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> What do you mean by
“clinically proven”?
Vitalux
*
Ocular vitamins for
Age-related Macular
Degeneration
AMD
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What is AMD?
Age-related Macular
Degeneration (AMD) is a disease
linked to age - specifically,
people over age fifty. AMD is a
chronic, age-related,
degenerative disease of the
macula, a very small and
specialized area in the centre of
the retina. The macula allows
you to see fine details directly in
front of you such as words in a
book or images on television. So
while the entire retina lets you
see that there is a book in front
of you, the macula lets you see
what is written in the book.
There are two types of AMD, Dry
AMD and Wet AMD. Generally
speaking, dry AMD progresses
quite slowly and is usually less
severe than the wet type. But
both types damage the macula
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and both can take away your
central vision, which means the
images you see directly in front
of you.
Area Affected by AMD
Retina
Sclera
Cornea
Fovea
Lens
Iris
Choroid
Macula
Optic Nerve
> The eyeball with detail
of the Retina and area
affected by AMD.
Because AMD affects only your
central vision, you won’t ever be
totally blind. You will still have
your peripheral, or side vision.
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> What is Dry AMD?
Most of the time, AMD will begin
as the less severe dry type and,
for 85–90% of people, it will
remain that way. Dry AMD can
develop in one eye or both. The
early stage of dry AMD usually
begins with the appearance of
drusen. Drusen are small white
or yellowish deposits that begin
to accumulate in one of the
deepest layers of the retina due
to a breakdown in its normal
function. You will not be aware
that these deposits are forming.
As the retinal layer continues to
break down, an abnormal
amount of drusen begins to
build up. This build-up begins to
disrupt the layers above it,
eventually damaging the layer of
photoreceptor cells (the cells
that receive visual images from
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the lens), resulting in “blank” or
blind spots in your central visual
field.
> How is it treated?
Treatment of dry AMD is focused
on monitoring and slowing the
progression of the disease. First,
your eye doctor is likely to suggest
you begin taking specific highdose ocular vitamin supplements
such as Vitalux*. He will also want
to monitor your progress at
specific intervals in his office, and
he’ll ask you to monitor your
vision at home with an Amsler
Grid. Lifestyle modifications that
will help to slow the progression
of the disease will also be
recommended. Your eye doctor
will discuss all of these options
with you.
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> What is Wet Age-related
Macular Degeneration?
Wet AMD involves blood in the
deepest layers of the retina. In
a process called choroidal
neovascularization (CNV), new
and abnormal blood vessels
spontaneously begin to grow
beneath the retina and push
their way up through it. These
new vessels leak their contents
of blood and fluid into the
retina which then separates and
lifts up the other layers like a
blister. This can cause rapid,
severe and permanent central
vision loss in a matter of
weeks. Although wet AMD can
occur spontaneously, it’s
usually preceded by dry AMD,
which makes regular check-ups
especially important.
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What is Vitalux*?
Vitalux* is a brand of vitamins
specially developed for the eyes
of people over the age of fifty.
It contains a clinically proven
formulation that may delay
the progression of Age-related
Macular Degeneration (AMD)
and help to preserve vision –
that is why your eye doctor
recommended it.
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> What do you mean by
“clinically proven”?
For years, experts presumed
that nutrition played a role in
the development of AMD. So in
1992, the U.S. National Eye
Institute initiated the Age-Related
Eye Disease Study (AREDS) to
see if high doses of antioxidant
vitamins, minerals and zinc would
have any effect on people with
the dry form of AMD. The goal
was to determine if these
supplements could help stop,
or slow down, the progression of
AMD and resulting vision loss.
The study followed over 3,600
people between the ages of 55
and 80. Most had AMD at
different stages from mild to
severe, while some did not have
AMD at all.
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Participants were divided into
4 main groups depending on the
severity of their AMD. Each group
was subdivided again and given a
different formulation of vitamins
and minerals.
In the end, after almost seven
years of study, the results were
analyzed and proved that people
with the highest risk of developing
advanced AMD could significantly
lower that risk by 25%, simply by
supplementing their diets with a
specific vitamin and mineral
formulation every day1.
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The target formulation is1 :
Vitamin/Mineral
Beta carotene
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Zinc
Copper
Total Daily Dose
25 000 IU
500 mg
400 IU
80 mg
2 mg
> Is the Vitalux * formulation
the same as the AREDS
study formula?
Vitalux* contains the same
ingredients as the AREDS target
formulation. Two Vitalux* AREDS
tablets provide the same daily
dose of vitamins and minerals
that were proven to reduce the
risk of advanced AMD and
prevent vision loss. In addition,
Vitalux* can provide 6 mg of
lutein, plus zeaxanthin, which
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were shown in other studies to
benefit people with AMD.
> What are Lutein and
Zeaxanthin?
Lutein and zeaxanthin are two
carotenoids primarily found in
dark green leafy vegetables like
spinach. Carotenoids are the
yellow/orange pigments that give
fruits and vegetables their colour.
You may be surprised to learn
that these two carotenoids are
also found in the macula of your
eyes. Lutein and zeaxanthin make
up the bulk of the pigments in
your macula and the only way
your body gets them is through
diet. In fact, the yellow
appearance, and the name
“macula lutea”, are due to the
dense concentration of lutein.
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> If I eat all the right foods, won’t
I get the same vitamins and
minerals that are in Vitalux*?
Technically, yes. But practically
speaking, obtaining the high
doses of the specific antioxidant
vitamins and minerals found
in Vitalux* would be virtually
impossible from diet alone.
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> Can I take a multivitamin
instead of, or in addition
to, Vitalux *?
The quantities of antioxidant
vitamins and minerals often found
in daily multivitamins are far
below what's been proven to
prevent the progression of AMD.
Vitalux* on the other hand, is
specially formulated to help delay
the progression of AMD something daily multivitamins
cannot do. There is usually no
harm in taking both types of
vitamins, however it's worth
checking with your doctor.
> What is the difference between
Vitalux* AREDS and Vitalux*-S?
Vitalux*-S does not contain any
beta-carotene. Vitalux*-S was
created especially for people who
Continued >
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smoke, or are recent ex-smokers,
but who need the AMD fighting
benefits of an ocular vitamin. The
Beta Carotene and Retinol
Efficacy Trial (CARET), a large
scale clinical study, discovered a
potential link between high doses
of beta-carotene and increased
growth of lung cancer tumours in
smokers2. For that reason,
Vitalux*-S for smokers contains
everything found in Vitalux*
AREDS, but no beta-carotene.
> What are the risks for
developing AMD, or for
its progression once
you have it?
The risk factors for both
possibilities are similar. If one or
more of the following risk factors
Continued >
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applies to you, you are at risk:
❚❚
You are a smoker
❚❚
You have a family history
of AMD
❚❚
You are female
❚❚
Your diet lacks fruits and
vegetables
❚❚
You have high blood pressure
❚❚
You have blue or light-coloured
irises
❚❚
You have a fair complexion/
light skin
❚❚
You spend a lot of time
outdoors in bright sunlight
❚❚
You’re overweight
References:
1. A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Trial of High-Dose
Supplementation with Vitamins C and E, Beta Carotene, and Zinc for
Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Vision Loss. AREDS Report 8.
Archives of Ophthalmology, October 2001.
2. Effects of a Combination of Beta Carotene and Vitamin A on Lung
Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease. The New England Journal of
Medicine, May 1996.
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For more information on AMD visit:
www.amdcanada.com
www.amdalliance.org
www.cnib.ca
www.eyesite.ca
www.ffb.ca
www.opto.ca
www.macdegen.com
www.visionhealth.ca
www.eyeclub.ca
Novartis Ophthalmics
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc.
Mississauga, ON L5N 2X7
*Vitalux is a registered trademark.
VTX-050701 E