Vitamin D May Defend Against Eye Disease

In the April issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, research has shown that vitamin D supplementation may be an important key in warding of age-related macular degeneration in women younger than 75 years of age. AMD is a condition caused by progressive damage to the center of the retina at the back of the eye, and is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 50. According to researchers from the University of Buffalo in New York, postmenopausal women who had serum levels of at least 75 nmol/L of hydroxyvitamin D were 59 percent less likely to develop the disease than those with levels lower than 38 nmol/L. These findings confirm the results of earlier investigations linking high levels of vitamin D to protection against age-related macular degeneration. The researchers wrote that more studies are needed to confirm this link and to better comprehend the relationship between vitamin D status and lifestyle and genetic factors relating to the risk of early AMD. If you have macular degeneration or a family history of macular degeneration, please visit this page that explains the the impact of nutritional supplements on AMD.*