Alternative Health Blog

In a study involving women between the ages of 50 and 79 years of age, intakes of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were associated with 2-fold higher prevalence of intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), comparing subjects in the highest versus the lowest quintiles of intakes. Intakes of total fat and saturated fatty acids were associated with increased prevalence of AMD (multivariate adjusted odds ratios: 1.7 for the highest versus the lowest quintile of total fat, and 1.6 for the highest vs. the lowest quintile of saturated fats) in women under 75 years of age (n=1325), with the associations reversed in women 75 years of age or older. The authors conclude, “These results support a growing body of evidence suggesting that diets high in several types of fat may contribute to the risk of intermediate AMD and that diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids may be protective.”
 
Reference:
“Association between dietary fat intake and age-related macular degeneration in the Carotenoids in Age-Related Eye Disease Study (CAREDS): an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative,” Parekh N, Voland RP, et al, Arch Ophthalmol, 2009; 127(11): 1483-93.