Age-related Macular Degeneration is the major cause of sight loss but retired optometrist Harry Marsland believes hope it as at hand for the millions of sufferers

Fifty years ago the major causes of blindness in the UK were cataracts and glaucoma, with just three per cent of cases being attributed to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Today the number of people suffering sight-loss because of AMD is nearer 50 per cent, compared to other causes.

Part of the reason is that cataracts and glaucoma can now be easily remedied, but also the simple fact that people are living longer, and AMD is increasingly common once you pass 60, and especially in people aged over 75.

Retired optometrist Harry Marsland, from Oundle, was diagnosed with ‘wet’ AMD in his right eye in 2001, when he was 66.

“When I was first diagnosed there was no known treatment, and I knew all too well that was the case,” Harry recalls. “I was facing going blind and I volunteered for an experimental laser treatment for the eye that was affected, the right eye. They did not hold out high hopes for me but thought it might be worth doing. I had the treatment and the result was that it blinded the eye.

“My wife was very annoyed by it but I was fatalistic as I would have lost the sight in it anyway. Life was horrid as it was, and something had to be done. I had double vision and I wasn’t safe really. Then the other eye started to develop the dry variety of AMD, and up to 2007 that was gradually getting worse, although anti-oxidant supplements did help.”

In April 2007 Harry went for an appointment with his opthalmogist, who confirmed what Harry already knew, that there was nothing that could be done for his AMD.

“As I was going out he gave me a flyer that he’d had in his drawer for 11 months. It was for a product designed to stop younger people getting AMD, but when I read it I thought there might be something in it for me, so I decided to try it.

Within four months I noticed a difference, and within ten months I was virtually recovered, but not cured. If I don’t take the supplement that I’m on daily then it will come back again.”

That supplement is Macushield, which combines the plant compounds Meso-zeaxanthin, Lutein and Zeaxanthin which are found in the macula and protect the eye by absorbing blue light and neutralising free radicals. Harry explained how these compounds, or carotenoids, work:

“There are about 600 carotenoids in the plant world, and of those we eat about 50. If you analyse the blood, you have red lumps in blood and clear liquid. In the red lumps there are about 20 of those 50 carotenoids and in the clear liquid about 15 to 16. Get to the eyeball and you are down to three carotenoids out of 600, and of these three only two are in your diet, lutein and Zeaxanthin. The third, Meso-zeaxanthin, does not exist in your diet, the eye makes it from one of the others. Lutein is converted into meso-zeaxanthin in the eye or not, as in my case. I lost the ability to do the conversion.

“These carotenoids all act as protective pigments. They are all yellow, they all absorb blue light and they are all antioxidants. But the most important of the three is the one I haven’t got, Meso-zeaxanthin. Take it as a supplement and hey presto, I’m better.”

Harry started taking the supplement at the beginning of May 2007 and by September found he did not need to use his magnifying glass. By December he could see outside in the dark, which had started to become a problem, and by January 2008 he was actually driving in the dark.  Hand in hand with this recovery he discovered the density levels of these carotenoids in his eye could be measured.  Since beginning on the supplement this has increased by 400 per cent.

The capsules cost £38 for three months supply and Harry takes one a day. “If I didn’t take it I have no doubt I would go back to where I was”, he says.

New research has suggested that the supplement may well be able to keep AMD under control, and Harry has made it his mission to spread the news, speaking to professional bodies, giving public lectures and contributing to scientific journals.

What is AMD?

The macula is a small area at the very centre of the retina and is responsible for what we see straight in front of us, allowing us to see fine detail for activities such as reading and writing, as well as our ability to see colour.

AMD causes cells of the macula to become damaged and stop working, and there are two types of macular degeneration or AMD, usually referred to as ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.

‘Dry’ AMD is the most common form of the condition and develops slowly, causing gradual loss of central vision. ‘Wet’ AMD results in new blood vessels growing behind the retina, which causes bleeding and scarring, which can lead to sight loss. ‘Wet’ AMD can develop quickly and accounts for about ten per cent of all people with AMD.

Both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ AMD usually involve both eyes, although one may be affected long before the other. This sometimes makes the condition difficult to notice at first because the sight in the good eye is compensating for the loss of sight in the affected eye.

AMD is an age related condition so growing older makes the condition more likely and women seem more likely to develop macular degeneration than men.

Protecting your eyes from the sun, eating a well balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and stopping smoking may all help to delay the progress of AMD. In the early stages of AMD central vision may be blurred or distorted, with objects looking an unusual size or shape and straight lines appearing wavy or fuzzy.

This may happen quickly or develop over several months. You may be very sensitive to light or actually see lights, shapes and colours that are not there.

Because AMD affects the centre of the retina, people with the advanced condition will often notice a blank patch or dark spot in the centre of their sight.

This makes reading, writing and recognising small objects or faces potentially very difficult.

If you suspect you have AMD but there are no sudden symptoms, you should see your optician or family GP who will refer you to an eye specialist.