Efficacy of ω-3 Fatty Acids in Preventing Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Review
Received 5 August 2005; accepted 14 February 2006.
Topic
What is the evidence for efficacy of dietary and/or supplemental ω-3 fatty acids in preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?
Clinical Relevance
Age-related macular degeneraion is the leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in persons older than 50 years living in North America. There is no cure for AMD, and treatment does not usually restore vision but only prevents disease progression to a modest degree. ω-3 fatty acids are considered potentially important antioxidants and are being considered as an arm of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study II clinical trial.
Methods/Literature Reviewed
Keywords were searched in Medline, Pre-Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on Ovid. There was no restriction on the year or language of publication.
Results
There were 6 observational studies found, but the specific outcomes, exposures, and covariates studied all varied greatly.
Conclusion
There is some clinical evidence for protection of AMD from ω-3 fatty acids. However, the results are not consistent. Hence, our conclusion is that this issue is neither clearly supported nor refuted by the present world literature. This is an intriguing and extremely important question but needs further study first with prospective cohort designs and, if positive, randomized clinical trials.
1Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa Eye Institute, Ottawa, Canada
2Chalmers Systematic Review Research Group, CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
Correspondence to William G. Hodge, MD, PhD, University of Ottawa Eye Institute, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa Ontario K1H 8L6, Canada.
Manuscript no. 2005-731.
This study was requested and funded by the Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, through the Evidence-Based Practice Center program at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland.
ABSTRACT