Nutritional and smoking advice recalled by patients attending a UK age-related macular degeneration clinic

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is responsible for half of registered visual impairment in the UK. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists recommends providing guidance to people with AMD regarding smoking, diet, and nutritional supplements. The aim of this study was to investigate lifestyle advice recalled by patients with neovascular AMD (nAMD).

The study took place at a UK hospital outpatients' clinic. Eligible patients with unilateral nAMD were presented with a survey about lifestyle advice provision.

Of 248 respondents, only 39.9% remembered receiving advice regarding diet at the hospital. Only 24.2% of respondents recalled receiving advice regarding nutritional supplements, and only 19.8% of respondents started taking daily supplements as a result of their AMD. The most prevalent reason for not taking supplements amongst those advised to do so was lack of understanding of how it would help their eyes. Nearly 13% of the sample reported currently smoking, 53.1% of which reported that they were advised to stop smoking when diagnosed with AMD.

The findings suggest that it would be beneficial to review the provision of lifestyle advice to patients attending AMD outpatients' clinics, and to consider whether advice is being provided in an optimal format for later recall.