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A dietary supplement, which contains high levels of certain vitamins and minerals, appears to lower the risk of blindness in some elderly individuals. In the study, more than 3,600 subjects aged 55 to 80 years at risk for AMD received a daily dietary supplement. The supplement consisted of either 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E and 15 mg of beta-carotene; 80 mg of zinc and 2 mg of copper; antioxidants and zinc; or an inactive pill (placebo).

AMD, the leading cause of blindness in elderly Americans, occurs when abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the tissue at the back of the eye, leading to blistering and scarring of the retina. The disease affects central vision needed for reading, driving and recognition of faces. However patients are often able to detect colors and see with their peripheral vision. There is currently no cure for AMD.

The same supplements in the study, however, did not reduce the risk of developing cataracts, which is a condition of a clouding of the lens of the eye that can occur with age. Individuals who were at a high risk of contracting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) took a high-dose combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the mineral zinc managed to lower their risk of the disease by 25 percent. The supplements had no apparent effect on those who were not at risk.

Study participants who were at a high risk of developing vision loss associated with AMD and who took antioxidants and zinc were less likely than those who took only antioxidants or only zinc. Individuals who took a placebo were the most likely to develop advanced AMD and vision loss.

Even among subjects who took a daily multivitamin in addition to the assigned supplement, the high-dose supplement, was associated with a decreased risk of vision loss. Although the nutrients found in the supplements occur naturally in many foods, sufficient levels may be difficult to obtain through diet alone.

While the supplements did not restore vision that had already been lost, they slowed the progression of vision loss in some individuals with intermediate or advanced AMD. These individuals ``should consider taking a supplement of antioxidants plus zinc,'' according to the researchers from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group.

Individuals should consult their doctor before taking high doses of any nutrients. Doses used in the study were five to 15 times the recommended dietary allowance and may have unintended effects in some individuals such as kidney stones (vitamin C), muscle weakness and fatigue (vitamin E), anemia and upset stomach (zinc) and yellow skin (beta carotene).

Dr. Lee M. Jampol, an ophthalmologist from Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, recommends that patients of any age who show advancing signs of macular degeneration to consider taking a similar supplement.

In a related study, the supplements did not reduce the risk of cataracts in the same group of patients over 7 years.

According to the The Archives of Ophthalmology (2001;119:1417-1436, 1439-1452, 1533), research was funded by the National Eye Institute, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. Bausch & Lomb provided the supplements used in the studies. Individual researchers have no financial stake in the supplements used in the study.