Adherence and Awareness of Patients with Age-Related Macular Degeneration to AREDS 2 Recommended Nutritional Supplements.

Background & aims: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) stands as the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in developed nations. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS 2) conclusively demonstrated the advantages of vitamin and mineral supplementation in either preventing or slowing down the progression of AMD. This survey was crafted to evaluate the utilization of nutritional supplements and to gauge the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of patients with AMD. The aim was to identify factors predicting adherence and explore the public health implications.

Methods: A cross-sectorial study was conducted involving 148 patients through a survey carried out at a tertiary-level hospital. The survey focused on patients with AMD who were candidates for nutritional supplements.

Results: The primary outcome was the rate of adherence to AREDS recommendations, which was found to be 83%. Female gender (P = 0.038), effective medication regimen management (P < 0.01), and higher levels of education (P < 0.01) emerged as independent factors significantly associated with adherence.

Conclusions: While ophthalmologists play a crucial role in addressing neovascular complications of AMD, they also bear the responsibility of promoting patient adherence to AREDS supplements. Achieving optimal compliance requires addressing the multifaceted factors identified in this study, with specific attention to patients' educational backgrounds and informational requirements.