Worried about vision loss? A new study says vision loss later in life could be linked to an unhealthy diet now.
Researching vision loss and diet
A new study from the University at Buffalo spanning nearly two decades found a correlation between eating unhealthy foods and age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
AMD blurs central vision, which helps you see objects clearly, by impacting the retina with age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s the leading cause of permanent impairment of reading and close-up vision among people 65 and older.
The new study, which was published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, looked at arterial health for a group of participants from 1987 to 1995. The data analyzed the effects of two diets:
- Healthy
- Western (lots of desserts fried food, processed and red meats, refined grains, sugar-sweetened drinks and high-fat dairy products)
The research team found that AMD was three times higher among people who primarily ate a Western diet.
“What we observed in this study was that people who had no AMD or early AMD at the start of our study, and reported frequently consuming [unhealthful] foods, were more likely to develop vision-threatening, late-stage disease approximately 18 years later,” explains Dr. Amy Millen. “The clinical take-home message is that dietary intake likely makes a difference in determining central vision loss later in life. If a person has early-onset AMD, it is in their best interest to eat foods we identified as part of the Western diet pattern in moderation.”
Types of late-stage AMD
Neovascular AMD, sometimes called “wet AMD,” requires injecting antivascular growth factors.
Geographic atrophy often referred to as “dry AMD,” occurs when the photoreceptor cells die. There is no treatment for dry AMD.
Because early-stage AMD has no symptoms, you probably won’t know you have it. It’s all the more reason to get regular eye exams.
