Case #69: LifeMeter in Clinical Practice and the value of carotenoid testing in AMD – Page 16 of 28

Carotenoids in the management of AMD:

Interventional Studies⁸

• AREDS2 (lutein/zeaxanthin) offers enhanced protection to AREDS1 (beta-carotene)
  • 31% with AREDS2 formula vs 25% with AREDS1 formula²⁰
  • Although primary analysis of AREDS2 did not show additional benefit overall, when analysis is restricted to participants at the bottom 20% of dietary intake of lutein/zeaxanthin there was a 26% risk reduction¹⁹
  • Supports hypothesis that supplements may be more effective when dietary intake is below a biologically sufficient threshold²¹
• Meta-analysis by Ma et al. compared 9 carotenoid interventional trials and showed a dose-response relationship positively correlated with increased MPOD and plasma levels following supplementation with xanthophyll carotenoids^8,15
• Meta-analysis by Liu et al. found that carotenoid supplementation resulted in significant improvements in best corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, glare disability, and photostress recovery^8,22
• Reports from AMD trials found that carotenoid vitamin therapy offered protection aginst early functional abnormalities within the central retina. Improvements in central retinal function were positively correlated with MPOD augmentation.⁸