Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate the short-term effects of intake of supplement containing lutein on macular pigment optical density (MPOD), contrast sensitivity, and serum amino acid.
Methods:
Twenty patients with unilateral wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) received a 20mg lutein supplement for 3 months. We obtained contrast sensitivity and MPOD of patients’ unaffected fellow eyes, serum lutein, and serum amino acid at baseline and 3month. Measurements of MPOD were performed by both Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry (HFP) and fundus autofluorescence (AF).
Results:
After intervention, serum lutein, methionine, isoleucine, and arginine were increased significantly by 202%, 118%, 118%, and 112%, respectively (P<0.001). Contrast sensitivity at 6 cycles per degree was improved significantly (p<0.01). Serum lutein was positively correlated with MPOD by AF at baseline (p<0.01) and 3month (p<0.05). Serum lutein at 3months was more than twice compared to baseline in 12 patients, and MPOD was increased in these eyes by HFP (0.486 vs 0.594, p<0.05).
Conclusions:
Shot-term intake of lutein supplement improved visual function, MPOD, and affected several serum amino acid level.
Keywords: 412 age-related macular degeneration