Diet, AMD and cognitive decline

Diet and AMD were ripe areas for discussion during the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting. A study from Melbourne has shown that intake of red meat and processed meat is associated with an increased prevalence of early AMD, whereas intake of chicken is inversely associated with late AMD.

Meanwhile, the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia has published results of a three- year longitudinal study of over 200 non-dementia patients with AMD. It has found that there is a clear link between the decline in activities that occurs with central vision loss (such as reading, physical or social activities) and a decline in mental welfare. Indeed, the study has found that the number of dropped activities is an accurate predictor of cognitive decline after all other risk factors are controlled for.