Fat intake linked to age-related blindness

Consumption of fats, especially those in processed baked foods, may promote the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that is the leading cause of blindness from age 65. Fat in nuts is the only type that appears to protect against disease progression.There are few therapeutic options for advanced stages of AMD and little is known about modifying the risk once AMD is established, according to the researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA. Based on a possible link between AMD and heart disease, they conducted a study of 261 patients age 60 or older with AMD. During nearly five years of follow-up, AMD progressed to more severe disease in 101 patients.They found that people who consumed the highest amounts of fat were nearly three times more likely to experience disease progression than those who consumed the lowest amounts. The association was stronger for vegetable fat than for animal fat. Fish intake did not reduce the rate of AMD progression, except among patients with low linoleic acid intake. However, eating nuts at least one time each week lowered the risk by about 40 percent.

Dietary fat may increase AMD progression by promoting plaque build-up in the arteries in the eye, or by producing chemicals that damage the macula portion of the eye. A substantial number of people may benefit from raising awareness about the importance of a healthy, fat-conscious diet as a means of maintaining good eye health, as well as cardiovascular health in later years.

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