scholarly journals Long-Term Effects of Vitamins C and E, β-Carotene, and Zinc on Age-related Macular Degeneration

Ophthalmology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 120 (8) ◽  
pp. 1604-1611.e4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Y. Chew ◽  
Traci E. Clemons ◽  
Elvira Agrón ◽  
Robert D. Sperduto ◽  
John Paul SanGiovanni ◽  
...  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Studnička ◽  
Eva Rencová ◽  
Milan Bláha ◽  
Pavel Rozsíval ◽  
Miriam Lánská ◽  
...  

Purpose. Determining long-term effects of rheohaemapheresis on the dry form of age-related macular degeneration.Methods. This study evaluates 19 patients, average age of 67.6 years, treated with rheohaemapheresis and 18 patients, average age of 72.8 years, comprising the control group. Minimum follow up period was 3.5 years. Each treated patient received a series of 8 sessions of rheohaemapheresis of 1.5 plasma volumes within 10 weeks. We measured the drusenoid pigment epithelium detachment (DPED), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), electroretinography (ERG), and rheological parameters.Results. In the treatment group, the baseline BCVA was 0.74 (0.36–1.0) 95% CI and BCVA after 3.5 years was 0.79 (0.41–1.0) 95% CI (P=0.726). In the control group, the baseline BCVA was 0.71 (0.15–1.0) 95% CI and BCVA after 3.5 years decreased to 0.7 (0.32–0.87) 95% CI (P=0.031). Baseline DPED was 6.78 ± 3.79 mm2; after 3.5 years, it decreased to 4.13 ± 3.84 mm2(P<0.001). In the control group, the baseline DPED was 4.09 ± 3.48 mm2; after 3.5 years, it increased to 6.69 ± 4.2 mm2(P=0.001). We noted increasing levels of positive wave peaking at 50 milliseconds (P50) after treatment (P=0.022) and a stable amplitude of photopic responses of treated patients.Conclusion. Over the long term, rheohaemapheresis reduced the DPED, improved the function of photoreceptors, and prevented the decline of BCVA.


2012 ◽  
Vol 251 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp S. Muether ◽  
Robert Hoerster ◽  
Manuel M. Hermann ◽  
Bernd Kirchhof ◽  
Sascha Fauser

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimír Blaha ◽  
Hana Langrová ◽  
Milan Blaha ◽  
Jan Studnička ◽  
Alexander Stěpanov ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive chronic disease with resulting visual impairment or even blindness with limited therapeutic options. Because hyperlipidemia is a significant risk factor for AMD development we investigated long-term effects of rheohaemapheresis in the dry form of age-related macular degeneration on the lipid related parameters including PCSK9.Methods. This study evaluates 31 patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), treated with rheohaemapheresis. The followed-up period was 7 years. Average age was 69.1 ± 4.9 years. Each treated patient received a series of 8 sessions of rheohaemapheresis. 2 additional procedures within 1-week procedures were performed to boost the effect after the 2-year period. We measured the drusenoid pigment epithelium detachment (DPED), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), electroretinography (ERG), lipid, inflammatory, endothelial dysfunction and rheologically important parameters. Results. Rheohaemapheresis treatment in AMD patients was associated with a significant decrease of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, apoprotein B, and lipoprotein (a) levels, biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (CD40L, MCP-1) and rheologically important parameters, and serum PCSK9 (P<0.001). The patients were further divided into 2 groups based on the ophtalmological examination. Successfully treated patients (n=10, with at least a 5-year follow-up) had significantly lower baseline LDL-C and ApoB (P<0.05) and their serum PCSK9 significantly decreased after rheohaemapheresis (P<0.001) in comparison to the patients where treatment failured (n=4). Conclusion. Over the long term, rheohaemapheresis reduced the DPED, improved the function of photoreceptors, and prevented the decline of BCVA. BCVA improvement was accompanied by lowering of LDL-C and PCSK9 and improvement of endothelial dysfunction. We suggest that rheohaemapheresis and other novel anti-PCSK9 therapies may be used synergistically to reduce severity, slow down or even induce regression of AMD.


2013 ◽  
Vol 06 (02) ◽  
pp. 144 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G Christen ◽  
Emily Y Chew ◽  
◽  

Recent findings from observational epidemiologic studies have raised concern about a possible adverse effect of regular aspirin use in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and in particular neovascular AMD, which is the leading cause of severe irreversible blindness in the US. In this report, we consider these findings in light of the relative strengths and limitations of observational studies and randomized trials. While the findings are important and warrant further investigation, the inherent limitations of observation studies, most notably uncontrolled confounding, preclude an interpretation of causality. Alternatively, the most reliable evidence with which to evaluate the effects of regular aspirin use in AMD will derive from well-designed randomized trials of sufficient size and duration.


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