- Researchers have reported a correlation between melatonin consumption and the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a paper published in JAMA Ophthalmology.
- A national database of electronic patient information in the United States was analyzed by researchers from Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
- Between November 2008 and November 2023, they examined the medical data of 121,523 patients who were 50 years of age or older and had no prior history of AMD. During the same period, the case files of 66,253 patients with pre-existing nonexudative AMD were also examined.
- The researchers determined whether patients in the cohort had at least four entries in their medical records about melatonin prescription codes spaced no more than three months apart.
- They discovered that melatonin supplementation reduced the risk of developing AMD in persons without the condition and decreased the risk of exudative AMD in patients with nonexudative AMD.
- The use of melatonin has been linked to a lower risk of AMD onset and progression. The results justify additional investigation into the effectiveness of melatonin as a preventive medication against AMD, even though lifestyle factors may have influenced this link, the researchers said.
Source:
aop.org.uk
