NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The carbohydrates present in a diet can
influence the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most
common cause of vision loss in older adults, according to a report in the
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

"AMD appears to share several carbohydrate-related mechanisms and
risk factors with diabetes-related diseases, including (eye) and
cardiovascular disease," write Dr. Allen Taylor, of Tufts University,
Boston, and colleagues. "However, to date, only one small study has
addressed this issue."

To investigate further, the researchers conducted a study of 4,099
participants, aged 55 to 80 years, in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study.

The team classified a total of 8,125 eyes into one of five AMD groups
based on the severity of the disease and other factors.

Regular consumption of a diet with a high-glycemic index - a diet
containing carbs that quickly raise blood Sugar levels -- significantly
increased the risk of AMD relative to regular consumption of a diet with
a low-glycemic index.

The researchers calculate that 20 percent of AMD cases could have
been prevented if subjects had consumed diets with a low-glycemic
index.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2007