title: Lifestyle modification, nutritional and vitamins supplements for age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a systematic review of the published studies pertaining to the lifestyle modification, dietary, nutritional and vitamins supplements for preventing occurrence or halting deterioration of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The literature searches from 1990 to December 2010 with following keywords, 'age related macular degeneration', 'nutrition', 'antioxidant', 'diet' and 'vitamins supplements' using search engines Pubmed, Google Scholar, Medline and the Cochrane Library. Meta-analyses, population-based cohort studies and case-controlled trials were reviewed, whereas small cases series, case reports, commentaries, abstracts in proceedings or personal observations were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smoking and obesity are identified risk factors for AMD. High dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, and macular xanthophylls lutein and zeaxanthin have been associated with a lower risk of prevalence and incidence in AMD. Vitamin B and extracts from wolfberry, Gingko biloba and berry anthocyanins were also subjects of intense research interests, but there has been no concluding scientific evidence yet. The Age-Related Eye Disease study (AREDS) is the only large-scale randomized controlled clinical trial to show beneficial effect of AREDS formulation of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene and zinc with copper in reducing the risk progression to advanced AMD in patients with intermediate AMD or with advanced AMD in one eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quit smoking is an important advice to patients to prevent or slow the progress of AMD. There is no recommendation for routine nutritional or vitamins supplementation for primary prevention. However, patients with documented intermediate risk of AMD or advanced AMD in one eye are recommended to take AREDS-type vitamin supplements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Helena P Y
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: David T L
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Dennis S C
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D011322:Primary Prevention; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014815:Vitamins