Low adherence rate for vitamin supplementation

A recent study showed that patients with intermediate or advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in at least one eye have a low adherence rate to the AREDS recommendations for vitamin supplementation. The? study was conducted to ascertain the rate of adherence to the recommendations of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) regarding the use of vitamin supplements among patients with AMD at a tertiary retina center and to determine factors associated with adherence. An in-person survey was administered to patients with a history of AMD to determine use of vitamin supplementation. In addition, other factors were studied which may influence supplementation use patterns. Sixty-three percent of the 64 patients who completed the survey met AREDS criteria for vitamin supplementation. Only 43% who met the criteria actually reported taking AREDS vitamins in the recommended dosages. All of the patients who used the AREDS vitamins as recommended were return patients to the tertiary retina center and stated that a retina specialist had recommended the use of supplements. 87% of the patients who met the AREDS criteria but who did not take the recommended vitamins were new patients to the retina service and 75% reported they had never gotten a recommendation to use supplements.* Andrea Schumann Staff Writer