However, a higher dietary beta-carotene intake was associated with an increased risk of progression to advanced disease. Although that risk was independent of the type of supplementation, it was strongest in those receiving the antioxidants plus zinc.
The investigators noted that the AREDS supplementation was already not recommended for smokers because of the risk of lung cancer from beta-carotene.
The new finding linking beta-carotene and disease progression lends support to dropping beta-carotene from the supplement, they noted.
The project received financial support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health, and grants from the Johnson & Johnson Focused Giving Program, American Health Assistance Foundation, and the Ross Aging Initiative. None of the authors had any financial disclosures related to the study.
Weekly consumption of 2-3 servings of DHA-rich foods such as salmon, tuna, or mackerel cut progression of AMD. Lynda Banzi/Elsevier Global Medical News