One woman's life was transformed when she began taking a daily capsule to help delay age-related macular degeneration, writes COLETTE SHERIDAN
GRADUALLY LOSING her eyesight to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the prognosis for Norah Norton in 2006 was not good. Her job as an editor of catalogues for art exhibitions commissioned by Cork County Council was becoming increasingly difficult. Proof-reading hard copy was impossible. She could read only very big fonts on her computer and had to be helped by her daughter to proof any paperwork.
“About four years ago, I began to notice that straight lines seemed to be jagged,” says 65-year-old Norton. “Everything on TV was distorted and my night vision totally went to pot. I had to stop driving at night because oncoming headlights seemed to bleed into each other. I couldn’t read big signs on the road at night.”
An eye specialist who treated her son for a problem prior to 2006 had also examined Norton’s eyes and told her that she was likely to suffer from AMD as she got older. The condition was diagnosed by Norton’s ophthalmologist four years ago.
“He said that the norm would be for it to progress and suggested that I start thinking about moving from my home in the countryside to Cork city as driving, both during the night and the day, would become an issue.”
AMD is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in people over 50 years of age, affecting an estimated 70,000 people in Ireland. This disease results in a loss of central vision preventing sufferers from reading, watching TV, recognising faces or driving.
It’s believed that damage by free radicals within the eye cause AMD. Free radicals are unstable molecules and are produced in response to oxygen and to blue light entering the eyes. Because we breath oxygen and are constantly exposed to blue light, damage caused by free radicals is unavoidable.
The main risk factors for AMD are increasing age, cigarette smoking and a family history of the condition. The treatment for AMD includes expensive injections in the eye that suit only some patients.
Norton’s life was transformed when, three years ago, she heard an item on the radio about a supplement called MacuShield. She learned that it was being trial tested at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) and that it “stopped or delayed deterioration”.
Norton immediately ordered it over the counter, from her local pharmacist and takes a daily capsule. “After about six months taking the supplement, I could see out the back door at night again. People on television weren’t distorted anymore. The white lines in the middle of the road were straight again. Bit by bit, my eyesight started to improve. My driving is fine. I just wear glasses for driving and watching movies as I’m short sighted.”
MacuShield contains the three key ingredients that make up macular pigment at the back of the eye. The deterioration in this pigment – made up of lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin – has long been suspected to be a major factor in the onset of AMD.
Dr John Nolan, an expert on AMD and director of the Macular Pigment Research Group at WIT, has been testing MacuShield in clinical trials. “We have seen very beneficial results and very promising anecdotal cases where patients have reported improvement in their eye sight. We’re committed to continuing investigations.
“For me, MacuShield is a preventative supplement as opposed to a magical cure. The reason it stops the disease from developing is because it is an antioxidant that filters light. It’s like a protective sun cream for the eye.”
Can it reverse AMD? “We don’t know. We don’t want to give patients out there false hope until we know more, but MacuShield is promising.”
The medical community “is kind of split” in its response to MacuShield. “There are people who are in favour of nutritional supplementation. But a lot of the medical community simply doesn’t look at the full body of evidence that is available. There’s very little in it for them as they’re trained to treat and not to prevent.”
Dr Nolan is currently collaborating with the University of Wisconsin in a study whereby AMD patients are being put on one of three supplements, including MacuShield, to see which has the best result.
“With our growing ageing population, AMD, already an epidemic, is going to double in the next 10 years. We have to be pro-active about preventative strategies.”
