Friday 17 November 2017

Macular Degeneration Is Declining

A loss of independence as one gets older is a common and very valid fear. But when we care for older relatives or work in aged care, it isn't always easy to see the statistical improvements in health and longevity. One of these statistical improvements is a drastic decline in the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition which can be very damaging to our personal and loved ones' freedom and independence.

Simulation of AMD.
A cohort study in a Wisconsin town, published on the 16th of November 2017, set out to determine whether or not the risk for AMD had continued to decline among successive generations. Data from the Beaver Dam Eye Study and Beaver Dam Offspring Study, including a total of 4,819 participants, was analysed to compare the 5-year risk of developing AMD across several generations. All of this was adjusted for age and sex, as the risk of AMD rises as one gets older. The generation with the highest prevalence of AMD was the Greatest Generation, born from 1901 to 1924, at 8.8%. The Silent Generation, born from 1925 to 1945, had a 3% prevalence of AMD. There was an AMD rate of 1% among Baby Boomers, born from 1946 to 1964. They and later generations are often criticised for being youth-obsessed, despite the fact that it is obviously reducing their risk of age-related diseases. The generation with the lowest risk is Generation X, who were born between 1965 and 1984, and had an AMD prevalence of only 0.3%. Each generation had a 60% lower risk of developing the condition, after adjustment for age, sex, smoking status, education, exercise, cholesterol, CRP (an inflammatory marker), and use of multivitamins, statins and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

This decline in AMD risk is consistent with study results seen in Europe, and the drop in cardiovascular deaths and dementia. Although conventional medicine use and conservative lifestyle interventions did not have significant effects on AMD, perhaps these improvements are due to greater awareness of natural health and functional foods. In a laboratory study on turmeric extract, the medicinal spice was found to have a dose-dependent protective effect on retinal cells against blue light irradiation. It was able to significantly reduce oxidative damage and the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, which is the process of "cell suicide" initiated in normal cells when they become too damaged. Overall, the results of this cohort study, along with all the research on how to prevent AMD, mean that we have one more reason to embrace a longer life expectancy.

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