As a national leader in low vision rehabilitation, Dr. Smith has been asked to contribute his wealth of knowledge and unique patient care practices to a recent research study sponsored by a grant from the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health.  Dr. Smith has been working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Medicine to help complete this project, designed to modernize our understanding of individualized low vision rehabilitative patient care practices.  This study will then be the basis for designing a multi-center randomized low vision rehabilitation clinical trial.

Macular Therapy Formula

Most vitamins that are commercially available today are incomplete and hard to absorb. Dr. Smith has spent time with several low vision professionals and helped develop Macular Therapy Formula. This formula provides many different nutrients that are essential to both eye and overall health.

Macular Therapy Formula contains:

Vitamin A.........................................5000 IU
Vitamin C..........................................452 mg
Vitamin E...........................................200 IU
Zinc..................................................40 mg
Copper.............................................1.5 mg
Lutein...............................................10 mg
Zeaxanthin.......................................500 mcg
PSF*................................................802 mg

*Our Proprietary Synergistic Formula is a blend of: Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Flax Seed, L-Taurine, Bilberry and MesoZeaxanthin.

Description of ingredients

Vitamin A
Protects against free radical damage. Fuels chemical reactions needed for vision. Does NOT increase risk of cancer for smokers as does beta-carotene.

Vitamin C
An antioxidant that prevents damage to the retina.

Vitamin E
An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Dosage of 200 iu recommended by the American Heart Association.

Zinc
Necessary to transport Vitamin A and promote wound healing. Excess can cause copper deficiency and urinary problems.

Copper
Necessary to offset copper depletion due to zinc.
Small dosages ensure against toxicity risk.

Lutein
A critical antioxidant and blue light filter found concentrated in healthy macula. Studies show it enhances visual function.

Zeaxanthin
Similar to Lutein, an antioxidant and blue light filter
found in the healthy macula.

MesoZeaxanthin
A newly discovered and more effective form of zeaxanthin.
Appears to enhance color perception.

L-Taurine
Filters out harmful UV rays. Low levels in the body
have a strong correlation to ARMD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Promotes circulation and may actually prevent ARMD. Present in 60% of retinal photoreceptor cells.

Bilberry Extract
An antioxidant thought by many to protect the macula. Used by WWII fighter pilots to help night vision.

New Improved Formula
Macular Therapy Formula now contains MESO ZEAXANTHIN, a newly found isomer of Zeaxanthin helpful to color vision.

Suburban Eye Care is committed to making Macular Therapy Formula the best nutrition product available. We will continue to improve the formula as new research becomes available.

Low Vision Q&A

What is low vision?
What causes low vision?
Who can benefit from low vision care?
What are the chances of success?
How does macular degeneration impair vision?
Why are vitamins important for my eyes?
Can diet alone provide therapeutic levels of macular nutrients? Do multivitamins alone provide therapeutic levels of macular nutrients?  
What are the risk factors for AMD?
Can my lifestyle make a difference?

Q.  What is low vision?
A.  Low vision is insufficient remaining vision to do a desired activity.

            The definition has two parts:
                       
1.  The vision - some vision remains (not total blindness), but it is insufficient, even with conventional glasses or contact lenses.    
                       
               And

2.  A desired activity.  Some examples are reading, writing, driving, playing cards, watching TV, seeing faces, playing music, shopping, or identifying medication.

There may be many activities a low vision patient wants to do but cannot. The low vision evaluation addresses these areas.

Back To Q&A

Q.  What causes low vision?
A.  There are many causes of low vision.  Most low vision patients suffer from macular degeneration, diabetes, glaucoma and inoperable cataracts.  Other common causes are retinal detachment, optic neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, corneal disease, myopic degeneration, trauma, stroke and genetic conditions like albinism, Stargardt’s disease or retinitis pigmentosa.  Low vision results from many other causes also.

Macular degeneration is the number one leading cause of low vision.  Fortunately a lot can be done to help people with macular degeneration.

Back To Q&A

Q.  Who can benefit from low vision care?
A.  People with some usable vision but who still struggle to do the things they want to do.   Low vision patients undergo a pre appointment phone interview with Dr. Smith or his low vision staff to review their vision situation and discuss their goals to find out if low vision care is right for them.

Back To Q&A

Q.  What are the chances of success?
A.  Much of that depends upon the amount of usable vision available, the nature of the activity and the individual. 

The more usable vision a person has, the greater number and more demanding visual goals are possible.  Someone with less vision might just manage to read large print while someone with more intact vision might be able to read large print, standard print and the daily stock report.
 
Each activity has its own level of difficulty.  Reading is generally more complex than looking at photographs.  Seeing faces and television is less demanding than driving.

Patients with specific visual goals (reading without a magnifier, watching TV) tend to be more successful. There is no miracle cure that will return your vision to what it was.  However, motivated patients can learn to use low vision devices to resume many of the visual tasks they have been struggling with.

Most of the patients we see in our low vision clinic can benefit from the low vision devices we have available, allowing many people to read, watch TV or even drive.  In the end, the patient’s progress often depends on their commitment, dedication, perseverance, desire, cooperation and teamwork.

Back To Q&A

Q.  How does macular degeneration impair vision?
A.  Macular degeneration (often called age-related macular degeneration or AMD) causes central vision defects while usually leaving peripheral vision unaffected.  Picture seeing a face with normal looking ears, hair and chin but whose eyes, cheeks, nose and mouth are obscured.

The National Eye Institute, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health say if you have lost some sight from AMD ask your eye care professional about low vision services and devices that may help you make the most of your remaining vision. They suggest asking for a referral to a low vision specialist.

Back To Q&A

Q.  Why are vitamins important for my eyes?
A.  In 2001, the National Eye Institute's Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) concluded that taking high-dose antioxidants and zinc significantly reduces the risk of advanced AMD and its associated vision loss.  In 2004, the Department of Veterans' Affairs released the results of the Lutein Antioxidant Supplementation Trial (LAST) which found Lutein aided the structure and function of the macula.

Slowing AMD's progression to the advanced stage will save the vision of many people.  These studies show vitamin treatment can delay and possibly prevent AMD from reaching the advanced vision loss stage.

Macular degeneration vitamins are not a cure for AMD and will not restore vision already lost from the disease.  However, they can delay the onset of advanced AMD and help people at high risk for advanced AMD keep their vision.

Back To Q&A

Q. Can diet alone provide therapeutic levels of macular nutrients?  
A. No. The same high levels of vitamins and minerals in the macular degeneration vitamins your doctor prescribes are difficult to achieve from diet alone. Previous studies have suggested, however that people who have diets rich in green leafy vegetables have a lower risk of developing AMD.

Back To Q&A

Q. Do multivitamins alone provide therapeutic levels of macular nutrients?
A. No. The level of antioxidants and zinc are considerably higher in eye vitamins than in multivitamins.  Also the macular degeneration vitamins your doctor prescribes have especially high therapeutic levels of lutein (about 6-12mg or milligrams) and other very specialized ingredients (bilberry, taurine, zeaxanthin and omega 3 fatty acids) that general vitamins lack.  If they do contain these exotic macular nutrients they are included in trace amounts.  Usually the dosage is in micro-grams or mcg (1000 mcg are needed to equal one mg). 

Review your vitamin program with the doctor before making changes.  Certain patients should take additional supplements besides their eye formula. For example extra vitamin D may be necessary for osteoporosis.

Back To Q&A

Q.  What are the risk factors for AMD?
A.  Age is the greatest risk factor. 
People over age 60 are clearly at greater risk.
 
Other risk factors include:

Smoking.
Obesity.
Cataract surgery.
Race.
(Caucasians are more likely to get AMD as other races.)
Family history.
( Having family members with AMD increases the risk of AMD.)
Gender.( Women are at greater risk of AMD than men.)

Back To Q&A