Antioxidants & Age-Related Eye Disease | American Optometric Association

Antioxidants & Age-Related Eye Disease

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Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are the leading causes of visual impairment and acquired blindness in the U.S., and are key quality of life issues among millions of aging Americans.

•Approximately 10 million Americans suffer from early signs of AMD and almost a half million people have significant visual loss from late-stage AMD.


•Cataract extractions are the most common surgical procedure performed in the U.S., accounting for more than 2 million procedures a year. It has been estimated that if the progression of cataracts could be delayed by 10 years, the number of cataract extraction surgeries per year would be reduced by 45 percent.

Both the severity and irreversibility of cataracts and AMD have generated interest in ways to either prevent or delay their progression. Nutrition is one promising means of protecting the eyes from these diseases.


full-text from MedlinePlus and AOA:
Antioxidants & Age-Related Eye Disease | American Optometric Association