Macular Degeneration

Taking saffron pills improved the visual acuity of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients in a small study. Macular degeneration is the gradual deterioration of the small, yellow-colored part of the eye near the center of the retina.

Saffron contains carotenoids called crocin and crocetin. These antioxidants have been shown to have a protective effect on retinal cells.
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Clinical trials are underway for an implantable device that delivers medication directly to the eyes of people with age-related macular degeneration. Current treatment involves eye injections every four-to-eight weeks, which is difficult to comply with and can create complications. The new technology is a tiny device that is put into the eye and lasts up to 2 years, reducing or eliminating the need for the injections. The devices are being developed by Cumberland, Rhode Island-based Neurotech.
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Women with specific genes may be more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) if they are deficient in Vitamin D, according to new research in JAMA Ophthalmology.

The genetic variant (Y402H) studied is the complement factor H gene, called CFH for short. The genes in question are related to the immune system. The development of macular degeneration is believed to involve inflammation. In AMD, drusen, lipids (fats) and proteins build up in the eye. The body perceives the drusen to be an invader and attacks it. The genes appear to cause a stronger immune response.
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A study slated to appear in the peer-reviewed American Journal of Ophthalmology found that cataract surgery does not appear to worsen pre-existing wet AMD (age-related macular degeneration). However, cataracts surgery appears to slightly change the anatomy of the eye, which might make AMD patients more susceptible to cystoid macular edema (a side effect of cataracts surgery) and choroidal neovascularization.

Cataract surgery is a common surgery, with a very high success rate and low side effects. Replacing the clouded lens with an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) allows more light to reach the retina, which significantly improves vision in cataracts patients. Cataracts frequently appear in the eyes of individuals as they age.
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Future treatments for macular degeneration (AMD), Stargardt’s disease, and retinitis pigmentosa may include bone marrow stem cell injections, if a new line of eye research pans out. A preliminary pilot study on six subjects with one of several ischemic eye diseases found that most patients had vision improvement after receiving injections of their own bone marrow.

The purpose of the study was to find out if there were any adverse side effects and to test for vision improvement. The only significant negative side effect was some pain after bone marrow
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Scientists have partially restored sight in blind mice using a protein to repair damaged cells in the retina. These experiments may ultimately lead to treatments that restore sight in patients with progressive degenerative retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration.

The research at the University of Bern in Switzerland and the University of Göttingen in Germany used “optogenetics,” which involves utilizing light to control neurons. They introduced new light-sensing proteins called Opto-mGluR6 into the eye. In essence, this turned the old cells into photoreceptors. These cells were then able to process
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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has been linked to supplementing more than 800 mg of calcium per day. The link was strongest in the elderly, who suffer from AMD the most. The research was a cross-sectional study of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. The RDA for calcium (CA) for adults is 1,000 mg; 1200 mg for women over 50. However, changes to the recommended total daily intake of CA have not been suggested.

This research was conducted at the University of California, SF, and appeared in JAMA Ophthalmology April 2015. It was based on surveys of calcium supplementation and AMD. In the past, the researchers had a similar finding with
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A cutting-edge project has produced a vast “road map” for proteins in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and choroid of the eye. The project, conducted by recent grantees of a BrightFocus grant, mapped the locations and quantities of 4,403 different eye proteins. This research could be invaluable to further understanding of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). 
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Patients with early signs of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may benefit from an oral treatment of key nutrients. In a study published in the journal Ophthalmology, a solution of carotenoids with co-antioxidants was shown to both improve vision and slow further degeneration in participants with early AMD.
In the randomized double-masked trial, 433 adults with early AMD who were 55 years of age or older were given either an active solution or a placebo. At the start of the trial, all participants had either early AMD in one eye and late-stage AMD in the other, or early AMD in both eyes. The active oral solution contained
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A one-time treatment for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is gaining popularity in Europe. Oraya Therapy, made by US-based company Oraya Therapeutics, Inc., is being offered at more locations in Europe, including a National Health Service hospital in the UK and several hospitals in Germany.

Oraya Therapy has already been a regular treatment option in hospitals throughout Germany, the UK, and Switzerland, increasingly embraced by patients, doctors, and insurance providers. The one-time treatment is a non-invasive therapy for wet AMD patients meant to maintain or improve vision and decrease frequency of anti-vascular endothelial growth
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