Objective To observe the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) in patients of Age-Related Maculopathy(ARM) in early stage by using the method of Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry (HFP), and to investigate the effect of the supplementation of lutein in these subjects.
Method The clinical data of 42 subjects (84 eyes, 42 early ARM eyes and 42 fellow eyes) were retrospectively analyzed. All subjects were asked in details about history, taken examinations of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), indirect ophthalmoscopy and fundus photography. Any subjects who had any eye diseases except ARM in early stage were excluded in this study. Lutein were uptaken by all the subjects and the measurement of MPOD were taken before and after 1 months’ supplementation of Lutein.
Results The MPOD of eyes of ARM in early stage and fellow ones before and after Lutein supplementation were 0.347±0.182、0.426±0.173、0.406±0.155、0.446±0.128, respectively. Before supplementation, there was a statistically significant differences(t=-2.042, p=0.044＜0.05) between early ARM eyes and fellow ones. When compared with early ARM eyes before supplementation, there was an increasing trend, but no statistically significant differences in ones after treatment（t=-1.594, p=0.115＞0.05）.
Conclusions The MPOD in early ARM eyes is lessening and the supplementation of Lutein may play a role in enhancing the MPOD in these eyes. |
