Beyond AREDS 2: There Is More Than Hope For Patients Even With The Most Severe Forms Of Retinal Disease - Stuart Richer OD, PhD
North Chicago, Illinois (May 13, 2013) - There is hope for senior Americans with even the most severe stages of retinal disease says a preventive eye specialist today.
In a soon-to-be-published paper (Nutrients May 2013), Dr. Stuart Richer OD, PhD, Director of Ocular Preventive Medicine at the James A Lovell Federal Health Center in North Chicago, Illinois, documents three cases of advanced retinal disease where a nutriceutical formula dramatically increased functional vision among patients with advanced forms of retina disease when conventional treatment had failed and all other treatment options had been exhausted.
"There are genetic mechanisms that can be tapped with small natural molecules that appear to work in equivalently and sometimes in a superior manner to existing drugs and can even reverse the course of blinding retinal disease," says Dr. Richer. He says his newly published paper documents unexpected and unprecedented regeneration of eye tissues because the selected nutriceutical is believed to facilitate survival of regenerative stem cells. These are not believed to be placebo effects.
"The importance of this peer- reviewed paper published today is to document in print the first use of an oral nutriceutical that has been shown to rescue vision among patients faced impending permanent and irreversible legal blindness," says Dr. Richer.
All three cases involved seniors of advanced age who had refused or had unsuccessfully undergone injection of sight-saving medicines directly into the eyes.
In the first case, 86-year old man with advanced macular degeneration was able to read again within 3 weeks of taking the nutriceutical and was able to read type on a vision chart that was seven times smaller.
In the second case an 88-year old woman with wet macular degeneration (fluid swelling or leakage at the back of the eyes) began to experience measurable improvement in her vision within 4 days, allowing her to see faces and read a menu.
In the third case a 75-year old man with dry macular degeneration and diabetes who had refused injected medicine into his eyes experienced better vision within 5 days and passed his driver's license test after taking only 7 nutriceutical capsules.
There were other measurable improvements in health noted among these subjects that included improved hearing, stabilization of blood pressure and disappearance of life-long migraine symptoms.
Dr. Richer says the vision of all three of these patients had deteriorated to the point where any chance for spontaneous visual improvement would be unanticipated.
The selected nutriceutical (Longevinex®, Las Vegas, NV) was able to produce measurable vision improvement in 16 of the first 17 patients, as first cited in a poster presentation at an eye meeting a year ago by Dr. Richer.
The AREDS-2 study/lutein-zeaxanthin
Dr. Richer's ground-breaking report follows the long-awaited Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) that suggests the daily use of an antioxidant-mineral supplement that includes lutein/zeaxanthin modestly slows the progression of dry macular degeneration in an aged population of patients, most who have other serious health problems and take a number of prescription medications.
Some of these medications are associated with worsening of this eye disease due to drug-induced depletion of essential nutrients (aspirin/vitamin C; acetaminophen/glutathione; cholesterol-lowering statin drugs/co-enzyme Q10; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen)/folic acid. Drug/nutrient depletion may have limited the effectiveness of the multi-ingredient dietary supplement used in this study. (Study: Journal American Medical Association May 5, 2013 Volume 309- Page 4997)
Dr. Richer says results from the AREDS 2 study are more encouraging than reported because it only assessed visual improvement as measured by the ability to read different size letters on an eye chart (high contrast visual acuity), not glare and contrast vision (ability to see shades of grey) under stressed conditions, which are crucial for day and night driving.
Real progress in preventive medicine
Dr. Richer's preventive eye clinic has achieved continued progress in preventive medicine over the past decade. In 2004 Dr. Richer reported that the supplemental carotenoid plant pigment lutein, derived from yellow marigold flower petals, improved visual function in aged patients with age-related macular degeneration. In 2011, Dr. Richer further reported improvement in visual function with a second carotenoid called zeaxanthin. Finally, Dr. Richer showed improved self-reported driving vision among senior males who ingested these carotenoids.
Molecular medicine and Epigenetics.
Reaching beyond the benefit of carotenoids, Longevinex®, the nutriceutical selected by Dr. Richer in his most recent published study, modulates the expression of genes that underlie both aging and macular degeneration. Longevinex® was used because of its superior gene-activation properties, its lack of toxicity even at high doses, and its molecular stability and safe prior human use.
Unlike the AREDS 2 components, containing strong antioxidants, one of Longevinex' demonstrated molecular activities is its measured dose and molecular synergism that activate internal enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase and heme oxygenase) via the Nrf2 gene pathway. This only occurs at low dose.
Longevinex® has also been reported to superiorly activate the Sirtuin-3 gene that has been demonstrated to actuate stem cell rejuvenation and protect the heart, so he thought this might also benefit eye patients without other options.
For more detail about Dr. Richer's ongoing research, or to make a contribution to his non-profit foundation, visit his website.####
Stuart Richer, OD, PhD,
FAAO Director, Ocular Preventive Medicine- Eye Clinic James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center
North Chicago 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064-3095
North Chicago 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064-3095
Associate Professor, Family & Preventive Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
North Chicago
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
North Chicago
Assistant Clinical Professor, UIC Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Chicago
Chicago
Bill Sardi, managing partner
Resveratrol Partners LLC, dba Longevinex
5175 S. Durango Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89113
http://www.longevinex.com
(866) 405-4000
North Chicago, Illinois (May 13, 2013) - There is hope for senior Americans with even the most severe stages of retinal disease says a preventive eye specialist today.
In a soon-to-be-published paper (Nutrients May 2013), Dr. Stuart Richer OD, PhD, Director of Ocular Preventive Medicine at the James A Lovell Federal Health Center in North Chicago, Illinois, documents three cases of advanced retinal disease where a nutriceutical formula dramatically increased functional vision among patients with advanced forms of retina disease when conventional treatment had failed and all other treatment options had been exhausted.
"There are genetic mechanisms that can be tapped with small natural molecules that appear to work in equivalently and sometimes in a superior manner to existing drugs and can even reverse the course of blinding retinal disease," says Dr. Richer. He says his newly published paper documents unexpected and unprecedented regeneration of eye tissues because the selected nutriceutical is believed to facilitate survival of regenerative stem cells. These are not believed to be placebo effects.
"The importance of this peer- reviewed paper published today is to document in print the first use of an oral nutriceutical that has been shown to rescue vision among patients faced impending permanent and irreversible legal blindness," says Dr. Richer.
All three cases involved seniors of advanced age who had refused or had unsuccessfully undergone injection of sight-saving medicines directly into the eyes.
In the first case, 86-year old man with advanced macular degeneration was able to read again within 3 weeks of taking the nutriceutical and was able to read type on a vision chart that was seven times smaller.
In the second case an 88-year old woman with wet macular degeneration (fluid swelling or leakage at the back of the eyes) began to experience measurable improvement in her vision within 4 days, allowing her to see faces and read a menu.
In the third case a 75-year old man with dry macular degeneration and diabetes who had refused injected medicine into his eyes experienced better vision within 5 days and passed his driver's license test after taking only 7 nutriceutical capsules.
There were other measurable improvements in health noted among these subjects that included improved hearing, stabilization of blood pressure and disappearance of life-long migraine symptoms.
Dr. Richer says the vision of all three of these patients had deteriorated to the point where any chance for spontaneous visual improvement would be unanticipated.
The selected nutriceutical (Longevinex®, Las Vegas, NV) was able to produce measurable vision improvement in 16 of the first 17 patients, as first cited in a poster presentation at an eye meeting a year ago by Dr. Richer.
The AREDS-2 study/lutein-zeaxanthin
Dr. Richer's ground-breaking report follows the long-awaited Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) that suggests the daily use of an antioxidant-mineral supplement that includes lutein/zeaxanthin modestly slows the progression of dry macular degeneration in an aged population of patients, most who have other serious health problems and take a number of prescription medications.
Some of these medications are associated with worsening of this eye disease due to drug-induced depletion of essential nutrients (aspirin/vitamin C; acetaminophen/glutathione; cholesterol-lowering statin drugs/co-enzyme Q10; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen)/folic acid. Drug/nutrient depletion may have limited the effectiveness of the multi-ingredient dietary supplement used in this study. (Study: Journal American Medical Association May 5, 2013 Volume 309- Page 4997)
Dr. Richer says results from the AREDS 2 study are more encouraging than reported because it only assessed visual improvement as measured by the ability to read different size letters on an eye chart (high contrast visual acuity), not glare and contrast vision (ability to see shades of grey) under stressed conditions, which are crucial for day and night driving.
Real progress in preventive medicine
Dr. Richer's preventive eye clinic has achieved continued progress in preventive medicine over the past decade. In 2004 Dr. Richer reported that the supplemental carotenoid plant pigment lutein, derived from yellow marigold flower petals, improved visual function in aged patients with age-related macular degeneration. In 2011, Dr. Richer further reported improvement in visual function with a second carotenoid called zeaxanthin. Finally, Dr. Richer showed improved self-reported driving vision among senior males who ingested these carotenoids.
Molecular medicine and Epigenetics.
Reaching beyond the benefit of carotenoids, Longevinex®, the nutriceutical selected by Dr. Richer in his most recent published study, modulates the expression of genes that underlie both aging and macular degeneration. Longevinex® was used because of its superior gene-activation properties, its lack of toxicity even at high doses, and its molecular stability and safe prior human use.
Unlike the AREDS 2 components, containing strong antioxidants, one of Longevinex' demonstrated molecular activities is its measured dose and molecular synergism that activate internal enzymatic antioxidants (glutathione, catalase, superoxide dismutase and heme oxygenase) via the Nrf2 gene pathway. This only occurs at low dose.
Longevinex® has also been reported to superiorly activate the Sirtuin-3 gene that has been demonstrated to actuate stem cell rejuvenation and protect the heart, so he thought this might also benefit eye patients without other options.
For more detail about Dr. Richer's ongoing research, or to make a contribution to his non-profit foundation, visit his website.####
Stuart Richer, OD, PhD,
FAAO Director, Ocular Preventive Medicine- Eye Clinic James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center
North Chicago 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064-3095
North Chicago 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064-3095
Associate Professor, Family & Preventive Medicine
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
North Chicago
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science
North Chicago
Assistant Clinical Professor, UIC Dept. of Ophthalmology and Visual Science
Chicago
Chicago
Bill Sardi, managing partner
Resveratrol Partners LLC, dba Longevinex
5175 S. Durango Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89113
http://www.longevinex.com
(866) 405-4000
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