24Drs好健康報:飲食與生活習慣會影響眼睛健康？！
好健康熱頭條 ─ 飲食與生活習慣可能影響眼睛健康 Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health
好健康小單字─ 老年性黃斑部病變(Age-Related Macular Degeneration，AMD)
好健康熱頭條 ─ 飲食與生活習慣可能影響眼睛健康
最新研究顯示，從你的眼睛可能可以看出你身體健康與否；刊載在營養學（Nutrition）中的報告顯示，飲食與生活習慣可能影響罹患老年性黃斑病變（AMD）的機率。
AMD在美國是造成視力喪失的主要原因，超過1千3百萬人有某些AMD的症狀，但是這種病比較不常見於55歲以下的人；最新研究顯示，飲食、抽菸、與身體質量指數（BMI）可能影響罹患AMD的機會。
根據最新研究顯示，吃得健康、不抽菸、不過重能讓你遠離老年性黃斑病變，研究人員包括哈佛醫學院與公共衛生學院的Johanna Seddon醫師。
【探索AMD】
Seddon醫師與同事們針對934位平均在67歲至71歲的老年人進行研究，其中一半的參與者是在波士頓的眼耳診所做檢查；另一半的人則在奧勒岡州波特蘭的眼科診所做檢查。
總共有184位參與者沒有AMD，201位是輕微的AMD，326位是中度的AMD，223位是重度AMD；參與者完成有關飲食與生活習慣的調查，也要抽血讓Seddon醫師的研究小組確認C-反應蛋白（CRP）與高半胱胺酸的含量，這兩種物質與心臟疾病風險增加有關。
研究人員表示，之前的研究指出，CRP與高半胱胺酸與老年性黃斑病變有關，這一次他們是要確認飲食與生活習慣是否會影響CRP與高半胱胺酸的含量，以及是否會影響AMD的風險。
沒有要求任何參與者要改變飲食或生活習慣，研究人員只是觀察這些參與者的習慣模式、血液中的化學物質、與AMD診斷結果。
【令人吃驚的數據】
研究人員發現，抽菸、過重、以及吃較少抗氧化物（許多蔬果中會發現的天然化學物質）的人CRP與高半胱胺酸含量較高。
例如，表示自己每週吃超過2次魚的人CRP含量較低，吃較多維他命C、β胡蘿蔔素、與葉黃素以及玉米黃素等抗氧化物的人也是如此，抽菸以及BMI較高的人CRP含量較高。
吃較多維他命E的人血液中含有較少的高半胱胺酸，而且這些人會吃較多抗氧化物與維他命B6，但是血液中維他命E較高也與CRP含量較高有關，所以Seddon醫師與同事們指出，這種矛盾應該進一步研究。
他們指出，整體來說，這些研究結果指出，如果你有抽菸、過重、與其他不健康的行為時，眼睛就有可能生病。
Seddon醫師在新聞稿中表示，AMD與免疫、發炎、以及其他心血管機制有關，而這些結果強調，為了你的眼睛以及全身著想，你需要健康的生活習慣。
Diet, Lifestyle May Affect Eye Health
Your eyes may be a window to your body's health, a new study shows.
The report, published in Nutrition, shows that diet and lifestyle might sway the odds -- for better or worse -- of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
AMD is America's leading cause of vision loss. More than 13 million people in the U.S. show some signs of AMD, which is uncommon in people younger than 55. A new study shows that diet, smoking, and BMI (body mass index) may affect the chances of getting AMD.
Eating healthfully, not smoking, and not being overweight could help keep age-related macular degeneration at bay, according to the new study. The reverse also appears to be true, write the researchers. They included Johanna Seddon, MD, of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Tracking AMD
Seddon and colleagues studied 934 people who were 67 to 71 years old, on average. Half of the participants were screened at a Boston eye and ear clinic. The others were screened at an eye clinic in Portland, Ore.
A total of 184 participants didn't have AMD. The rest had mild AMD (201 patients), moderate AMD (326 patients), or advanced AMD (223 patients).
Participants completed surveys about their diet and lifestyle. They also gave blood samples, which Seddon's team checked for levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine, which have been linked to increased risk of heart disease.
The researchers had previously reported that CRP and homocysteine are associated with age-related macular degeneration. This time, they checked how diet and lifestyle affected levels of CRP and homocysteine, as well as AMD risk.
None of the participants were asked to change their diets or lifestyles. The researchers just looked for patterns among the participants' habits, blood chemicals, and AMD diagnosis.
Eye-Opening Data
The researchers found that people who smoked, were overweight, and consumed fewer antioxidants (natural chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables) tended to have higher levels of CRP and homocysteine.
For instance, people who reported eating fish more than twice per week had lower CRP levels. This was also true for people who consumed higher levels of vitamin C, beta-carotene, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.
CRP levels were higher for people who smoked or had higher BMI, the study also shows.
Lower homocysteine levels were seen in people with more vitamin E in their blood and those who consumed more antioxidants and vitamin B-6. But higher blood levels of vitamin E were also tied to higher CRP levels. That contradiction should be studied further, note Seddon and colleagues.
"Overall, these findings suggest that sick eyes may occur in sick bodies related to smoking, being overweight, and other unhealthy behaviors," they write.
"AMD is associated with immune, inflammatory, and other cardiovascular mechanisms, and these results emphasize the need to adhere to healthy lifestyles for your eyes and your body overall," Seddon says in a news release.
SOURCES: Seddon, J. Nutrition, April 2006; vol 22: pp 441-443. WebMD Medical Reference: "Understanding Macular Degeneration -- the Basics." News release, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
WebMD Medical News
by Miranda Hitti
好健康小單字─ 老年性黃斑部病變(Age-Related Macular Degeneration，AMD)
老年性黃斑部病變為成年或老年人視力退化及失明的原因之一，是老化而產生視力退化的一種眼疾，發生原因是眼球裡的脈絡膜產生不正常的新生血管，此新生血管長至「黃斑部」的下方(黃斑部是負責微細中心視力及色彩的部位，因此患者常在視覺中心有暗影，但其周邊的視野並不受到影響)，非常脆弱，容易反覆出血和滲水，結果破壞黃斑部的感光細胞，視力急速減退；可區分為兩種型態，一型為乾性或非新生血管性的黃斑部病變；另一型為溼性或新生血管性的黃斑部病變。
想看更多好健康的資訊嗎? 請上24Drs國際厚生
留言列表
{{ article.title }}
