Lutein may slow further loss of sight in RP patients

A BREAKTHROUGH study was published online in the Archives of Ophthalmology offers new hope for the prevention of visual field loss in patients suffering from retinitis pigmentosa (RP). In this four-year randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, 225 non-smoking patients aged 18-60 years with RP received either 12 mg of FloraGLO®lutein or a placebo tablet daily. All patients received 15,000 IU/day of vitamin A and were advised to eat 1 to 2 servings of oily fish per week to increase their intake of long chain omega-3 PUFAs. During the study period, a decline in visual field area was apparent in all patients. However, a significantly lower decline was observed in the group supplemented with 12-mg/day lutein, compared to the placebo group. The authors, lead by Eliot Berson, M.D. of the Berman-Gund Laboratory at Harvard Medical School, estimated that the benefit of lutein supplementation on the long-term course of midperipheral visual field among RP patients also taking vitamin A and eating an oily fish diet would be 3 to 10 years of protection against further loss of sight. No adverse effects of lutein supplementation were noted during the 4 years of supplementation. Retinitis pigmentosa is the name of a group of inherited eye diseases which results in poor night vision in adolescence, and the loss of midperipheral and far peripheral vision in adulthood with tunnel vision as the outcome. As this disease progresses, patients loose their central vision by 60 years of age. DSM Nutritional Products T: +65 6325 6260 F: +65 6220 1976 Web: www.dsmnutritionalproducts.com

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