Final Report Summary - CREST (Enrichment of macular pigment, and its impact on vision and blindness)
The results from these trials have been amazing. In brief, we have shown (see Nolan et al 2016; Enrichment of Macular Pigment Enhances Contrast Sensitivity in Subjects Free of Retinal Disease: Central Retinal Enrichment Supplementation Trials - Report 1) that we can take participants who have no eye problems, increase their macular pigment level, and improve their vision. These findings have dramatic implications for vision related quality of life. For example, we are saying that we can take military personnel, sports people and enhance their vision. The report from CREST Normal has already been viewed by over 40,000 readers. For the CREST AMD trial, we have confirmed the importance of enrichment (increase) of macular pigment in patients with early AMD. This data, which is currently under review at a top ophthalmology journal (Ophthalmology) has shown 75% of measures of vision performed in the trial are significantly improved following supplementation with these carotenoids. This finding is particularly important in patients with this disease, because a normal course of events results with deterioration in vision whereas here we have enhanced vision. The many positive implications from this discovery relate to direct impact on the patient and indirect costs associated with blindness due to AMD. The importance of CREST is that we now have a suggested standard of care for vision in patients with and free of AMD. CREST confirms how we can optimize our macular pigment and what this means for visual function.