HealthFree radicals might be a good thing?

At Natural Eye Care, we extol the benefits of antioxidants because they fight the free radicals that lead to oxidation, which in turn cause aging: skin changes such as the appearance wrinkles, and ocular changes, including the development of cataracts and macular degeneration.

Your eyes love antioxidants like those found in bilberry (a close relative to the blueberry) and in high quality supplements.

And yet, a new study published in The Journal of Physiology (online 28 February 2011) describes how free radicals are actually essential to the healthy functioning of the heart.

It is true that high levels of free radicals can lead to heart disease, but the heart does need some quantities of free radicals to help it deal with stressful situations.

As described at Medical News Today, when under stress, the nervous system produces what are called beta-adrenergic receptors.  These beta-adrenergic receptors actually produce free radicals not as a negative byproduct of metabolism (as we usually describe the process), but to make the muscles of the heart contract more strongly when necessary.  The heart is then able to pump more blood throughout the body to nourish and sustain us in stressful situations.

This is not to say that you should toss out your antioxidants, but it does remind us that the body is an amazing and complex creation that rarely allows us to use a one-size-fits-all approach to disease or nutrition.

 

Macular Degeneration Linked to Stroke in the Elderly

Studies have established that elderly people with age related macular degeneration are more likely to experience strokes. A new study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2011 is the first to determine the type of stroke that people with AMD are likely to suffer.

Researchers looked at two kinds of strokes: those caused by brain hemorrhage (aka a “bleeding stroke”) and those caused by brain infarction (a blood clot).

Macular degeneration is associated with brain hemorrhages rather than brain infarction.

Scientists involved with the study urge AMD patients not to worry that they will inevitably experience hemorrhaging in the brain.  They state that more research is necessary.  One doctor speculates that AMD does not cause bleeding stokes.  Instead, the two medical conditions may stem from a common cause.  Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216090.php

Learn about how to prevent and even reverse macular degeneration.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Fight Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Degeneration

Omega-3 & Diabetic retinopathy
image via www.research.gov

A new study further supports what we know about how beneficial omega-3 fatty acids can be, particularly in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy. This new study, performed at Children’s Hospital Boston, describes how these “good fats” most commonly found in fish oil actually work to prevent diabetic retinopathy.

Both diabetic retinopathy and another potentially blinding condition, macular degeneration, are caused by the abnormal growth of leaky blood vessels within the eyes.  Mice whose diets were supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids (which many people on a Western diet do not get enough of) were 50% less likely to have these eye conditions compared to other mice who were given lots of omega-6’s (fats more commonly found in the Western food chain).

This study shows how omega-3 fatty acids actually have  “a direct effect on blood vessel growth (angiogenesis) that selectively promotes the growth of healthy blood vessels and inhibits the growth of abnormal vessels.”

Source: MedicalNewsToday.com

Learn more about how to prevent diabetic retinopathy through diet, lifestyle habits, and other supplements.

See information on natural treatment options for macular degeneration.

Advances in Retinal Implants May Help Macular Degeneration Patients

Scientists are developing new technologies that will make retinal implants better.  When diseases like macular degeneration or retinitis pigmentosa become so advanced, some people may choose to turn to surgically implanted artificial retinal devices.

Existing technology has made it possible for a signal sent from a video camera attached to a pair of glasses to transmit images to device placed on a person’s retina.

New advances at the Italian Institute of Technology show how using organic polymer semiconductor can improve the quality of the images and prevent retinal scarring. They are actually developing ways for this special semiconductor to communicate with the neurons in the brain.  Researchers are hoping these new techniques will eventually allow people with the implants to see more clearly and also see in color, not just black and white.

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/

Retinal implants are not for everyone.  It is possible to slow the progression of degenerative eye diseases without surgery. Learn more about how to slow, stop, or even reverse the progression of diseases like macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa on our complementary treatment pages.

Eggs Provide Nutrients and Ward Off Eye Disease

A new study further supports the benefits of eating eggs.

Michigan State University researchers sought to determine how eggs might be part of a healthy diet and also determine the impact egg consumption may have on cholesterol.  Egg eaters showed higher levels of such vital nutrients as vitamins B12, A, E, and C.  The study does remind us to enjoy eggs in moderation – four eggs per week is optimal.  Eating more than four eggs per week can lead to increased cholesterol.

Source: maculardegenerationassociation.org

Eating eggs can also help prevent a number of eye conditions including macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.

Vitamin C

In many parts of the world, especially in Europe and Asia, the value of vitamin C is well known.  It is considered to be an important part of routine glaucoma treatment. It lowers pressure in the eye by lessening fluid production within the eyeball and improving the circulation of aqueous humor, as toxins are removed, from the eye.  Vitamin C also improves the metabolism of collagen which is possibly an underlying cause of glaucoma.

Learn more about how the nutrients in eggs and other foods can increase your eye health and overall health.

Excess Iron Linked to Alzheimers / Macular Degeneration

Alzheimer’s & Excess Iron

brain scan
image via nih.gov

While we often think of iron deficiency as a problem that causes anemia, researchers have found that excessive iron may increase one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers publishing in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease state that some studies have found that accumulation of metals in the body, including copper, zinc, and iron, have been linked to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.  In particular, this study focuses upon  Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease patients who demonstrated high levels of iron in their brains.  Source: https://www.foodconsumer.org

Iron and Macular Degeneration

Excessive iron in the body or hemochromatosis may lead to the wet form of macular degeneration.  Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia suspect that too much iron, known to have cumulative negative effects throughout body, can also speed the aging in the eyes.  If there is a link between iron levels and macular degeneration, people may be able to ward off the eye disease by donating blood a couple times annually to reduce iron levels the amount if iron in the body.

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org

Macular Degeneration Rates Decreasing

Macular DegnerationA new study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology shows that rates of macular degeneration have decreased, affecting only 6.5% of the population according to a 2005-2008 survey. This figure is a decrease from the 9.4% prevalence rate that was reported in a similar 1988-1994 study.  Researchers state that the change may be in part attributable to shifts in survey methodologies, but they do assert that there are fewer cases of macular degeneration now than there were 20 years ago.  Source: https://archopht.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/129/1/75

Another interesting fact from this study: non-Hispanic blacks are less likely to develop macular degeneration than their non-Hispanic white counterparts.  This finding is very different from the disease rates associated with glaucoma, a disease that is 6-8 times more likely to impact blacks than whites.

Visit our website to learn how to prevent and control macular degeneration naturally.