I SEE!!!......We’ve been discussing some of the major causes of Macular Degeneration and especially those that can be prevented or treated.  We’ve discussed the importance of controlling the “bad” or Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL), and we’ve discussed the fact that Homocysteine and Cardiac-Reactive Protein, which are two of the most important “red flags” heralding the possible beginning of Macular Degeneration are generally not looked for when blood is being tested for abnormal lipids.  We’ve emphasized the importance of controlling any “Risk Factors” which, when present, materially increase one’s chance of developing Macular Degeneration.

Prevention of Macular Degeneration is not an exact science but we do know that doing some of the following things may help to delay the onset of the disease.

Maintain a proper diet including fish (tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, salmon) as well as fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants (green and yellow vegetables such as squash, spinach and greens).  And…  DO NOT SMOKE!

But what does one do when one’s eye physician has told you that you have the beginnings of Macular Degeneration or that you have actually already developed Macular Degeneration?  Well, the first thing that you would want to know was whether you had a Dry type of Macular Degeneration or whether you already had the advanced form of Macular Degeneration known as Wet type.  For the moment, I’m going to limit this discussion to the Dry Type.  These are the earlier forms of the disease and the type that can be more successfully treated or prevented from progressing to more advanced stages such as Wet type Macular Degeneration.  As a first step, one must make every effort to control any risk factors that are present such as abnormally high levels of  LDL (low-density lipoproteins) or abnormally high Homocysteine or Cardiac-Reactive Protein levels which are certainly strong indicators of a risk of developing Macular Degeneration.  Smoking is definitely another strong risk factor that can be modified.  Unfortunately, in many instances, those values are not included when blood is drawn and they should be.  You might then ask if there are medications available that one can take once a diagnosis of Dry type Macular Degeneration has been made?  The answer to that question is….YES!

In October of 2001, the results of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study were reported definitely proving the benefits of certain vitamins and supplements in the treatment of Macular Degeneration.  More on that study later.

At my next discussion, I will explore the strange and confusing world of “Vitamins and Supplements?  Which are the good ones and which ones are useless?  What is the “Vitamin Hoax”?

John Colombo, M.D.