Eye health can benefit and your risk for age-related macular degeneration can be reduced by modifying your liefestyle

The Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study included 1313 women participants aged 55-74 years. Its purpose was to investigate the relationships between lifestyle behaviors of diet, smoking and physical activity and the subsequent prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and eye health.

The three groups

The study found that women who had unhealthy diets or smoked or did not exercise, had significantly higher odds of developing AMD and had risk of poor eye health.

• Diet
  The 2005 Healthy Eating Index was used to gauge diet quality and eating habits. Those women who scored highest in healthy diets lowered their odds of developing early AMD by 46%.
• Exercise
  Physical activity was quantified in metabolic energy task hours per week. The women in the highest quintile for physical activity had 54% lower odds for early AMD compared with the women in the lowest quintile.
• Smoking
  Women who combined smoking with the poor diet and exercise behaviors had 71% higher odds of developing AMD.

The study results conclude that modifying lifestyles and behaviors may reduce the risk for developing AMD.

Obesity is a serious growing public health problem. In the United States, obesity has doubled in adults and overweight prevalence has tripled in children and adolescents since 1980. Smokers should get regular dilated eye exams to evaluate the macula and retina.

In another study, doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, released data on a study that monitored about 1,500 patients with and without age related macular degeneration. The multi-year study found that patients who smoked were 22.47 times more likely to develop AMD. Obesity in these same individuals multiplied the risk of AMD development.

Dr. Deupree sees macular degeneration patients on a daily basis. His clinic can be reached at 727-789-8770 to set up an appointment for a retina examination. He is located in Clearwater — the Tampa Bay area of Florida.

See also: “How to avoid macular degeneration“