New Results In Fight Against Blindness Revealed

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 21 Jun 2009 - 0:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The CARMA Study Group, representing leading researchers at Queens University, Belfast and the Waterford Institute of Technology will unveil the results of a 5 year project into age-related macular degeneration (AMD) on Friday, 19th June at 2pm in the Radisson Hotel, Belfast. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in the Western world*1.

The CARMA study is the first high quality study on nutritional supplementation with carotenoids in patients with early AMD. Our results show that the intake of the CARMA supplement has preserved the quality of macular pigments. According to the outcomes of the study, the macular pigment of participants who were assigned to placebo, declined steadily, whereas a modest increase in the macular pigment of the intervention group was observed. Beneficial effects on visual function were observed with increasing levels of serum lutein in CARMA study participants.

Prof. Dr. Usha Chakravarthy, who coordinated the study is Professor of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences at The Queen's University of Belfast and is consultant in the Ophthalmic Division in the Royal Hospital Belfast. Dr. Stephen Beatty is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with a special interest in Vitreo-Retinal Surgery (Category II) at the Waterford Regional Hospital and Whitfield Clinic and works as an Associate Lecturer at the Waterford Institute of Technology. He is founder and director of the Macular Pigment Research centre in Waterford.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease, which can cause blurring of central vision by its effects on the macula which is the central part of the retina. Patients with late AMD retain peripheral vision but cannot use central vision such as reading, watching TV, driving or recognising other people´s faces all of which become impossible.

"AMD cannot be cured yet, but our present state of knowledge suggests that a high intake of lutein and zeaxanthin can have a positive impact on the prevention of the disease. Therefore, the eye- specific carotenoids are a central topic in AMD research", Dr. Stephen Beatty stated.

"The results of the CARMA study show, that a daily intake of 12mg lutein and zeaxanthin together with Co-antioxidants, preserves the quality of the macular pigment and had beneficial effects on visual performance and morphological progression of the disease ", Dr. Beatty continued.

Source
The CARMA Study Group