Effects of lutein supplementation in age-related macular degeneration
What this study found
Overall, lutein-containing regimens improved macular pigment optical density and were associated with better visual outcomes in AMD. Across nine studies, the pooled effect on MPOD favored supplementation with an MD of 0.07; 95% CI 0.03 to 0.10. The authors concluded that lutein at 10 or 20 mg/day for more than 6 months can significantly improve MPOD and visual acuity, with some evidence that higher doses increase MPOD more quickly. Some trials also reported improvements in contrast sensitivity and serum lutein levels.
- Study & population
- This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in adults with age-related macular degeneration, including dry, early, wet, and mixed-stage disease.
- Intervention
- Lutein supplementation was evaluated across nine randomized trials in adults with AMD, using doses from 1.1 mg/day to 20 mg/day for 3 to 24 months.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was heterogeneous, with differences in dose, formulation, disease stage, outcome measurement methods, and follow-up duration.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effects of lutein supplementation on macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in randomized controlled trials involving patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A comprehensive search of the literature was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and Wan Fang database through December 2018. Nine randomized controlled trials involving 920 eyes (855 with AMD) were included. Meta-analysis suggested that lutein supplementation (10 or 20 mg per day) was associated with an increase in MPOD (mean difference (MD) 0.07; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03 to 0.10), visual acuity (MD 0.28; 95%CI 0.06 to 0.50) and contrast sensitivity (MD 0.26; 95%CI 0.22 to 0.30). Stratified analyses showed the increase in MPOD to be faster and greater with higher dose and longer treatment. The available evidence suggests that dietary lutein may be beneficial to AMD patients and the higher dose could make MPOD increase in a shorter time.