Thursday 6 February 2014

Aston University & a la calc : Researching Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

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Back in December 2012 we announced Aston University had chosen a la calc to help in their research of a degenerative eye condition.

They planned to explore the effect of lutein and zeaxanthin on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and found a la calc to be the most useful tool in helping them analyse daily nutrition intake.

AMD is a condition where the macular (aka 'yellow spot') painlessly degrades resulting in blurred central vision. It is estimated that it affects 1 in 10 people over 65 (source: NHS).

Well. Great news has come back from Dr Batlett and Mrs Stevens who were heading the research. Their statement reads:


“Dr Bartlett and Mrs Stevens at Aston University have been investigating the amount of lutein and zeaxanthin that patients with age-related macular degeneration consume, using the US database in A La Calc. They have found that the majority of AMD patients do not consume the required 10mg per day, and will need better patient education. The results from this study are due to be published in the British Journal of Visual Impairment in 2014. The team will now investigate how much lutein and zeaxanthin is consumed by the general population who do not have the eye condition.”

We're immensely proud to have helped in a key part of researching such a condition and look forward to helping Dr Bartlett and Mrs Stevens making further strides in their research.