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This week on Health Watch, we’ve been talking about protecting and improving your vision. Your mother probably told you to eat carrots so you’d have better eyesight, and now you probably see a lot of ads for dietary supplements that claim to benefit your eyes. Do they really work?
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center are participating in a study to see if vitamins, minerals and fish oil products will slow the progress of vision loss from age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Dr. Yuguang He, a UT Southwestern ophthalmologist, says there isn’t yet proof that fish oil and lutein supplements that are advertised to help protect vision actually work. This study will measure the effect of these supplements on thousands of people across the country. Doctors hope to find evidence for what works to help people maintain good eyesight as they age.
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April 2007
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