| New research out of Australia shows that those | | | | reduction, especially in obese and overweight |
| who lose weight, especially if they're obese, can | | | | people would perhaps significantly reduce the risk |
| cut the risk of developing age related macular | | | | of developing AMD. |
| degeneration disease (also known as AMD), the | | | | Experts understand that while the greatest risk |
| number one cause of severe vision loss among | | | | factor for AMD is age, there are other things that |
| older people. | | | | also make it more likely to occur. |
| Long associated with getting older, this mostly | | | | Those include smoking, being obese (other studies |
| silent disease gradually, without pain, destroys the | | | | had found a link between obesity and progression |
| sharp, central vision that is needed to see things | | | | of the early and middle stages of AMD), race |
| clearly in order to read or drive a car. | | | | (whites are more at risk than other races), and |
| Age related macular degeneration is the leading | | | | those with an immediate family member (mother, |
| cause of vision loss in Americans over 60. There | | | | father, brother, sister) with AMD are also at |
| are two forms, wet and dry, with dry being more | | | | higher risk, as are women. |
| common. | | | | And while we can't change some of these risk |
| Earlier work had delivered conflicting results on the | | | | factors, there are things that are within our |
| link between obesity and age related macular | | | | control and can help reduce the risk. As the |
| degeneration. This prompted the team from | | | | Australian study shows... losing weight does cut |
| Australia to examine yet again how changes in | | | | the risk. |
| weight might impact the risk of developing the | | | | Also key is eating a healthy, balanced diet that |
| age related eye disorder. | | | | includes lots of green, leafy veggies, don't smoke, |
| The work appeared in the November 2008 issue | | | | exercise regularly and keep your blood pressure |
| of the Archives of Ophthalmology. | | | | under control. |
| Using 12,515 subjects between 45 and 64 who | | | | If you're concerned about AMD, or have noticed |
| were followed for a total of six years, the study | | | | changes (like blurring of vision) in your sight, visit |
| collected data on their waist hip ratio and | | | | your eye doctor at once. There are tests that |
| abdominal obesity. | | | | can be done to diagnose what's causing your |
| The team found that with a 3 percent or greater | | | | problem, and the earlier you begin treating the |
| drop in the waist hip ratio, the odds of age related | | | | cause, the better your chances of saving your |
| macular degeneration fell quite sharply compared | | | | sight. |
| to those with stable weight. A decrease in waist | | | | Of course, further research is needed to solidify |
| hip ratio of 3% or more was connected with | | | | the link between obesity and age related macular |
| 29% lower odds of any age related macular | | | | degeneration, but this work is certainly a |
| degeneration. | | | | promising start. |
| The reduction in AMD risk was greatest in those | | | | If you know you have other risk factors for age |
| who were obese at the beginning of the study. | | | | related macular degeneration disease and you're |
| Here the team saw that a decrease in the waist | | | | also obese, you might not want to wait for more |
| hip ratio was associated with 59% lower odds of | | | | research, and take steps reduce your weight, and |
| age related macular degeneration. | | | | your risk. |
| This led to the conclusion that the weight | | | | |