PRWeb
A group of retina specialists at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) recently released the second phase of the Multifocal Electroretinogram (MERG) study of patients placed on supplemental vitamins, minerals and carotenoids - a combination also known as Macular Health. The results of Phase II of the study represents the first-ever documentation of long-term improvement in eye health in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients, individuals at-risk for total blindness due to deterioration of the macula. According to Dr. John O. Mason, "This study confirms that Macular Health has the potential to preserve vision for millions of AMD sufferers.
Birmingham, Ala. (PRWEB) April 20, 2009 -- A group of retina specialists at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) recently released the second phase of the Multifocal Electroretinogram (MERG) study of patients placed on supplemental vitamins, minerals and carotenoids - a combination also known as Macular Health. Phase II of the study represents the first-ever documentation of long-term improvement in eye health in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients, individuals at-risk for total blindness due to deterioration of the macula.
"The conclusions of the new MERG study offer good news to sufferers of age-related macular degeneration," says John O. Mason, III, MD, researcher and retina specialist at the Callahan Eye Foundation. "This study is proof that the Macular Health vitamin is an incredible product for sufferers of this life-altering disease."
The study, which was accepted by the Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO) for poster presentation, found that patients taking the Macular Health capsule once daily over a two-year period had an increase in the health of the macula and better vision compared to a control group that did not take the Macular Health capsule.
Jeffery McAnnally, President of Macular Health, LLC, says, "On behalf of the Macular Health Company, I am pleased to announce this additional proof of the effectiveness of Macular Health. Macular Health is a product that will help millions of aging adults avoid vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration. Not only is Macular Health the most affordable product of its kind on the market today, it is the easiest to take."
The first phase of the MERG study was released in December 2005 and found a 16 percent increase in retinal improvement in patients taking Macular Health for just 12 weeks. The second phase found a 17 percent increase in retinal improvement in the same patients after two years of taking Macular Health. Dr. Mason and a team of retina specialists from UAB will continue to monitor participants in the study to evaluate long-term improvement in eye health and vision due to Macular Health.
Macular Health offers consumers a free information booklet about AMD which can be ordered online at www.macularhealth.com or by telephone at 1-800-980-6551.
About Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in American adults. The condition, which is a breakdown of the macula of the eye, typically occurs during the aging process. Damage of the macula, caused by AMD, increases the difficulty of seeing fine details clearly.
AMD can make activities such as reading and threading a needle impossible. The ability to see both near and far is hindered by AMD because damage to the macula causes blurriness and distortion of vision. There is no cure for AMD, but there is hope of slowing vision loss with Macular Health.
AMD is most common in adults 55 years and older, individuals with a family history of the disease, people suffering from obesity, women, smokers and people with excessive exposure to the sun. To prevent AMD, it is important to wear UV protective sunglasses, eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight and monitor blood pressure. At-risk individuals should also take a multivitamin and supplement such as Macular Health.
About John O. Mason, III, MD
John O. Mason III, MD, a native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., received his undergraduate degree in microbiology, magna cum laude, from the University of Alabama and his medical degree, cum laude, from the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama Birmingham/Eye Foundation Hospital and completed a two-year vitreoretinal disease and surgery fellowship at the prestigious Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Penn.
Mason specializes in vitreous, macular and retinal diseases and surgery at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital on the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) campus. He is also an assistant professor for UAB with special interests in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery.
Mason is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, American College of Surgeons, American Society of Retina Specialists, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, and the American Society of Ocular Oncologists. His major research areas are diabetic eye disease and macular surgery. He currently serves as Director of the Retina Service.
About Macular Health
Macular Health is a unique vitamin supplement that slows vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and reduces the risk of total blindness. The supplement was developed in 2003 by a retina surgeon at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB).
Macular Health is based on the National Eye Institute's (NEI) Age Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and also contains vitamins such as lutein, zeaxanthin and bilberry in a one-capsule, easy-to-swallow form. The Macular Health formula has been proven for short-term and long-term improvement in eye health in patients with AMD. For more information about Macular Health, visit www.macularhealth.com or contact Julie Ward at 205.503.5955.
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