39^th European Ophthalmology Congress

Age Related Eye Disease (AREDS)

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) is a major clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute, one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health. The AREDS was designed to learn more about the natural history and risk factors of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract and to evaluate the effect of high doses of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene and zinc on the progression of AMD and cataract. Results from the AREDS showed that high levels of antioxidants and zinc significantly reduce the risk of advanced AMD and its associated vision loss. These same nutrients had no significant effect on the development or progression of cataract.