Condition
Age-related macular degeneration
Progressive damage to the central retina that blurs central vision in older adults.
See a clinician
Some causes of age-related macular degeneration need medical care, not self-treatment. Seek help for any of these:
- Sudden distortion or loss of central vision, or a dark spot — urgent ophthalmology (possible wet AMD).
What may help
Remedies studied for age-related macular degeneration, ranked by strength of evidence.
- A Zinc nutrient
As part of the AREDS antioxidant-plus-zinc formula, zinc cuts progression to advanced AMD by ~25% in high-risk eyes — the strongest, most replicated AMD nutrition evidence (effect is for the combination, not zinc alone).
- B Lutein + zeaxanthin supplement
Did not beat placebo as a lone additive in AREDS2's primary analysis, but over 10 years it lowered progression to late AMD versus beta-carotene (HR 0.85) without beta-carotene's lung-cancer risk — now the recommended carotenoid in the formula.
- D Fish oil (omega-3) supplement
AREDS2 — the only large purpose-built RCT — found omega-3 did not slow AMD progression at either 5 or 10 years (HR 1.01).
Progressive damage to the central retina that blurs central vision in older adults. This is a reference stub — evidence-graded remedies for it are not yet curated here.
Background: MedlinePlus (public domain).