This study was conducted to examine whether intake of omega-3 fatty acid has any affect on the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in women.
38,022 women completed the food-frequency questionnaire and were not having AMD.
Incident AMD responsible for a reduction in best corrected visual acuity to 20/30 or worse based on self-report confirmed by medical record review.
10 years
A total of 235 cases of AMD, most characterized by some combination of drusen and retinal pigment epithelial changes, were confirmed during an average of 10 years of follow-up.
Women in the highest tertile of DHA intake, compared to the lowest, had a 38% lower risk of AMD (RR, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.45-0.85; p, test for trend, 0.003).
Consumption of high omega-3 FA was associated with a 42% lower risk of AMD (RR, 0.58; CI, 0.38-0.87; p, test for trend, 0.001).
Regular consumption of DHA and EPA significantly reduced the risk of incident AMD. This data appear to be the strongest evidence to support a role for omega-3 long chain fatty acids in the primary prevention of AMD, and also a reduction in the number of persons who ultimately suffer from advanced AMD.
Christen WG, Schaumberg DA, Glynn RJ, et al. Dietary Ω-3 fatty acid and fish intake and incident age-related macular degeneration in women. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011; 129(7):921-9
