Macular Degeneration and Vitamin D

Vitamin D may help protect women against age-related macular degeneration. ABC World News (4/11, story 8, 1:55, Stephanopoulos) reported that vitamin D may help protect women against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study. MedPage Today (4/11, Neale) reported that "looked at data from the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS), which was conducted under the umbrella of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. In CAREDS, age-related macular degeneration status was assessed an average of six years after serum samples were analyzed for 25(OH)D status." The new analysis, published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, "included 1,313 women ages 50 to 79." WebMD (4/11, Hendrick) reported that "in the study, researchers say women under 75 who got the most vitamin D had a 59% decreased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, compared to women with the lowest vitamin D intake." The "researchers also found that the women who had a blood vitamin D level higher than 38 nmol/L had a 48% decreased risk of early" AMD. "A blood level of 50 nmol/L is considered sufficient, according to the Institute of Medicine."