Omega-3s Slow AMD, Retinopathy Progression

A diet rich in foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinopathy, an eye disease that can cause blindness in premature babies and individuals with diabetes, according to a new study published in Science Translational Medicine.

Building on previous studies that showed eye diseases are slowed in people who consumed a diet high in fish, researchers at Children’s Hospital sought to determine a specific metabolic process that provided a protective mechanism. They fed mice deficient in each key lipid-processing enzyme—cyclooxygenase 1 or 2, or lipoxygenase 5 or 12/15—a diet high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). They found the omega-3 rich diet helped prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina. They determined an enzyme called 5-lipoxygenase, or 5-LOX, converted omega-3 into an acid called 4-HDHA, slowed abnormal blood vessel growth.

"This is important for people with diabetes, who often take aspirin to prevent heart disease, and also for elderly people with AMD who have a propensity for heart disease," the researchers said.

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* EurekAlert: Study reveals how they work in preventing several forms of blindness