Fighting sight loss – with a vitamin blast on the NHS

A VITAMIN pill that could help halt age-related vision loss is now available on the NHS.

Experts say the 30p-a-day supplement could cut by 25 per cent the risk of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progressing to more advanced stages.

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in the UK, with more than 600,000 people affected by symptoms including blurred vision.

The new supplement is based on research that shows daily high doses of vitamins and minerals can help to slow progression.

The supplement, called MacuLEH Light, has been developed by the London Eye Hospital and was given the green light for NHS use earlier this month.

The news comes as Carrie MacEwen, president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, warns that patients are going blind because hospitals cannot keep up with demand for sight-loss treatment.

Jaheed Khan, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital, said of the new treatment: ‘This is fantastic news. Prescribing this formulation in certain patients with AMD could stop them progressing to advanced disease and potentially reduce the burden of costly AMD treatment.’

AMD develops when the macula – the part of the eye responsible for central vision – stops functioning as well.

Though the condition is incurable, early diagnosis is essential to reduce the risk of severe vision loss. Patients are advised to eat a diet rich in Vitamins A, C and E – found in oranges, carrots and leafy green veg – to help slow the progression.

The MacuLEH Light formula is based on a 2006 study by the US-based National Eye Institute, where 4,000 AMD patients were given supplements containing Vitamins C and E, lutein, omega-3, and the minerals zinc and copper over five years. The study found that those who took supplements were 25 per cent less likely to develop advanced AMD compared to those who took a placebo.

James Mangan, 85, from Altrincham, Cheshire, who has little vision in his left eye, has been taking MacuLEH supplements for the past three years after receiving advice from his ophthalmologist.

The pensioner credits them with preserving the sight he has left.

‘I have been paying for them out of my own pocket but you can’t put a value on your eyesight,’ he said.