Supplements for atrophic degenerative myopia

My retinal specialist has told me that vitamin supplementation would not help the macular degeneration that occurs due to pathological myopia because different physiological forces are involved compared to age-related macular degeneration.  He said the extra beta-carotene might even be harmful.  What is your opinion?  I don't want to spend my money on supplements if they have no likelihood of benefit.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I would go by what your retina Eye MD advises for you. There are no studies that answer that question only for age relatede mac degen.

JCH MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

by the way if you are a smoker the extra beta caratene increases the risk of lung cancer. If you do smoke STOP as that is a big help.

JCH MD

[dukey]

The research is extremely unconvincing (if you remove the media attention) and very controversial....even for AMD. I would stay well away from high dose vitamin supplementation if I were you.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

The evidence for AREDS eye supplements slowing dry ARMD is overwhelming (large prospective study). 28% reduction in the progression of DRY ARMD and likely lower rates of wet ARMD developing.

With the new improved AREDS formula that has lutein the improvment is even higher.

JCH MD

[kg17]

As there unlikely will be any future research on vitamin supplementation and myopic macular degeneration, it would help to know if there is any "theoretical" reason to believe that the supplements might help.  I am female, 38-years, a non-smoker.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

If it were me I would take them unless my retina MD showed me information that they were harmful.

JCH MD

[dukey]

But we keep getting told it is a completely different disease. Eye elongating etc. So why would AREDS benefit myopic macular degeneration if the two diseases have different underlying causes? Doesn't make much sense to me. One is mechanical, one is biochemical as far as I understand it.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

You asked what my opinion was and I gave it to you. I also said go by what your treating physician recommends. My rational would be to prevent age ARMD developing in an alread weakened eye.

JCH MD