Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39025435›Full record

Trial reportOphthalmology2025

Oral Antioxidant and Lutein/Zeaxanthin Supplements Slow Geographic Atrophy Progression to the Fovea in Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Tiarnán D L Keenan, Elvira Agrón, Pearse A Keane, Amitha Domalpally, Emily Y Chew, Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group, Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Ophthalmology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  11. AAV NRF2 gene therapy preserves retinal structure and function in rodent models of oxidative damage.Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Tiarnán D L KeenanDivision of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Electronic address: tiarnan.keenan@nih.gov.
Elvira AgrónDivision of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Pearse A KeaneInstitute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Amitha DomalpallyDepartment of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
Emily Y ChewDivision of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group
Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group

Funding

Intramural NIH HHS Z99 EY999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo determine whether oral micronutrient supplementation slows geographic atrophy (GA) progression in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

designPost hoc analysis of Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2, multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trials of oral micronutrient supplementation, each with 2 × 2 factorial design.

participantsA total of 392 eyes (318 participants) with GA in AREDS and 1210 eyes (891 participants) with GA in AREDS2.

methodsThe AREDS participants were randomly assigned to oral antioxidants (500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 15 mg β-carotene), 80 mg zinc, combination, or placebo. The AREDS2 participants were randomly assigned to 10 mg lutein/2 mg zeaxanthin, 350 mg docosahexaenoic acid/650 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, combination, or placebo. Consenting AREDS2 participants were also randomly assigned to alternative AREDS formulations: original; no beta-carotene; 25 mg zinc instead of 80 mg; both.

main outcome measures(1) Change in GA proximity to central macula over time and (2) change in square root GA area over time, each measured from color fundus photographs at annual visits and analyzed by mixed-model regression according to randomized assignments.

resultsIn AREDS eyes with noncentral GA (n = 208), proximity-based progression toward the central macula was significantly slower with randomization to antioxidants versus none, at 50.7 μm/year (95% confidence interval [CI], 38.0-63.4 μm/year) versus 72.9 μm/year (95% CI, 61.3-84.5 μm/year; P = 0.012), respectively. In AREDS2 eyes with noncentral GA, in participants assigned to AREDS antioxidants without β-carotene (n = 325 eyes), proximity-based progression was significantly slower with randomization to lutein/zeaxanthin versus none, at 80.1 μm/year (95% CI, 60.9-99.3 μm/year) versus 114.4 μm/year (95% CI, 96.2-132.7 μm/year; P = 0.011), respectively. In AREDS eyes with any GA (n = 392), area-based progression was not significantly different with randomization to antioxidants versus none (P = 0.63). In AREDS2 eyes with any GA, in participants assigned to AREDS antioxidants without β-carotene (n = 505 eyes), area-based progression was not significantly different with randomization to lutein/zeaxanthin versus none (P = 0.64).

conclusionsOral micronutrient supplementation slowed GA progression toward the central macula, likely by augmenting the natural phenomenon of foveal sparing. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

Indexed as

AntioxidantsDietary SupplementsFovea CentralisGeographic AtrophyLuteinMacular DegenerationZeaxanthinsAdministration, OralAgedAged, 80 and overAscorbic Acidbeta CaroteneDisease ProgressionDocosahexaenoic AcidsEicosapentaenoic AcidFemaleAntioxidantsAscorbic Acidbeta CaroteneDocosahexaenoic AcidsEicosapentaenoic AcidLuteinVitamin EZeaxanthinsZincAge-related macular degenerationAntioxidantsFoveal sparingGeographic atrophyProgression

Identifiers

PMID39025435
PMCPMC11663139

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.