Benefits of micronutrient supplementation for reducing the risk of wet age-related macular disease and diabetic retinopathy

Abstract

<jats:p> Age-related macular disease and diabetic retinopathy are chronic degenerative diseases characterised by progressive visual impairment. In Europe, age-related macular disease accounts for over 15% of blindness in adults over 50 years of age, and although the burden of diabetic retinopathy in terms of vision impairment is lower, vision loss associated with diabetic retinopathy is increasing with the rising prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the ageing of the population. Late-stage age-related macular disease can be subdivided into dry (non-neovascular) or wet (neovascular or exudative) forms. The large Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 showed that supplementation with antioxidant nutrients reduces choroids neovascularisation and reduces the risk of progression of neovascular age-related macular disease. Antioxidant micronutrient supplements have also shown promising results in preventing the pathogenesis of retinopathy in animal models of diabetes. Age-related macular disease and diabetic retinopathy are understood to share some common pathophysiological characteristics, suggesting that micronutrients have an important role in ocular health in both conditions. This article will review the current evidence for the utility of micronutrients in preventing the development and progression of neovascular age-related macular disease and diabetic retinopathy. </jats:p>

Dietary vitamins, carotenoids and their sources in relation to age-related macular degeneration risk in China: a population-based case–control study

“…Although eggs contain markedly less lutein than dark-green leafy vegetables, lutein bioavailability from eggs is higher than that from https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114522002161 Published online by Cambridge University Press other food sources, possibly owing to the presence of the lipid matrix in egg yolk. 36 In a crossover trial, Chung et al observed that lutein-enriched egg consumption led to the highest serum lutein response compared with lutein supplements and spinach. 37 In addition, the influence of egg consumption on the incidence of AMD may be potentially mediated by other nutrients and compounds in the diet.…”

“…It should be noted that the inverse association was suggested to be stronger for the additive intakes of spinach and egg in the joint analysis. Although eggs contain markedly less lutein than dark-green leafy vegetables, lutein bioavailability from eggs is higher than that from other food sources, possibly owing to the presence of the lipid matrix in egg yolk (36) . In a crossover trial, Chung et al observed that lutein-enriched egg consumption led to the highest serum lutein response compared with lutein supplements and spinach (37) .…”

Gut Microbiome in Retina Health: The Crucial Role of the Gut-Retina Axis

“…Furthermore, its seems that gut microbiota may affect the metabolism of polyphenols to influence their bioactivity (Rowland et al, 2018). Finally, human and animal studies have underlined that gut microbiome composition may be influenced by several dietary nutrients such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which along with other nutrients (Costantini et al, 2017) are involved in ARMD (Rinninella et al, 2018;Battaglia Parodi et al, 2020).…”

Understanding Neurodegeneration from a Clinical and Therapeutic Perspective in Early Diabetic Retinopathy

“…One molecule is represented by arimoclomol, which upregulates heat shock proteins protecting against neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and retinitis pigmentosa [90]. Furthermore, the oxidative stress contributing to neurodegeneration can also be targeted using antioxidants and micronutrient supplementation [91,92]. The use of nutritional supplements containing antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids in type 2 diabetes significantly reduced the oxidative load, increasing circulating antioxidants [93].…”