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← Return to AREDS 2 - Does it help?
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Eye Conditions | Last Active: Nov 29 5:06pm | Replies (24)
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Is the reward comparable to the loss? I started on areds 2 many years before my transplant and continued 5 years there after. I eventually switched to a formula without zinc due to low copper and intersction with tacrolimus. Recent info. Has defined the areds 2 without zinc is just as effective. But now after the switch I am facing a possible cancer evaluation because I switched. Why are such problems not researched and posted on the container or on the internet. Even cigarettes are required to make statements related to cancer studies but areds 2 is just as dangerous.
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@eyak1950
Just to help clarify:
The medication you mentioned , tacrolimus, is an immunosuppressant used after major organ transplants (most often kidney or liver) to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. Because tacrolimus suppresses the immune system, transplant patients routinely undergo cancer screenings regardless of what supplements they take.
This is separate from AREDS2.
There is no evidence that the medical community has found AREDS2—with or without zinc—causes cancer. The monitoring you described would be related to long-term immunosuppression, not to the AREDS2 formula or the switch to a zinc-free version. No cancer warnings on Areds2 bottles like on a package of cigarettes because there has been no evidence it is linked to cancer.
In my case with the CFH gene with double Y alleles the zinc in the original formula can cause me to advance to GA or advanced AMD quicker some studies have shown. The CFH gene regulates inflammation which contributes to my AMD. Well the medical community is just not really sure about genes and AMD quite yet and there are conflicting results in the research articles and opinions so no DNA testing is performed on AMD patients when prescribed AREDS2. The original AREDS involved no DNA testing. Later peer reviewed studies showed the zinc in AREDS is harmful if the subject had the CFH double Y alleles. However the AREDS2 committee reviewed the newer subsequent DNA study evidence and determined it was inconclusive- so no duty to warn.
I was upset that this expensive supplement had been prescribed to me without any reservations to its ingredients whatsoever. It only helps 25 percent of intermediate AMD patients by only slowing down the disease progression for a few years.