Red meat linked to vision loss in the aged

June 17th, 2009

An Australian study has linked red meat to early age-related macular degeneration (ARMD): the condition where the cells in the central part of the retina (the macula) deteriorate with age.

A group of more than 6,500 adults aged 58 to 69 in Melbourne, Australia were part of the study, were required to fill out a year-long food questionnaire. When tested, more than 1,600 had early ARMD.

The study looked at meat consumption and found that those in the study who had a high intake of red meat had an increased risk of developing ARMD. It’s thought that certain compounds in red meat could be damaging to the retina.

The study also found that eating chicken was not associated with early ARMD. Also, those who ate chicken more than 3.5 times a week had a reduced risk of getting late ARMD, compared to those who ate it less than once week.

Dr Elaine Chong at the University of Melbourne, who was involved with the study, said that a high level of red meat consumption might be a risk factor for early ARMD or may act as a marker for those who have an increased risk from other lifestyle factors. The study did not indicate whether patients had wet or dry ARMD.

Intravitreal therapy with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), such as Lucentis or Avastin, is regularly performed at London Medical, but these treatments are appropriate for wet macula degeneration.
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