Tom Murphy
RedwoodAge.com
Quick Quiz: Which health problem is most likely to affect aging Americans? A) Breast Cancer, B) Prostate Cancer, C) Alzheimer's, or D) Blindness.
Most people don't know it, but the odds of going blind after the age of 65 are one in three, according to Macular Health, an Alabama-based company that makes vitamin supplements to combat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a sneaky disease that robs millions of elders of their sight.
About one in six men develop prostate cancer; one in eight boomers are likely to get Alzheimer's; and one in nine women develop breast cancer. While all those diseases are potentially fatal, blindness robs older people of their sense of independence and raises the costs of their long-term care. It can also lead to increases in falling injuries or to depression.
AMD is only one eye disease that will cause 43 million Americans to lose some or all of their sight over the next decade, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Glaucoma, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy are other common problems.
Women are twice as likely as men to experience problems as they age. Worldwide, there are 314 million people with vision loss, including 45 million who are blind.
"Many eye diseases progress without any warning signs," said Dr. Michael Brennan, president of the academy. "Gradual changes in vision often go unnoticed but can have a devastating impact on your ability to function independently."
AMD's Impact
AMD, which strikes in both "wet" and "dry" forms, can be
spotted in screening exams, and ophthalmologists say early treatment is critical
in helping to limit the damage.
Although there is no cure, several pharmaceutical companies are working on drug treatments that have shown success in stalling the disease, which gradually damages the macula. AMD slowly leads to blurriness that often goes undetected by individuals for years.
Genentech has developed a drug called Lucentis that has been shown effective in improving visual acuity in the wet form of the disease.
Macular Health recently reported a study at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., found its treatment along with other supplements led to a short-term and long-term improvement in visual acuity by 16 and 17 percent. The company's ompound contains lutein, zeaxanthin and bilberry. The study also included use of carotenoids, vitamins and minerals.
"This is the first time in my career that I have actually seen patients with dry AMD who have had improvements in vision and in the MERGs as a result of taking carotenoids, vitamin and mineral supplements," John Mason, the doctor who developed the Macular Health treatment six year ago, said in Ophthalmology Times.
Mason said he based the product on a study by the National Eye Institute, which showed supplements with certain compounds could slow vision loss due to AMD. He modified the doses and added other ingredients.
The NEI study concluded "high-dose antioxidant vitamins and minerals taken by mouth by people at risk of developing advanced AMD, reduced the risk of progression to advanced AMD by 25 percent and the risk of moderate vision loss by 19 percent."
