Vitamin supplements lower diabetic retinopathy risk

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness. It occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels inside the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye.

A new study published in the May 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports an association between the use of vitamin C and E supplements and a reduced risk of diabetic retinopathy.

The study examined data from 1,353 subjects with type 2 diabetes diagnosed from 1993 to 1995. The data revealed no association of retinopathy with vitamins C and E from food alone, but a decreased risk was found among those who reported long-term (> 3 years) use of vitamin C, vitamin E or multi-nutrient supplements. Compared to those who did not report supplement use, long-term supplement users experienced a two-fold reduction in the risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Although there is evidence from in vitro, animal, and short-term research, this was the first epidemiologic study on retinopathy to show the protective effect associated with vitamin C and vitamin E in supplement form.