ISLAMABAD (Monitoring Desk): About 200 million people around the world are living with the vision loss condition age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Of the two types of AMD, most people have dry AMD.
Past research shows there are several risk factors for AMD, including nonmodifiable factors such as genetics, and modifiable ones like eating a healthy diet.
A new study has found that a combination of genetics and drinking instant coffee may increase a person’s risk of developing dry AMD.
Researchers estimate that about 200 million people around the world are living with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) — an eye condition impacting a person’s central vision, causing blurriness or other vision issues.
Of the two types of AMD, most people have dry AMD, where damage to the eye’s macula — an area located in the back of the retina — happens naturally with age. Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow in the back of the eye, harming the macula.
There are several risk factorsTrusted Source for AMD. Some of these risk factors are not changeable, such as age and genetics. Others are modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, weightTrusted Source, exercise levelsTrusted Source, and diet.
Specifically, following a healthy diet that is high in antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, minerals like zinc, vitamins C and E, and omega-3 fatty acids could help lower the risk for AMD.
“AMD is a leading cause of vision loss among the elderly in developed countries,” Siwei Liu, MD, a researcher in the Department of Ophthalmology for Shiyan Taihe Hospital at Hubei University of Medicine in China, told Medical News Today.
“As there is currently no cure, identifying new modifiable factors is crucial for slowing disease progression, preserving vision, and improving patients’ quality of life,” Liu added.
Liu is the lead author of a new study published in the journal Food Science & NutritionTrusted Source, which has found that a combination of genetics and drinking instant coffee may increase a person’s risk of developing dry AMD.
