ω-3 intake and visual acuity in patients with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate whether a diet high in long chain ω-3 fatty acids can slow the rate of visual acuity loss among patients with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A palmitate.

METHODS:

We calculated dietary intake from questionnaires completed annually by 357 adult patients from 3 randomized trials who were all receiving vitamin A, 15 000 IU/d, for 4 to 6 years. Rates of visual acuity decline were compared between those with high (≥0.20 g/d) vs low (<0.20 g/d) ω-3 intake. Analyses took age into account.

RESULTS:

Mean rates of decline of acuity were slower among those with high ω-3 intake: Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study distance acuity: high intake=0.59 letter per year, low intake=1.00 letter per year,P=.001; Snellen retinal acuity: high intake=1.5% per year, low intake=2.8% per year, P=.03.

CONCLUSIONS:

We conclude that mean annual rates of decline in distance and retinal visual acuities in adults with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A, 15 000 IU/d,are slower over 4 to 6 years among those consuming a diet rich in ω-3 fatty acids. To our knowledge, this is the first report that nutritional intake can modify the rate of decline of visual acuity in retinitis pigmentosa.

• Authors: Eliot L Berson, Bernard Rosner, Michael A Sandberg, Carol Weigel-DiFranco, Walter C Willett
• Journal: Archives of ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960) (Arch Ophthalmol) Vol. 130 Issue 6 Pg. 707-11 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1538-3601 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22332205 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Diterpenes
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3
• Phosphatidylethanolamines
• Retinyl Esters
• Vitamin A
• retinol palmitate
• Docosahexaenoic Acids
• phosphatidylethanolamine

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Antioxidants (administration & dosage)
• Diet
• Diterpenes
• Docosahexaenoic Acids (metabolism)
• Erythrocyte Membrane (metabolism)
• Fatty Acids, Omega-3 (administration & dosage)
• Feeding Behavior
• Female
• Follow-Up Studies
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nutrition Surveys
• Phosphatidylethanolamines (metabolism)
• Retinitis Pigmentosa (diet therapy, physiopathology)
• Retinyl Esters
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Vision Disorders (diet therapy, physiopathology)
• Visual Acuity (physiology)
• Visual Fields (physiology)
• Vitamin A (administration & dosage, analogs & derivatives)
• Young Adult