New hope for elderly facing sight loss

Published on Thursday 18 June 2009 23:13

A SUPPLEMENT has been developed which could relieve the leading cause of blindness in the western world.

Scientists in Belfast and Waterford in the Irish Republic found that antioxidants in fruit and vegetables may slow sight loss in elderly people.

Professor Usha Chakravarthy, from the Queen's University Centre of Vision and Vascular Science, co-ordinated a five-year study of nutritional supplements for patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and found they helped sharpen vision.

AMD is an incurable eye disease which blurs vision by damaging the macula, the central part of the retina.

More than 400 people with an average age of 77 took part in trials investigating whether two carotenoids found in fruit and vegetables could prevent progression to serious late AMD.

The study showed the intake of high levels of both carotenoids preserved macular pigments, slowing down the progression from early to late AMD. The macular pigments of participants in a group given placebos declined steadily.