Food for thought: the Waterford Macular Pigment Research Group

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in people over 50 years of age, affecting an estimated 70,000 people in Ireland and over 13 million people across Europe.

This disease is particularly frustrating because it results in a loss of central vision. In other words, someone with AMD cannot see what they are looking directly at, and are therefore unable to read, watch TV, recognize familiar faces, or drive. The number of people affected by AMD is increasing largely because we are all living longer.

Investigating macular pigment

The Macular Pigment Research Group (MPRG) was setup in 2002 by ophthalmologist Mr. Stephen Beatty MD and research scientist Dr. Orla O' Donovan with the support of the Waterford Institute of Technology. The focus of the MPRG is to investigate macular pigment, a dietary pigment found in the eye, and its potential role in preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and in enhancing visual performance.