Omega-3’s Do Not Help with AMD

“Adding omega-3 fatty acids did not improve a combination of nutritional supplements commonly recommended for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a major cause of vision loss among older Americans, according to a new study,” reports Science Daily. “The plant-derived antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin also had no overall effect on AMD when added to the combination; however, they were safer than the related antioxidant beta-carotene.” The study appeared in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Assn. Read more. You can also see more at the National Eye Institute.

Antioxidant (rhSOD) May Reduce Retinopathy in Premies

"Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is the second most common cause of childhood blindness in the United States, occurring in half of premature infants born earlier than or at 28 weeks gestational age. The condition is caused by abnormal blood vessel development in the retina of the eye. ROP risk increases with decreasing gestational age," says Medical News Today. "A study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) suggests that the antioxidant, rhSOD (recombinant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase), reduces the risk of developing ROP in extremely low gestational age newborns. The post-hoc analysis study was published online in Neonatology." Read more.