title: Beta carotene supplementation and age-related maculopathy in a randomized trial of US physicians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test whether beta carotene supplementation affects the incidence of age-related maculopathy (ARM) in a large-scale randomized trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial among 22 071 apparently healthy US male physicians aged 40 to 84 years. Participants were randomly assigned to receive beta carotene (50 mg every other day) or placebo. Main Outcome Measure Incident ARM responsible for a reduction in best-corrected visual acuity to 20/30 or worse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 12 years of treatment and follow-up, there were 162 cases of ARM in the beta carotene group vs 170 cases in the placebo group (relative risk [RR], 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78-1.20). The results were similar for the secondary end points of ARM with or without vision loss (275 vs 274 cases; RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.86-1.20) and advanced ARM (63 vs 66 cases; RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.69-1.37).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These randomized data relative to 12 years of treatment among a large population of apparently healthy men indicate that beta carotene supplementation has no beneficial or harmful effect on the incidence of ARM. Long-term supplemental use of beta carotene neither decreases nor increases the risk of ARM.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 900 Commonwealth Ave E, Boston, MA 02215-1204, USA. wchristen@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Christen
authors.forename: Joann E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Manson
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaziano
authors.forename: Emily Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Buring
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hennekens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D010820:Physicians; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D014815:Vitamins; D019207:beta Carotene; D001241:Aspirin