In the past, we had never heard of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Now it seems to be prevalent in many families. I have experienced it within my own family and it truly does creep up on you.

My mother experienced early symptoms but didn’t mention it because she didn’t know it was something to be seriously concerned about. She probably thought it was cataract, as her own mother suffered from this condition and had a successful operation to halt the disease.

However, age-related macular degeneration is serious and needs to be diagnosed as early as possible. It is the gradual destruction of the macula (the central pigmented area of the retina), leading to the loss of fine detail, ‘straight ahead’ and colour vision needed for activities such as reading and driving.

Official diagnoses of the condition have increased by 30 to 40 per cent over the last few decades. Some 500,000 people are diagnosed with AMD in the UK, 11 million in the US and 75 per cent of people aged over 75 in industrialised countries. AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in people aged over 60.

There is no doubt that as we age, we are more prone to eye disease or eye problems. Cataract has been a common disease for years.

A cloudiness develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or lens capsule. Varying in degrees from slight to complete opacity, obstructing the passage of light, cataract is the leading cause of blindness in underdeveloped countries worldwide. Ten million Americans and one in three Britons suffers from cataract.

Another common ailment is diabetic retinopathy, which is brought on by diabetes and is the damage to the tiny blood vessels of the retina.

According to diabetic associations, nearly all patients with Type 1 diabetes will develop some form of this after 20 years, and more than a fifth of those with Type 2 diabetes already have it when diagnosed, or will go on to develop it in later years.

Interestingly, research has revealed that diminishing eyesight has little to do with age and much more to do with what you eat.

The amount of sugary foods consumed are not just bad for your weight; they could also be contributing to your sight loss.

This nutritional research connects the cause of all three conditions with processed foods.

The lead scientist at the Jean Mayer United States Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Centre on Ageing at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, has been involved in numerous studies, including the most recent Nutrition and Vision Project.

As we age, we are more prone to eye disease or eye problems

While studying patients who eventually developed cataract, AMD or diabetic retinopathy, scientist Chung-Jung Chiu found that all three conditions had a single common denominator: a diet high in processed sugar.

Today, and next week, I would like to explore the food that helps eye health and the research which has shown that diet has a massive impact on our sight as we grow older.

A link has been made between eye disease and the amount and type of fats consumed. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health found that AMD patients consuming high levels of vegetable fats nearly quadrupled their risk of disease progression, while high intakes of processed foods laden with any type of processed fats (animal, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) doubled the risk of progression.

This research suggests that overly high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which are found abundantly in processed foods can contribute to the oxidative damage by age-related eye disease (Arch. Ophthalmol., 2003).

More recent studies show that other kinds of fats, such as fish and nuts (both rich in omega-3 fatty acids), can protect against these eye conditions as long as intake of the usual omega-6 fatty acids is low.

In one study, eating fish at least once a week reduced the risk of early AMD by 40 per cent in those aged over 49, while those who ate fish three or more times a week lowered their risk of late AMD by 75 per cent (Arch. Ophthalmol., 2006).

As well as fish, studies have shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables can guard against all three conditions. High intakes of fruit (at least three portions per day) can reduce the risk of AMD and cataract by about a third and of diabetic retinopathy by more than half in Type 2 diabetics.

Once again, the Mediterranean diet – rich in fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, fish, beans and olive oil – has proved to be one of the most powerful regimes in supporting healthy eyes.

Another risk factor for eye disease is a sedentary lifestyle. People who exercise for just seven hours a week lower their risk of AMD by two thirds, while running and even moderate walking can cut the risk of cataract significantly.

Next week we will look at tips for a healthy eye diet, whether eye disease can be reversed and what role the glycaemic index (GI) plays in increasing the three conditions.

kathryn@maltanet.net

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