Research paper
Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements for preventing age-related macular degeneration.
Study answer
What this study found
Antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplements did not prevent age-related macular degeneration overall. Vitamin E showed little to no effect on any AMD (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.06) or late AMD (RR 1.22, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.67); beta-carotene was also null for any AMD (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.14) and late AMD (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.24); and vitamin C showed little or no effect on any AMD (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.18) or late AMD (RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.46). Multivitamins may slightly increase any AMD risk (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.43) and had no clear effect on late AMD (RR 1.22, 95%…
- Study & population
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in people without age-related macular degeneration at baseline, drawn mainly from the general population in Finland, Australia, and the United States.
- Intervention
- Trials evaluated antioxidant supplements used orally versus placebo, including vitamin E at 50 mg/day, 500 IU/day, 400 IU on alternate days, or 600 IU on alternate days; beta-carotene at 20 mg/day or 50 mg every other day; vitamin C at 500 mg/day; and a daily multivitamin formulation (Centrum Silver).
- Key limitation
- Evidence was limited for several interventions, with only one trial each for vitamin C and multivitamin and substantial imprecision for late AMD and subtype outcomes.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
BACKGROUND There is inconclusive evidence from observational studies to suggest that people who eat a diet rich in antioxidant vitamins (carotenoids, vitamins C, and E) or minerals (selenium and zinc) may be less likely to develop age-related macular…