Omega-3 may have benefits for dry AMD: Pilot Study

By Nathan Gray

- Last updated on GMT

Omega-3 may have benefits for dry AMD: Pilot Study
Supplementation with EPA-rich omega-3 fatty acids could help battle inflammation in the macula and therefore improve the vision in patients with dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), according to the findings of a new pilot study.

Writing in PharmaNutrition​, the research team report the findings from an open-label pilot study aimed at examining the potential for higher dose omega-3 fatty acids to provide clinical benefits to patients with dry AMD.

The team reported that supplemetation with the high-dose omega-3 fatty acids - providing 3.4 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1.6 g of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - led to significant improvements in vision acuity for 100% of participants within four and half months of supplementation commencing

Led by Tassos Georgiou from the Ophthalmos Research and Educational Institute, Cyprus, the team noted that AMD is the most common cause of severe and irreversible loss of central vision in people over the age of 50 - adding that there is no current approved treatment for dry AMD.

"Since there is no existing treatment for dry AMD, the positive clinical improvements obtained in this pilot study should be considered striking since 100% of the patients had an increase of at least one line of vision within 4.5 months after starting the omega-3 fatty acid supplementation,"​ said the authors.

"Although the dose of omega-3 fatty acids used in these studies may appear high, in fact the average daily EPA and DHA dose used in the subjects reported was about one-third of those levels used in various prior studies in the treatment of severe brain trauma and ADHD,"​ they added.

'Stark contrast'

Georgiou and colleagues noted that their findings are in 'stark contrast' with other recent publications that have found no benefit for omega-3 fatty acids and AMD.

"We hypothesize the reason that our open label experiments with high-dose omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of dry AMD was successful is a consequence of both (a) the increased dosage and (b) the higher levels of EPA delivered with our omega-3 fatty acid formulation,"​ they said.

"The daily levels of supplemented EPA in our open-label pilot study were 4 to 5 times greater than the other two negative studies​." 

Source: PharmaNutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.phanu.2013.10.001
"Pilot Study for Treating Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) with High-Dose Omega-3 Fatty Acids"
Authors: Tassos Georgiou, Anastasia Neokleous, Despina Nikolaou, Barry Sears

Related news

Show more

Related products

show more

Algal Oil or Fish Oil: Which Should I Choose?

Algal Oil or Fish Oil: Which Should I Choose?

Content provided by GC Rieber VivoMega™ | 04-Oct-2024 | Infographic

Are you fishing for answers when it comes to omega-3s from fish oil vs. algal oil? Do you find yourself asking if EPA or DHA from fish oil is the same...

Fast acting Specialty Lutein Esters

Fast acting Specialty Lutein Esters

Content provided by Ennature Biopharma, a Division of India Glycols Limited | 16-Sep-2024 | Case Study

Xanthogreen® is a clinically validated, clean label ingredient from marigold flowers that helps boost your eye health with visible effects in as little...

Meeting Consumers’ Demand for Plant-Based Omegas

Meeting Consumers’ Demand for Plant-Based Omegas

Content provided by Fruit D'or | 17-Jul-2024 | White Paper

Omega supplement brands looking to offer alternatives to fish oil now have a solution for consumers concerned about the environment, availability, and...

Harness the power of algae for omega-3 innovation

Harness the power of algae for omega-3 innovation

Content provided by dsm-firmenich | 18-Jun-2024 | Insight Guide

Algal-sourced omega-3s have limitless potential, able to scale to meet the needs of our planet’s population with twice the potency – naturally – and all...

Related suppliers

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars