Each year, over 63 thousand Italians are affected by
age-related macular degeneration. Age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) is a disease affecting people generally over the age of
50. AMD affects the macula (the central part of the retina) therefore
reducing central vision.
The prevalence of age-related macular
degeneration increases exponentially with age, involving 10 to 20% of
people over 80 years of age, and is the main cause of low vision in
older adults in industrialized countries.
People who have AMD can
experience major difficulties in seeing fine details up close or from a
distance, making it difficult to read or even recognize people's faces.
The most important risk factors of age-related macular degeneration are:
smoking, high blood pressure, exposure to strong sources of light, and bad
nutritional habits.
It is therefore understandable that one's lifestyle
plays a major role in the quality of life per se and in the preservation
of a healthy sight.
With the initiative "Control and Nutrition for a
Healthy Sight" proposed by the Istituto Cavazza in collaboration with
community pharmacies of the Gruppo Admenta Italia, Ancescao Coordinamento
Provinciale di Bologna and the sponsorship of Rete Italiana Città
Sane-OMS, the goal was to create awareness and inform the population more
at risk of being affected by this disease. During the week of February 23
to 28, 2009, brochures were distributed free of charge in all the
community pharmacies and social centres for older adults, members of the
Ancescao of the province of Bologna, in which there were useful tips to
maintain a healthy lifestyle as well as the Amsler grid, an easy test
(Vedere Oltre, no 1, 2009) which allows the identification in its early
stages of some visual abnormalities.
The initiative was carried out as well in every
community pharmacy of the Gruppo Admenta Italia in the cities of
Milan, Lissone, Cremona, Parma, Prato and San Giovanni
Valdarno.
Some useful advice for a healthy and balanced diet
for the prevention of problems linked to sight.
Eat fish at
least twice a week, preferably fatty fish rich with polyunsaturated fatty
acids such as cod, tuna, salmon and mackerel. To cook,
use oil that is stable in cooking and rich with antioxidants like extra
virgin olive oil. Eat fruits and vegetables of
the season, at least five portions a day. It is not difficult to do! Here
is an example: an orange juice, a green salad,
a potatoe with the skin, a vegetable soup, a pear. Let's vary the vegetables according to their colour of dark
green,
yellow, orange, red, violet,
or white. Each colour represents different vitamins and mineral
salts.
In season, broccoli, spinach, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are
rich with lutein.
Limit the consumption of food that is too rich in
sugar or animal fats and which are full of calories. Reduce sweets, jams,
ice cream cones, cookies, sugar, frozen food, pork meat, meat that is too
fatty, sweet drinks filled with calories, alcoholic beverages, chocolate
candies, cheeses high in fat content, cold meats.
Reduce to a minimum
your salt intake. Reduce to a minimum the quantity of seasoning on
vegetables and meats (learning the use of more herbs and aromas to vary
flavours) and use a moderate amount of salt in the water used for boiling
(pasta, rice, potatoes).
Source: « Groupe d’experts en micronutrition
oculaire - Micronutrition et œil en pratique : Les bases », Bausch &
Lomb Laboratoire Chauvin Ed. 2005
