Shiley Eye Center participates in AMD treatment study

San Diego-The Shiley Eye Center at the University of California, San Diego, is participating in a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study is being done to determine whether a modified combination of vitamins, minerals, and fish oil can further slow vision loss from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in the United States.

The earlier Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found high-dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals taken by mouth reduced the risk of progression to advanced AMD by 25%. The risk of moderate vision loss decreased by 19%. In the second study, Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2), lutein and zexanthin and the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA will be added to the study formulation to determine whether these nutrients further decrease the risk of progressive vision loss.

"So many people are taking vitamins and supplements to prolong life and prevent disease. This large, well-organized study will provide hard evidence regarding these specific supplements and their value for the prevention of AMD," said Stuart I. Brown, MD, chairman of the department of ophthalmology at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and director of the UCSD Shiley Eye Center.

"Vision loss from AMD is an important public health issue. This study may help us find a better way to treat this devastating disorder," said Elias A. Zerhouni, MD, director of the NIH.

To learn more or to volunteer for the AREDS2, contact Barbara Brody, PhD, director of the division of community ophthalmology at the UCSD Shiley Eye Center and the study's principal investigator, or Jenie Chung, study coordinator, at 858/822-1234.