Vision loss more prevalent than cancer in older people
Adults are more likely to lose their vision than be diagnosed with cancer. For adults 65 and over, the odds of losing vision are one in three, whereas the odds of a man developing prostate cancer are one in six and odds of a woman developing breast cancer are one in nine.
Vision loss threatens the overall health of ageing adults by increasing the risk of injuries, depression and inability to complete daily tasks.
Vision loss in adults is often attributed to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a breakdown of the macula that destroys sharp, central vision.
Though there is currently no cure for AMD, sufferers and ageing adults can prevent the development or progression of the disease with proper nutrition.
A study conducted at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital of Birmingham, Alabama revealed that AMD sufferers taking a specific eye vitamin supplement, Macular Health, showed both short-term and long-term improvement in visual acuity by 16 and 17%.
Researchers attribute the improvement to Macular Health’s specific dosage of lutein, zeaxanthin and bilberry, and the administration of specific carotenoids, vitamins and minerals.
As quoted in Ophthalmology Times, the creator of Macular Health, Dr John Mason said, “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.”
Dr Mason, a researcher and retina specialist, created Macular Health in 2003 to help his patients who were losing their vision to AMD.
He based the Macular Health formula on the National Eye Institute’s (NEI) Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which proved that a supplemental dosage of certain vitamins, minerals and carotenoids were highly effective in slowing vision loss due to AMD. Dr Mason modified the AREDS dosages and added ingredients, which greatly improved the supplement’s effectiveness.
