Carotenoids and antioxidants in age-related maculopathy italian study: multifocal electroretinogram modifications after 1 year

Ophthalmology. 2008 Feb;115(2):324-333.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2007.05.029. Epub 2007 Aug 22.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the influence of short-term carotenoid and antioxidant supplementation on retinal function in nonadvanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Participants: Twenty-seven patients with nonadvanced AMD and visual acuity > or =0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution were enrolled and randomly divided into 2 age-similar groups: 15 patients had oral supplementation of vitamin C (180 mg), vitamin E (30 mg), zinc (22.5 mg), copper (1 mg), lutein (10 mg), zeaxanthin (1 mg), and astaxanthin (4 mg) (AZYR SIFI, Catania, Italy) daily for 12 months (treated AMD [T-AMD] group; mean age, 69.4+/-4.31 years; 15 eyes); 12 patients had no dietary supplementation during the same period (nontreated AMD [NT-AMD] group; mean age, 69.7+/-6.23 years; 12 eyes). At baseline, they were compared with 15 age-similar healthy controls.

Methods: Multifocal electroretinograms in response to 61 M-stimuli presented to the central 20 degrees of the visual field were assessed in pretreatment (baseline) conditions and, in nonadvanced AMD patients, after 6 and 12 months.

Main outcome measures: Multifocal electroretinogram response amplitude densities (RAD, nanovolt/deg(2)) of the N1-P1 component of first-order binary kernels measured from 5 retinal eccentricity areas between the fovea and midperiphery: 0 degrees to 2.5 degrees (R1), 2.5 degrees to 5 degrees (R2), 5 degrees to 10 degrees (R3), 10 degrees to 15 degrees (R4), and 15 degrees to 20 degrees (R5).

Results: At baseline, we observed highly significant reductions of N1-P1 RADs of R1 and R2 in T-AMD and NT-AMD patients when compared with healthy controls (1-way analysis of variance P<0.01). N1-P1 RADs of R3-R5 observed in T-AMD and NT-AMD were not significantly different (P>0.05) from controls. No significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in N1-P1 RADs of R1-R5 between T-AMD and NT-AMD at baseline. After 6 and 12 months of treatment, T-AMD eyes showed highly significant increases in N1-P1 RADs of R1 and R2 (P<0.01), whereas no significant (P>0.05) change was observed in N1-P1 RADs of R3-R5. No significant (P>0.05) changes were found in N1-P1 RADs of R1-R5 in NT-AMD eyes.

Conclusions: In nonadvanced AMD eyes, a selective dysfunction in the central retina (0 degrees -5 degrees ) can be improved by the supplementation with carotenoids and antioxidants. No functional changes are present in the more peripheral (5 degrees -20 degrees ) retinal areas.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Oral
  • Aged
  • Antioxidants / administration & dosage*
  • Ascorbic Acid / administration & dosage
  • Carotenoids / administration & dosage*
  • Copper / administration & dosage
  • Electroretinography / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Lutein / administration & dosage
  • Macular Degeneration / drug therapy*
  • Macular Degeneration / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Retina / drug effects*
  • Retina / physiopathology
  • Visual Acuity
  • Visual Fields
  • Vitamin E / administration & dosage
  • Xanthophylls / administration & dosage
  • Zeaxanthins
  • Zinc / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Xanthophylls
  • Zeaxanthins
  • Vitamin E
  • Carotenoids
  • Copper
  • astaxanthine
  • Zinc
  • Ascorbic Acid
  • Lutein