EyePromise Celebrates AREDS 2 Results, Healthy Vision Month

News provided by

May 08, 2013, 05:18 ET

ST. LOUIS, May 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EyePromise^®eye vitamins is celebrating the results of the National Eye Institute's AREDS 2 Study during Healthy Vision Month.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130508/PH10530LOGO )

AREDS 2 (Age Related Eye Disease Study) is an important five-year clinical study that demonstrated positive results for dietary zeaxanthin and lutein in terms of reducing the progression to advanced AMD in study subjects when added to the original AREDS vitamin formula. The AREDS 2 clinical trial results were announced at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting in Seattle and published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Dr. Emily Chew, Deputy Clinical Director at the NEI and Deputy Director of the NEI Division of Epidemiology and Clinical Applications stated, "The addition of lutein and zeaxanthin to the AREDS vitamin formulation demonstrated a 10% decrease in the progression to advanced AMD." Further, study subjects in the lowest quintile of dietary zeaxanthin and lutein intake achieved an impressive 26% reduction in progression to advanced AMD.

The original AREDS Study results were released in 2001, and revealed that high-dose antioxidant vitamin and mineral supplementation of Vitamin C, E, Beta-Carotene, Zinc, and Copper reduced the risk of progression to advanced AMD by 25 percent and the risk of moderate vision loss by 19 percent.

ZeaVision, the parent company of EyePromise eye vitamins pioneered the use of dietary zeaxanthin for eye health, and introduced the first commercially available zeaxanthin-based eye vitamin in 2001, the same year the original AREDS results were published. ZeaVision has sponsored and conducted a significant amount of clinical research to develop the highest quality eye vitamins available to fight vision loss and preserve healthy vision.

Dr. Dennis Gierhart, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at ZeaVision, said "We're very pleased with the AREDS 2 results. When we introduced dietary zeaxanthin supplementation in 2001, we were convinced that early clinical evidence told an important story about the protective role of zeaxanthin in maintaining optimal eye health. Since that time, numerous independent studies have confirmed what the new 'gold standard' study - AREDS 2, demonstrates that dietary zeaxanthin and lutein play an important protective role in patients at-risk for and diagnosed with AMD."

Doctor recommended EyePromise eye vitamin formulations are evidence based, made in the USA from the highest quality natural ingredients, carry an unconditional 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee, and contain the highest available level of natural dietary zeaxanthin derived from a proprietary orange paprika pepper. EyePromise products are manufactured to strict guidelines of FDA current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and are NSF Certified for quality, strength, and purity. EyePromise is the only brand of eye vitamins guaranteed to increase MPOD (Macular Pigment Optical Density).

About AREDS 2 and Healthy Vision Month

Researchers with the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) reported in 2001 that a nutritional supplement called the AREDS formulation reduced the risk of developing advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The original AREDS formulation contains vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, zinc and copper.

In 2006, the same research group began a second study called AREDS 2 to determine if they could improve the AREDS formulation by adding omega-3 fatty acids, lutein, and zeaxanthin. The researchers also substituted lutein and zeaxanthin for beta-carotene in the formulation due to findings that higher levels of beta carotene supplementation contributed to an increased prevalence of lung cancer in current and former smokers. The investigators reported that lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation is a safe and effective alternative to beta-carotene.

May is Healthy Vision Month (HVM), a national eye health observance established by the National Eye Institute (NEI) in May 2003. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

About ZeaVision and EyePromise

ZeaVision is passionate about preserving healthy vision and fighting vision loss. The company develops innovative nutraceutical and instrumentation technology for EyeCare Professionals, patients, and consumers. ZeaVision scientists have conducted more than 20 years of research and development in nutrition and eye health and hold patents on zeaxanthin, a crucial dietary antioxidant and photo-protectant. For more information on the EyePromise^® brand of eye vitamins, visit www.eyepromise.com. The company also offers a state-of-the-art macular pigment measurement instrument as part of its Eye-Q Intelligent AMD Risk Management Program^®. The QuantifEye^® instrument measures macular pigment optical density and allows EyeCare Professionals to measure, manage, monitor, and maintain healthy macular pigment levels to address an important AMD risk factor. For more information, please visit www.eyepromise.com, email, or call 866-833-2800.