Turmeric compound may reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration: JAMA
Curcuma-based nutritional supplements (CBNS) have been scientifically established to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These could possibly decrease the onset and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is the most common cause of vision loss among the elderly. AMD, especially its advanced forms, causes blindness and requires treatments like intravitreal anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. A recent study was published in JAMA Ophthalmology by Alsoudi A. and colleagues.
The study involved data from more than 1.8 million participants, including 66,804 patients who had been exposed to CBNS and 1,809,440 patients who had not. All participants were at the age of 50 or older and had no diagnosis of AMD before the inception of the study. The demographic factors and comorbidities were adjusted to reduce possible bias by applying propensity score matching (PSM). In secondary analysis, patients with early nonexudative AMD were also included, in order to assess the role of CBNS in developing advanced forms of AMD from early nonexudative AMD.
The participants were stratified by the use of CBNS and then assessed to determine the relative risk for the development of different forms of AMD; nonexudative AMD, exudative AMD, advanced nonexudative AMD, and geographic atrophy (GA). Other secondary results have been incorporated, namely blindness and intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy.
In patients 50 years of age or older with no prior diagnosis of AMD, use of CBNS was associated with reduced relative risk (RR) of developing nonexudative AMD (RR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.21-0.26; P < 0.001), exudative AMD (RR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.24-0.32; P < 0.001), and advanced nonexudative AMD or GA (RR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.07-0.17; P < 0.001).
CBNS use was associated with roughly half the risk of blindness (RR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.36-0.59; P < 0.001) than among those who did not use CBNS.
The risk of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy was considerably lower in CBNS users (RR, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.13-0.17; P < 0.001).
These associations were also consistent across age-specific subgroups, including patients at 60 and 70 and older.
CBNS was related to a lower progression to advanced nonexudative AMD or GA among those with early nonexudative AMD (RR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.41-0.81; P < 0.001).
The findings indicate a good association between CBNS and reduced risk in the incidence and progression to the late stages of AMD. Outcomes show additive potential on reducing AMD risk for subjects already at some increased level of risk. Future research would be justified, not only in monitoring long-term safety measures but also gaining a better understanding of how CBNS mechanisms prevent the onset of AMD.
Reference:
Alsoudi, A. F., Wai, K. M., Koo, E., Mruthyunjaya, P., & Rahimy, E. (2024). Curcuma-based nutritional supplements and risk of age-related macular degeneration. JAMA Ophthalmology. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.4400
