The Study
Oral Antioxidant and Lutein/Zeaxanthin Supplements Slow Geographic Atrophy Progression to the Fovea in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
This study found that people who took certain vitamin pills had their blind spots in the eye move slower toward the center, where we see best. But it wasn't a new test — it looked back at data from older experiments, so we can't be 100% sure the pills caused it.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Some vitamins may help keep the center of your vision clear longer if you have a common eye disease called geographic atrophy.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 565 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Slowing damage to the center of the eye means you keep better vision longer — even if the total blind spot doesn't shrink, it takes longer to reach the part you need to see clearly.
- 2Vitamins C, E, and lutein/zeaxanthin slowed the spread of damage toward the center of the eye by about 35–36% over 3 years.
- 3β-carotene didn't help and made lutein/zeaxanthin less effective.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Ophthalmology
Year
2024
Authors
T. Keenan, E. Agrón, P. Keane, A. Domalpally, Emily Y. Chew
Related Content
Claims (6)
People who consume more lutein and zeaxanthin through their diet have a lower incidence of advanced age-related macular degeneration.
Antioxidant and lutein/zeaxanthin supplements reduce the rate at which geographic atrophy spreads toward the center of the retina, but they do not reduce the overall growth of the damaged area.
Taking lutein/zeaxanthin with vitamin C and E supplements slows the expansion of geographic atrophy toward the center of the macula more than taking vitamin C and E alone, and lutein/zeaxanthin continues to slow this progression even when vitamin C and E are already being taken without β-carotene.
Taking vitamin C, vitamin E, and β-carotene supplements daily slows the expansion of blind spots in the central vision by about 36% over three years in people with early-stage age-related macular degeneration.
Taking lutein and zeaxanthin supplements by mouth slows the expansion of geographic atrophy in the macula by about 35% in people with age-related macular degeneration who do not take β-carotene.
Taking β-carotene supplements does not slow the worsening of geographic atrophy in the macula and is associated with reduced effectiveness of lutein and zeaxanthin in slowing this condition.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.