Fish or shellfish consumption could help patients with AMD

A recent study has revealed that higher consumption of fish or shellfish could help to protect eyes against advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The data has been published in a recent issue of Ophthalmology.

The research, led by Dr Bonnielin K. Swenor from the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA, explored the relationship between fish and shellfish consumption and AMD status in eyes of participants from the Salisbury Eye Evaluation (SEE) Study.

To estimate the level of weekly fish/shellfish consumption, each patient filled out a food frequency questionnaire. The AMD status was determined from fundus photographs obtained at baseline and graded by 2 masked readers for drusen size, retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities, geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). The researchers investigated the association between weekly fish/shellfish consumption and the risk of AMD using logistic regression but adjusted for risk factors and correlation between eyes.

The results demonstrated that there was no difference in the distribution of weekly fish/shellfish consumption between specific AMD categories in comparison with controls. In patients with advanced AMD there was less likelihood of them consuming fish/shellfish that were high in omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, no relationship was found of AMD with the intake of crab and oysters combined, each of which has high levels of zinc.

From the results the researchers concluded that a protective effect of fish/shellfish intake against advanced AMD was supported.