Women who get lots of omega-3 fatty acids are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye disease affecting millions of older adults in the US. That's the conclusion of a new study, which jibes with earlier research linking fish consumption to slower progression of AMD.
Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA include salmon, trout, sardines, herring and tuna. AMD is caused by abnormal blood vessel growth behind the retina or breakdown of light-sensitive cells within the retina itself - both of which can cause serious vision impairment. Some 1.7 million Americans have severe vision loss due to the disease, making it the leading cause of blindness in older adults.
At this point, doctors can halt AMD, but they can't reverse damage to the retina. So researchers have been busy looking for ways to stave off the disease.
"Other than giving up cigarette smoking or never starting smoking, there are no known ways to prevent AMD," said William G. Christen of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, who worked on the new study, published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
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