Fish for Sight

Mackerel

Intake of oily fish once a week may reduce age-related macular degeneration(AMD),a major cause of blindness and poor vision in the elderly,says a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

There are two types of AMD,wet and dry.Of the two,wet AMD is the main cause of vision loss.A team of researchers across seven European countries and co-ordinated by the London School Of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine sought to investigate the association between fish intake and omega 3 fatty acids with wet AMD,comparing people with wet AMD with controls.

In the study,participants were interviewed about their dietary habits including how much fish they ate and what type.Information on the main omega 3 fatty acids( docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) ) was obtained by linking dietary data with food composition tables.The findings show that people who habitually consume oily fish at least once a week compared with less than once a week are 50 percent less likely to have AMD.

There was no benefit from consumption of non-oily white fish.There was a strong inverse association between levels of DHA and EPA and wet AMD.People in the top 25 percent of DHA and EPA levels (300 mg per day and above) were 70 percent less likely to have wet AMD.

Astrid Fletcher, Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, who led the study,said:
"This is the first study in Europeans to show a beneficial association on wet AMD from the consumption of oily fish and is consistent with the results from studies in the US and Australia.Two 3oz servings a week of oily fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, provides about 500 mg of DHA and EPA per day."

The research team is not, however, recommending omega 3 supplements as the study did not investigate whether supplements would have the same benefit as dietary sources.

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Dry Eye Treatment by Omega Fatty Acids in Combination with Artificial Tears

Managing dry eye has become an important part of postoperative refractive surgery patient management, as dry eye symptoms are among the most frequent complaints of patients who have undergone excimer laser surgery.

The most common treatment for dry eye is the use of artificial tears, which provides only instant and incomplete symptom relief. Use of active supplementary compounds such as the omega fatty acids is a recent option for dry eye treatment. Omegas are essential fatty acids, which are known to be deficient in our daily diets.

Supplementation of omegas works in multiple ways to relieve and treat the symptoms of dry eye. It improves the quality of meibomian gland secretion and stimulates aqueous tear secretion by repairing tear secretion in dysfunctional lacrimal glands and decreasing lacrimal gland apoptosis. Omegas also suppress inflammation in blepharitis and meibomitis, as seen in inflammation of joints in rheumatoid arthritis and rosacea.

Intake of omegas, together with artificial tears, will potentially be a successful dry eye treatment for maximizing effectiveness of the existing system. Further clinical trials are indicated to define the advisability of omegas intake and quantify the recommended dosages for this compound’s more widespread use.

For more information:

* Noel A. Alpins, MD, can be reached at 7 Chesterville Road, Cheltenham, Victoria 3192 Australia; 61-3-9584-6122; fax: 61-3-9585-0995; e-mail: alpins@newvisionclinics.com.au.

* David R. Hardten, MD, can be reached at Minnesota Eye Consultants, 710 E. 24th St., Suite 106, Minneapolis, MN 55404, U.S.A.; 612-813-3600; fax: 612-813-3658; e-mail: drhardten@mneye.com.

* Thomas F. Neuhann, MD, can be reached at Helene-Weber-Allee 19, Munich 80637, Germany; 49-89-159-4040; fax: 49-89-159-40555; e-mail: prof@neuhann.de.

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