For eyes. (Quick Studies).Antioxidant vitamins and zinc can help protect the macula 1. a stain, spot, or thickening; in anatomy, an area distinguishable by color or otherwise from its surroundings. Often used alone to refer to the macula retinae. 2. m. lutea. 3. macule. 4. a corneal scar, appreciated as a gray spot.mac´ularmac´ulate acoustic maculae maculae acusticae. (center of the retina) in people who already have age-related macular degeneration ascending degeneration wallerian degeneration affecting centripetal nerve fibers and progressing toward the brain or spinal cord. calcareous degeneration degeneration of tissue with deposit of calcareous material. caseous degeneration caseation (2). (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people aged 65 or older. In a study of more than 3,600 people aged 55 to 80, AMD was less likely to get worse over six years in those who took either zinc (80 mg a day) or a mixture of vitamin E (400 IU IU - Idiot User IU - Image Understanding IU - Imaging Unit IU - Immunizing Unit IU - In Utero IU - Inch Up (elevators) IU - Independant Union IU - Indiana University IU - Individualais Uznemums (Latvian: Personal Company - Analog Company) IU - Industrial User IU - Integer Unit (CPU) IU - Intel University IU - Intelligent Unit IU - Interaction Unit IU - Interface Unit IU - Intermediate Unit IU - International Unit), vitamin C (500 mg), and carotene beta carotene the ß- isomer of carotene; a preparation is used to prevent vitamin A deficiency and to reduce the severity of photosensitivity in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. car·o·tene (k  r">beta-carotene beta-carotene: see carotene; antioxidant; Vitamin A under vitamin. (15 mg, or 25,000 IU) than in those who took a placebo. Among the roughly 2,600 who already had intermediate or advanced AMD, the risk of vision loss dropped 29 percent in those taking zinc, 24 percent in those taking antioxidants, and 34 percent in those taking both. None of the supplements lowered the risk of cataracts. What to do: Anyone older than 55 should have their eyes examined when dilated to look for signs of macular degeneration macular degeneration, eye disorder causing loss of central vision. The affected area, the macula, lies at the back of the retina and is the part that produces the sharpest vision. The most serious visual impairment occurs when abnormal blood vessels form and leak serous fluid or bleed into the tissue of the macula, ultimately producing scar tissue. Peripheral (side) vision is unaffected. Onset may be acute with hemorrhage but usually is gradually progressive.. People who have intermediate or advanced AMD in one or both eyes should take supplements like those used in the study. Because high doses of zinc can impair the absorption of copper, they should also take a day's worth of copper (2 mg). Exception: smokers should skip the beta-carotene because it can raise their risk of lung cancer. Other studies suggest that lutein lutein /lu·te·in/ (-in) 1. a lipochrome from the corpus luteum, fat cells, and egg yolk. 2. any lipochrome. lu·te·in (l, a carotenoid 1. any of a group of red, orange, or yellow pigmented polyisoprenoid hydrocarbons synthesized by prokaryotes and higher plants and concentrating in animal fat when eaten; examples are ß-carotene, lycopene, and xanthophyll. 2. marked by yellow color. provitamin A carotenoids found in green leafy vegetables, may protect eyes, but it hasn't been tested in a large, long-term trial. Archives of Ophthalmology 119: 1417, 1439, 1533, 2001. |
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