Supplements and Age-Related Eye Conditions: The Beaver Dam Eye Study
Received 19 June 2007; received in revised form 27 August 2007; accepted 13 September 2007. published online 12 November 2007.
Objective
To investigate the association of use of vitamin, mineral, and nonvitamin nonmineral supplements with common age-related eye diseases.
Design
Population-based prospective study with incidence data.
Participants
Subjects were participants in the Beaver Dam Eye Study who contributed data in 1988 to 1990 (n = 4926), 1993 to 1995 (n = 3722), 1998 to 2000 (n = 2962), and 2003 to 2005 (n = 2375).
Methods
Use of all medications and supplements were collected from study participants at each of 4 examinations. Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and fundus and lens photography were done at each visit. Visual field data are available only from baseline. Photographs of the lenses, retina, and discs were graded using standard protocols by trained graders.
Main Outcome Measures
Incidence of age-related cataracts, macular degeneration (AMD), and high IOP for one set of analyses and incidence of supplement use for the second set of analyses.
Results
There was little evidence of any significant associations between supplement use and incident ocular outcomes except for a small protective effect for cortical cataracts by vitamins A and D, zinc, and multivitamins and increased odds of late AMD. Late AMD was associated with incident use of vitamins A, C, and E and zinc.
Conclusions
Age-related macular degeneration seems to precede use of vitamins A, C, and E and zinc. This may reflect advice by family, friends, and health care providers about the benefits of Age-Related Eye Disease Study–like supplements.
Available online: November 12, 2007.
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Correspondence to Barbara Eden Kobrin Klein, MD, MPH, University of Wisconsin Madison, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, 610 North Walnut Street, 4th Floor WARF, Madison, WI 53726.
Manuscript no. 2007-819.
This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland (grant no. EY06594 [RK, BEKK]), and, in part, by Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, New York (Senior Scientific Investigator Awards [BEKK, RK]).
No conflicting relationship exists for any author.
ABSTRACT