Feb
25
2009
A team of Harvard researchers found that women who took a combination of folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 had a 35% to 40% lower risk of developing age related macular degeneration (AMD) than women who took a placebo.
A group of 5442 female health care professionals 40 years or older (of whom 5205 did not have a diagnosis of AMD at the beginning of the study) received either a combination of folic acid/B6/B12 or a placebo.
After more than seven years of treatment and follow-up, 137 women were diagnosed with AMD. Of these 137:
- 55 had been taking the supplements; 82 had been taking the placebo.
- 70 had ‘visually significant AMD’, including 26 who had been taking the supplements and 44 who had been taking the placebo.
Researchers concluded that daily supplementation with folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) may reduce the risk of AMD.
Learn about good food sources for nutrients such as folic acid and vitamin B
Find nutritional products and supplements to supply folic acid and vitamin B
SOURCE: “Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin Combination Treatment and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women”, Christen et al, Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):335-341.
Jan
25
2009
Dry eye syndrome (DES) is a common ocular problem in the United States, particularly among older women.
The first large-scale study of DES among U.S. women reveals that DES leading to a clinical diagnosis or severe symptoms affects more than 3.2 million American middle-aged and older women, including many in their 40s and 50s.
Researchers with Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, and Harvard Medical School surveyed 39,876 U.S. women participating in the Women’s Health Study about a history of diagnosed DES and dry eye symptoms. DES was defined as the presence of clinically diagnosed DES or severe symptoms (both dryness and irritation constantly or often).
Results showed that the prevalence of DES increased with age, from 5.7 percent among women less than 50 years old to 9.8 percent among women 75 or older.
The age-adjusted prevalence of DES was 7.8 percent, or 3.23 million women aged 50 or older in the United States.
Other findings:
- Compared with whites, Hispanic and Asian-American women were more likely to report severe symptoms, but not clinically diagnosed DES
- There were no significant differences by income, but more educated women were less likely to have DES
- Women from the South had the highest prevalence of DES, though the magnitude of geographic differences was modest.
The authors of the study noted that further research is necessary to better understand DES and its impact on public health and quality of life.
Learn more about dry eye syndrome, including advice on treatment and nutrition.
Source: Prevalence of dry eye syndrome among US women, Schaumberg, et al, Am J Ophthalmol. 2003 Aug;136(2):318-26.
