Another good reason to supplement with B12

[Guest guest]

People who have elevated homocysteine in their blood, an amino acid

that is a known biomarker for cardiovascular disease, may also be at

an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration

(AMD), according to a study in the January issue of the American

Journal of Ophthalmology. This research was conducted at the

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Devers Eye Institute in

Portland, Ore.

 

In this largest study of the relationship of this amino acid and AMD,

researchers measured the fasting plasma homocystein levels of 934

individuals who were participating in an ancillary study of the Age-

Related Eye Disease Study. Five hundred and forty seven people with

AMD and 387 control subjects were tested.

 

" We found that elevated homocysteine in the blood may be another

biomarker for increased risk of AMD, " said lead author Johanna M.

Seddon, MD, director of epidemiology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear

Infirmary. Seddon is also an associate professor of ophthalmology at

Harvard Medical School. " Homocysteine can be reduced by dietary

intake of vitamins B6, B12, and folate, so the relationship between

this amino acid and AMD deserves further study. "

 

Researchers found that median values were higher among people with

advanced stages of AMD compared to people without AMD, controlling

for age and other factors. Levels considered high in the clinical

setting (above 12 mmol/l) were also associated with a higher risk of

AMD. Seddon's finding adds to the growing body of evidence that there

may be overlapping disease mechanisms between AMD and cardiovascular

diseases.

 

Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible

visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older. With

the elderly population steadily growing, the burden related to this

loss of visual function will increase. Limited treatment options

exist and prevention remains the best approach for addressing this

public health concern.

 

Seddon and colleagues first proposed this potential relationship

between homocysteine and AMD in the mid-1990s and published this

hypothesis in a review article in 1999. She and her team previously

established that smoking and nutrition are modifiable factors

associated with the development and progression of AMD. They are now

also searching for the genes involved in the etiology of this

increasing cause of blindness.

 

This research was funded by grants from the National Institute of

Health, the National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD; the Epidemiology

Unit Research Fund of the MEEI, Boston, and the Good Samaritan

Foundation, Portland, Ore.

 

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

meei.harvard.edu

 

The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, an independent specialty

hospital, is an international center for treatment and research and a

teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

 

Harvard Medical School

hms.harvard.edu