. |
Seeds for Change Wellness
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Omega-3 Fats Again Shown to Benefit Eye Health
Omega-3 Fats Again Shown to Benefit Eye Health
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Posted August 2008
Abstracted by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, from “Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) intakes, and associations with neovascular age-
related macular degeneration.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2008. Posted
August 26, 2008.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment
and blindness in the U.S. (1. The condition causes vision loss in more than 200,000 people
every year in the U.S (2) and is expected to increase to 3 million cases of vision loss over the
next 20 years (3).
Despite the urgency of this condition, the actual cost of AMD is very elusive, with no current
American cost estimates. A 2006 European study (4) showed significant variation in total costs,
with the higher of the two costs suggesting each case of AMD costs the European healthcare
system nearly 4,000 Euros per patient after adjustment for inflation in 2004 prices (5).
A recent study (6) has found that omega-3 fats may benefit eye health. A 2007 study (7) found
that “supplementing omega-3 fatty acids intake may be of benefit in preventing [eye damage]”.
Building on these findings, nearly 2,300 patients over 65 years of age participating in the
EUREYE Study (8) had eye exams and completed a food frequency questionnaire (9).
Researchers found that oily fish was consumed less than once per week by 64% of the study
population, once per week by 25%, and twice per week or more by 12%. Those eating oily fish
at least once per week had a 50% reduced risk of a type of AMD called neovascular AMD (NV-
AMD), while those eating oily fish at least twice per week had a 58% reduced risk.
When looking at intake of DHA, an omega-3 fat in fish, those with the highest DHA intake
(284.8 mg per day) had a 68% decreased risk of NV-AMD compared those with the lowest
intakes of DHA (40.4 mg per day). When looking at the highest intake of EPA, another omega-
3 fat in fish, those with the highest intake (150 mg per day) had a 71% reduced compared with
the lowest intake (14.6 mg per day).
For the researchers, “Eating oily fish at least once per week compared with less than once per
week was associated with a [50% reduced risk]…for NV-AMD.”
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold
directly by emailing him at mailto:PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at
www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com
Reference:
National Advisory Eye Council. Vision Research—A National Plan: 1999-2003, Vol. 1. A Report
of the National Advisory Eye Council. Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health; 1999. NIH
publication 98-4120.
National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America. Vision
Problems in the US: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in
America. Schaumburg, Ill: Prevent Blindness America; 2002.
Eye Disease Prevalence Research Group. Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in
the United States. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122:564-572.
Ke KM. Economic Cost of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review of Recent Research
Drugs Aging 2006; 23 (3): 217-225 1170-229X/06/0003-0217/$39.95/0.
Bonastre J, Le Pen C, Soubrane G, et al. The burden of agerelated macular degeneration:
results of a cohort study in two not only direct costs but also indirect and intangible French
referral centres. Pharmacoeconomics 2003; 21 (3): costs. 181-90.
Augood C. Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid
intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Am. J. Clinical
Nutrition, Aug 2008; 88: 398 - 406.
Connor KM. Increased dietary intake of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces
pathological retinal angiogenesis. Nature Medicine 2007. Published online: 24 June 2007; |
doi:10.1038/nm1591.
Augood C, Fletcher A, Bentham G, et al. Methods for a population-based study of the
prevalence of and risk factors for age-related maculopathy and macular degeneration in elderly
European populations: the EUREYE study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 2004;11:117-29.
Bingham SA, Welch AA, McTaggart A, et al. Nutritional methods in the European Prospective
Investigation of Cancer in Norfolk. Public Health Nutr 2001;4:847-58.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Posted August 2008
Abstracted by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, from “Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) intakes, and associations with neovascular age-
related macular degeneration.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, August 2008. Posted
August 26, 2008.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD is the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment
and blindness in the U.S. (1. The condition causes vision loss in more than 200,000 people
every year in the U.S (2) and is expected to increase to 3 million cases of vision loss over the
next 20 years (3).
Despite the urgency of this condition, the actual cost of AMD is very elusive, with no current
American cost estimates. A 2006 European study (4) showed significant variation in total costs,
with the higher of the two costs suggesting each case of AMD costs the European healthcare
system nearly 4,000 Euros per patient after adjustment for inflation in 2004 prices (5).
A recent study (6) has found that omega-3 fats may benefit eye health. A 2007 study (7) found
that “supplementing omega-3 fatty acids intake may be of benefit in preventing [eye damage]”.
Building on these findings, nearly 2,300 patients over 65 years of age participating in the
EUREYE Study (8) had eye exams and completed a food frequency questionnaire (9).
Researchers found that oily fish was consumed less than once per week by 64% of the study
population, once per week by 25%, and twice per week or more by 12%. Those eating oily fish
at least once per week had a 50% reduced risk of a type of AMD called neovascular AMD (NV-
AMD), while those eating oily fish at least twice per week had a 58% reduced risk.
When looking at intake of DHA, an omega-3 fat in fish, those with the highest DHA intake
(284.8 mg per day) had a 68% decreased risk of NV-AMD compared those with the lowest
intakes of DHA (40.4 mg per day). When looking at the highest intake of EPA, another omega-
3 fat in fish, those with the highest intake (150 mg per day) had a 71% reduced compared with
the lowest intake (14.6 mg per day).
For the researchers, “Eating oily fish at least once per week compared with less than once per
week was associated with a [50% reduced risk]…for NV-AMD.”
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Danville, CA. You can contact Dr. Arnold
directly by emailing him at mailto:PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at
www.CompleteChiropracticHealthcare.com
Reference:
National Advisory Eye Council. Vision Research—A National Plan: 1999-2003, Vol. 1. A Report
of the National Advisory Eye Council. Bethesda, Md: National Institutes of Health; 1999. NIH
publication 98-4120.
National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute and Prevent Blindness America. Vision
Problems in the US: Prevalence of Adult Vision Impairment and Age-Related Eye Disease in
America. Schaumburg, Ill: Prevent Blindness America; 2002.
Eye Disease Prevalence Research Group. Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in
the United States. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004;122:564-572.
Ke KM. Economic Cost of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Review of Recent Research
Drugs Aging 2006; 23 (3): 217-225 1170-229X/06/0003-0217/$39.95/0.
Bonastre J, Le Pen C, Soubrane G, et al. The burden of agerelated macular degeneration:
results of a cohort study in two not only direct costs but also indirect and intangible French
referral centres. Pharmacoeconomics 2003; 21 (3): costs. 181-90.
Augood C. Oily fish consumption, dietary docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid
intakes, and associations with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Am. J. Clinical
Nutrition, Aug 2008; 88: 398 - 406.
Connor KM. Increased dietary intake of omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces
pathological retinal angiogenesis. Nature Medicine 2007. Published online: 24 June 2007; |
doi:10.1038/nm1591.
Augood C, Fletcher A, Bentham G, et al. Methods for a population-based study of the
prevalence of and risk factors for age-related maculopathy and macular degeneration in elderly
European populations: the EUREYE study. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 2004;11:117-29.
Bingham SA, Welch AA, McTaggart A, et al. Nutritional methods in the European Prospective
Investigation of Cancer in Norfolk. Public Health Nutr 2001;4:847-58.