B-Vitamins...

February 24, 2009

B vitamins may prevent blindness: Study By Stephen Daniells,

24-Feb-2009

Related topics: Research <http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research>

, Vitamins & premixes

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Product-Categories/Vitamins-premixe\

s> , Eye health

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Health-condition-categories/Eye-hea\

lth> , Women's health

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Health-condition-categories/Women-s\

-health>

A combination of folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 may reduce the risk

of age-related macular degeneration in women by 34 per cent, says a new

study.

In addition, the combined B vitamin supplements were associated with a

41 per cent reduced risk of visually significant AMD, according to

findings of a randomised, double-blind clinical trial involving 5,442

women age 40 and older.

The researchers, led by William Christen from the Brigham and Women's

Hospital and Harvard Medical School, published their findings in the

Archives of Internal Medicine.

Despite the fact that approximately 25 to 30 million people worldwide

are affected by AMD, awareness of the condition is low, according to AMD

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=AMD>

Alliance International. And as the generation of Baby Boomers gets

older, the Alliance expects incidence to be on the rise and triple by

2025.

AMD is a degenerative retinal disease that causes central vision loss

and leaves only peripheral vision. Early detection is cited as a means

of prevention so that treatment or rehabilitation can be undertaken

early enough. However, links to diet have also been underscored.

Study details

Building on the findings of recent studies that reported a correlation

between AMD and blood levels of an amino acid called homocysteine,

linked to dysfunction of the blood vessel lining. Added to this are

observations that supplementation with vitamins B6 and B12, and folic

acid may reduce homocysteine

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=homocyste\

ine> levels and reverse this blood vessel dysfunction.

Christen and his co-workers recruited women with heart disease or at

least three risk factors for the disease. Of these, 96 per cent of the

women did not have AMD at the start of the study. The women were

randomly assigned to receive either placebo or a combination of folic

acid (2.5 mg per day), vitamin B6 (50 mg per day) and vitamin B12 (1 mg

per day).

Over the course of 7.3 years of intervention and follow-up, the

researchers documents 137 new cases of AMD, of which 70 cases were

visually significant.

The combined B vitamin supplement was associated with a 34 per cent

lower risk of any AMD and a 41 per cent lower risk of visually

significant AMD, said the researchers. . " The beneficial effect of

treatment began to emerge at approximately two years of follow-up and

persisted throughout the trial, " wrote the authors.

" The trial findings reported herein are the strongest evidence to date

in support of a possible beneficial effect of folic acid and B vitamin

supplements in AMD prevention, " they added.

Importantly, the researchers added that, because the results apply to

the early stages of disease development, they appear to represent the

first identified, besides smoking, to reduce the risk of AMD in

individuals at an average risk.

" From a public health perspective, this is particularly important

because persons with early AMD are at increased risk of developing

advanced AMD, the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in

older Americans, " they said.

Commenting on the potential mechanism, Christen and his co-workers note

that, beyond lowering homocysteine levels, other modes of action include

antioxidant effects and improved function of blood vessels in the eye.

Prevention is key

The results were welcomed by Andrew Shao, PhD, vice president,

scientific and regulatory affairs, for the Council for Responsible

Nutrition (CRN), a supplements trade association, who called the results

very promising.

" Currently, there are very few treatment options available for AMD,

so prevention is key, " said Dr Shao. " The results of this study

suggest that B vitamins

<http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/content/search?SearchText=B+vitamin\

s> could be combined with other supplemental nutrients including the

antioxidants, vitamins C and E and carotenoids beta-carotene and lutein,

which have also been shown to lower the risk of AMD.

" These supplements in turn, can be added to other preventive

measures, including avoiding smoking and excessive sun exposure to

provide even further protection. "

Source: Archives in Internal Medicine

2009, Volume 169, Issue 4, Pages 335-341

" Folic Acid, Pyridoxine, and Cyanocobalamin Combination Treatment

and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women: The Women's Antioxidant

and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study "

Authors: W.G. Christen, R.J. Glynn, E.Y. Chew, C.M. Albert, J.E. Manson

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