AREDS vitamins may have no benefit in which type of AMD?

The correct answer is that AREDS vitamins may have no benefit in wet AMD. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) primarily focused on assessing the effect of specific vitamin and mineral supplementation on the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The AREDS formulation has shown significant benefits in reducing the risk of progression for intermediate AMD and for advanced dry AMD, but it specifically does not prevent or treat wet AMD, which is characterized by the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the retina leading to vision loss.

In wet AMD, the underlying mechanism is different from that of dry AMD and the intermediate stage of AMD. Treatments for wet AMD, such as anti-VEGF injections, target the abnormal blood vessel growth directly, whereas the AREDS vitamins are designed to address oxidative stress and inflammation, which are more relevant to the earlier stages. Therefore, while vitamins may help in managing the overall health of the eyes, they do not address the urgent and specific needs of patients with wet AMD.