Quit smoking:
Cigarette smoking: Cigarette smoking is one of the most important and established risk factors for visually consequential AMD. The current evidence is broadly consistent across a range of study designs. Indeed, the risk of developing visually consequential AMD is two to three times greater among current smokers when compared with people who never smoked cigarettes.
Take supplements:
Diet: Current research has shown that diet is an important risk factor for visually consequential AMD. In particular, a diet containing the macular carotenoids is believed to be important in preventing the onset of visually consequential AMD. “Higher dietary intake of lutein/zeaxanthin was independently associated with decreased likelihood of having neovascular AMD, geographic atrophy, and large or extensive intermediate drusen”).
Antioxidant supplements: Antioxidant supplements have been shown to be beneficial in reducing the progression of non-visually consequential AMD to visually consequential AMD (i.e. preventing AMD that has not yet affected vision from developing into AMD that does affect vision. There is a growing body of evidence that antioxidant supplements containing the macular carotenoids may be beneficial in terms of preventing or delaying the onset or progression of AMD.
Watch your weight :
Obesity: Obesity is a putative/suggested risk factor for visually consequential AMD. In fact, there appears to be a growing body of evidence in support of the view that obesity is an important determinant for the development of visually consequential AMD.
Watch your cholesterol and your blood pressure:
Cholesterol: High cholesterol is a putative/suggested risk factor for visually consequential AMD. However, the results of various studies investigating a possible link between hypercholesterolaemia and AMD are not conclusive.
Hypertension: Hypertension (i.e. high blood pressure) is a putative/suggested risk factor for visually consequential AMD. However, the results of studies to date remain inconclusive.
