CRN: Supplementing with eye health supplements lutein and zeaxanthin would save $3.9 billion annually

WASHINGTON — An average of $3.9 billion per year in avoidable healthcare utilization costs would be realized if all U.S. adults older than 55 years diagnosed with age-related eye disease were to use lutein and zeaxanthin dietary supplements at preventive intake levels, according to a new economic report released Thursday by the Council for Responsible Nutrition. 

“Smart prevention is protecting your health and also protecting your wallet. Age-related eye disease poses risks that are debilitating and expensive, so supplementing with lutein and zeaxanthin can help reduce those risks,” stated Duffy MacKay, SVP scientific and regulatory affairs for CRN.

The report, “Smart Prevention – Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements,” was compiled by Frost & Sullivan, which conducted a systematic review of scientific studies that focused on studies that looked at the relationship between lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation and the risk of an ARED-attributed event. The firm then projected the rates of ARED-attributed medical events across U.S. adults over the age of 55 with ARED and applied a cost benefit analysis to determine the cost savings if people in this targeted population took lutein and zeaxanthin supplements at preventive intake levels.