ANTIOXIDANTS AND AGE-RELATED EYE DISEASE - CURRENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Oxidative mechanisms may play an important role in the pathogenesis of age-related eye disease, in particular cataract and macular degenerat ion, the two most important causes of visual impairment in older adult s. For this reason, there is considerable interest in determining whet her vitamins and trace minerals with antioxidant properties can be of benefit in preventing the onset or progression of disabling eye diseas e. Basic research studies have shown that antioxidants can protect aga inst the cumulative effects of oxidative stress in animal models of ca taract and macular degeneration. Data from observational epidemiologic al studies in humans, however, are inconclusive. While results from se veral studies, primarily cross-sectional and case-control, are compati ble with a possible protective role for micronutrients in disease deve lopment, data for specific nutrients or specific disease types have of ten been inconsistent. Further, these observational studies are limite d because of the inherent imprecision of dietary exposure data and the likely effects of uncontrolled confounding. Thus, reliable data regar ding a potentially important benefit of vitamin supplementation in eye disease will emerge mainly from well-designed, large-scale, randomize d trials.