Among age-related eye diseases, the age-related macular degeneration (DMLE- https://www.oculistaitaliano.it/articoli/ruolo-dellinfiammazione-nelle-patogenesi-della-degenerazione-maculare-legata-alleta/ ) is among the leading causes of blindness in developing countries and the leading cause of severe visual acuity loss and legal blindness in the Western population over 65 years of age. There are about 200 million people currently suffer from AMD, a number set to rise to around 300,000 by 2040as indicated by epidemiological studies.
AMD is a multifactorial disease that results in a irreversible visual impairment as a result of the alteration of the central part of the retina, the macula. Individuals suffering from AMD, who generally belong to an age group of over 60, have difficulty in reading, driving and all daily activities that require good eyesight, such as face recognition.
From DMLE there are two main forms:
-atrophic or dry, the most frequent form that is characterised clinically by the formation of drusen, i.e. small deposits of yellowish material within the retina;
-neovascular or wetwhich only appears in about 10% of cases as a result of the formation of small retinal blood vessels that cause blood to leak right below the retina.
The incidence of AMD, despite being linked to the natural ageing process, is related to several risk factors which can be categorised into controllable and non-controllable. Amongst those that cannot be controlled beyond age, one must consider, for example, genetic predisposition; controllable ones, on the other hand, include the smoking, lifestyle and especially eating habitswhose importance was highlighted by a very recent study.
The authors of the research, who are part of the "The Eye-Risk Consortium"have demonstrated a close association between the adoption of a Mediterranean diet (DIME) and the incidence of AMD. The research, published in one of the most relevant journals in the field of ophthalmology, Ophthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)began by taking into consideration some epidemiological data that showed that the consumption of omega-3 (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and antioxidants (such as zeaxanthin and lutein) was able to reduce the incidence of AMD. As proof of this, the results of this latest study of almost 5,000 participants showed that the incidence of AMD decreased by 41%particularly for the atrophic form, among those who followed a diet adhering to the Mediterranean diet, characterised by a high consumption of fish, fruit and vegetables and a reduced or controlled intake of meat and dairy products, as well as alcoholic beverages.
Also, among those aged between 55 and 80, adoption of a Mediterranean diet was effective in reducing (<26%) the risk of progression of AMD to more advanced forms.
In conclusion, the data of this study, together with those of previous research, once again underlined the importance of a healthy and balanced nutrition such as the Mediterranean diet, which has always been considered beneficial for the general wellbeing of our organism, even with regard to important retinal diseases, such as AMD.
Source
Merle BMJ et al. Mediterranean Diet and Incidence of Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration: The EYE-RISK Consortium. Ophthalmology. 2018; pii: S0161-6420(18)30721-8.
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
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