Reduce Your Risk For Macular Degeration

As an eye doctor I have learned that the two words that seem to be the most terrifying to my more mature patients are Macular Degeneration. These words strike fear into these patients because they have seen friends, family members and spouses lose vision and independence to this disease. I am always asked the question, "How can I prevent it?" I have never had really a great answer. Don't smoke is the best way but beyond that we had very little to offer. Eat right and protect your eyes from UV rays were things we thought were helpful but we did not have proof. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study(AREDS), which was concluded in October 2001, gave use guidance on what could help those who already had the disease but we had very little that guided us in how to prevent it.

The Woman's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study provides us with great information which changes that. In an article released in the February 23, 2009 edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine, results from that study found that daily supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12, over a seven year period, reduced the risk of having visually significant macular degeneration(visual loss from macular degeneration) by 41%. While this study involved only women it will most likely hold true for men as well. USA Today also produced a nice article on this topic. This study was well designed and will significantly impact how I advise my patients in the future.