What is AREDS and why is it important for Macular degeneration?

The Age Related Eye Disease Study 2001 (AREDS) and its follow-up in 2013 AREDS2, are two major clinical trials conducted by the National Eye Institute to investigate the effects of nutritional supplements on age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AREDS (Age-Related Eye Disease Study):

• Purpose: It evaluated the effects of a specific combination of vitamins and minerals (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, zinc, and copper) on the progression of AMD and cataracts.
  
   

AREDS2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2):

• Purpose: This study modified the original AREDS formula by testing the effects of adding lutein, zeaxanthin, and omega-3 fatty acids, and removing beta-carotene due to its potential risk of lung cancer in smokers.

Both studies have been instrumental in understanding how certain nutrients can help slow the progression of AMD in individuals at high risk.

What is AREDS and why is it important for AMD?
 

Ocular Vitamins / Nutraceuticals such as Vitalux, Preservision, ICAPs and many other brands market use an AREDS formula.   When you see AREDS or AREDS2 on a label it generally means that the formulation follows the well-studied recipe from the large 2001 and 2013 studies.

There has been much controversy over the high ZINC content in AREDS ocular vitamins and whether this is beneficial or hazardous or was even just added to protect a formulation patent.  So you will find some AREDS formulation feature low-zinc.

AREDS formula vitamins are notorious for causing stomach upset and this could also be due to high zinc which can be many more times that the recommended daily dose (RDI).

In our clinic, we tend to primarily use macular supplements such as Vision Essence and Premium Macuhealth but also a fair bit of low-zinc AREDS 2 formulations like Macular 2 Essentials.   This private label vitamin is [1] high quality and less expensive [2] lower zinc @ RDI level than brand names so I find folks keep on it.

Speak to your eye care professional about what it right for you.  There are genetic testing options available to help determine a best therapy.

 

You can obtain our low in-clinic price on Macuhealth with an inquiry.  Macuhealth is completely safe at anytime to take and has great science behind additional non-AMD vision ability improvements.  

Link to US NIH National Library of Medicine > AREDS2 Study