Q: I am a 61-year-old divorced woman, working part time and the primary caregiver for my 87-year-old mother, who was recently diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). While her doctor mentioned a link between AMD and nutrition as he was leaving the room for another appointment, he didn't tell us much else. Mom's Social Security is less than $600 monthly, and I am scraping to make ends meet. I read your column in our local paper and know that you're not medical writers, but can you find out information on this condition?

A: Until you wrote, we did not realize the impact AMD is making on older Americans. AMD, the leading cause of severe vision loss for people over age 60, gradually destroys the sharp central vision needed for viewing objects clearly and for common daily tasks. In fact, the oldest baby boomers are at risk and should be screened for this disease by their ophthalmologists.

According to Dr. Michael J. Cooney, a practicing vitreoretinal surgeon at the Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York in Manhattan, there are a number of risk factors for AMD, with age being primary. Cooney told NextSteps that "30 percent of people over age 70 will have some type of macular degeneration" or signs of it. By the time individuals reach their late 80s or 90s, he said, "we expect to see some type of macular degeneration." And there appears to be a higher rate of AMD and cataracts among women than men, perhaps because women tend to live longer.

Other risk factors include high blood pressure, cigarette smoking (which increases your risk of AMD fourfold), family history, high cholesterol, vascular disease, obesity, prolonged periods of sunlight exposure and, the question you asked about, inadequate nutrition. According to a landmark trial called The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) released in 2001 by the National Eye Institute, there is a link between nutrition and eye health, and high quantities of the antioxidant vitamins (A, C and E -- plus zinc) may retard the progression of macular degeneration.

Some studies suggest that those who follow diets rich in the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin have a lower risk of developing AMD. Lutein can be found in yellow peppers, mango, bilberries and green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, chard and broccoli. Zeaxanthin can be found in orange sweet peppers, broccoli, corn, lettuce (not iceberg), spinach, tangerines, oranges and eggs.

Vitamins A, C and E are found in various fruits (such as oranges, kiwis, grapefruit and dried apricots) and also in green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, peppers and raw carrots. They can also be found in nuts, seeds, dairy products and eggs.

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, some 62 percent of Americans do not consume any whole fruit servings on a daily basis, and 25 percent of the survey participants reported eating no daily servings of vegetables. And most Americans don't eat enough fatty fish -- such as mackerel, herring, sardines, anchovies and salmon -- which contain omega-3s, also important to eye health.

Considering that a balanced diet is the first step toward eye health, you should try to watch your mother's diet carefully and also attempt to decrease or eliminate other AMD risk factors that she might have. And for those whose diets are deficient in the suggested areas, whose bodies do not adequately absorb vitamins and minerals, or whose physician recommends it, there are eye-specific supplements in pill form on the market, including Ocuvite by Bausch & Lomb.

Taking the NextStep: According to Cooney, supplements under the watchful guidance of medical professionals may even help reduce or prevent AMD in younger generations in some circumstances. For more information, visit dontlosesight.org.