http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/ en-us Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 09 May 2013 16:45:10 GMT Silverchair editor@archopht.jamanetwork.com webmaster@archopht.jamanetwork.com http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1667034 Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Branchini L, Regatieri C, Adhi M, et al. <span class="paragraphSection">A critical method of monitoring patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) being treated with anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) is optical coherence tomography (OCT), which uses low-coherence interferometry of light to examine the retina in vivo on a micrometer scale.</span> 131 5 693 694 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.692 http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1667034 http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1671044 Wed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT Arnold C, Winter L, Fröhlich K, et al. <span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Importance</div>It has been shown that the functionality of the macula lutea depends on the nutritional uptake of lutein and zeaxanthin and that it is inversely associated with the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Additionally, ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) may also be protective.<div class="boxTitle">Objective</div>To investigate the effect of a 12-month intervention with macular xanthophylls and ω-3 LC-PUFAs on xanthophylls and fatty acids in plasma, antioxidant capacity, and optical density of the macular pigment of patients with nonexudative AMD.<div class="boxTitle">Design</div>The LUTEGA study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel clinical trial that was conducted for 12 months.<div class="boxTitle">Setting</div>University Eye Hospital and Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.<div class="boxTitle">Participants</div>A total of 172 individuals with nonexudative AMD.<div class="boxTitle">Intervention</div>Individuals were enrolled and randomly divided as follows: placebo group, group 1 (a capsule containing 10 mg of lutein, 1 mg of zeaxanthin, 100 mg of docosahexaenoic acid, and 30 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid administered each day), and group 2 (same substances but twice the dose used in group 1). One hundred forty-five participants completed the study successfully.<div class="boxTitle">Main Outcome Measures</div>Plasma xanthophyll concentrations and fatty acid profiles, optical density of the macular pigment, and antioxidant capacity in plasma (6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid [Trolox] equivalent antioxidant capacity and photochemiluminescence).<div class="boxTitle">Results</div>The concentrations of the administered carotenoids in plasma as well as the optical density of the macular pigment increased significantly in the groups randomized to receive supplementary macular xanthophylls and ω-3 LC-PUFAs after 1 month of intervention and remained at this level through the end of the study. Use of the double dose resulted in a beneficial alteration of the fatty acid profile in the plasma of patients with AMD in comparison with the dose in group 1. The lipophilic antioxidant capacity in plasma was significantly elevated with the intervention.<div class="boxTitle">Conclusions and Relevance</div>A supplement containing a fixed combination of lutein, zeaxanthin, and ω-3 LC-PUFAs during 12 months significantly improved plasma antioxidant capacity, circulating macular xanthophyll levels, and the optical density of the macular pigment.<div class="boxTitle">Trial Registration</div>clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00763659</span> 131 5 564 572 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.2851 http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1671044