Following a Mediterranean diet could cut the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by nearly half according to a study pooling data from two significant population-based studies. Researchers say these findings support the role of a diet rich in healthful nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, and fish in the prevention of AMD.
The study, published in the American Academy of Ophthalmology journal, Ophthalmology, pooled data from nearly 5000 individuals participating two European population-based prospective cohort studies.
The Rotterdam (RS-I) Study in the Netherlands had 4 446 participants 55 years of age or older and and data was gathered over 20 years. This was combined with data, gathered over 5 years, from 550 French adults in the Alienor (Antioxydants, Lipides Essentiels, Nutrition et Maladies Oculaires) Study. The studies included complete ophthalmic and dietary date and incidence of advanced AMD was based on retinal fundus photographs.
