Vitamin D Supports Healthy Vision

A recent study revealed that higher levels of vitamin D may help with the maintenance of vision health as we age. The macula, which is an area on the retina in the back of the eye, can be affected by aging, resulting in loss of central vision.

The subjects in this study included 1,313 women enrolled in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study. The women were evaluated with an eye exam for central vision loss and were assessed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration. The women were also evaluated for potential confounding factors such as age, smoking, iris pigmentation, family history of central vision loss, heart health, blood sugar metabolism, and hormone use.

In the study, there were 241 women found to have early central vision loss. The results of the study found that increased serum concentrations of vitamin D were associated with healthy central vision in the women younger than 75 years of age. In fact, compared to the women with the lowest serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, the women under age 75 with the highest vitamin D concentrations showed a 48 percent decrease in the risk of experiencing suboptimal central vision. Additionally, the researchers showed that in the women under age 75, intake of vitamin D from food and supplements was also related to central vision health.

The researchers concluded that high serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations may support central vision health in women younger than 75 years of age.

Reference:

Millen AE, Voland R, Sondel SA, Parekh N, Horst RL, Wallace RB, Hageman GS, Chappell R, Blodi BA, Klein ML, Gehrs KM, Sarto GE, Mares JA; for the CAREDS Study Group. Vitamin D Status and Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Postmenopausal Women. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011 Apr;129(4):481-489.