Clinical product guide
Macular health nutrition for the patients you already see.
The patients in your chair for dry eye are often the same patients carrying AMD risk. This guide lines up AREDS and AREDS2 with the products on our shelf and shows how to discuss them without overpromising.
Quick answer
Let the exam pick the formula.
Patients whose exam shows intermediate AMD, or advanced AMD in a single eye, fit the AREDS2 study population, and Focus Select or PreserVision AREDS 2 are frequent choices for them. For patients who want macular pigment support but have no AMD findings, a carotenoid like MacuHealth may suit better. Either way, this is long-term support that takes years of daily use.
In short
- In AREDS, a high-dose antioxidant and zinc formula lowered the odds of developing advanced AMD in people with intermediate AMD, or with advanced AMD in just one eye.
- AREDS2 showed lutein and zeaxanthin to be a suitable substitute for beta-carotene, which had been linked to lung cancer concerns among former smokers.
- Zinc is where the AREDS2 formulas on our shelf mostly differ, at 80 mg, 25 mg or none.
- Carotenoid products contain lutein and zeaxanthin, and some also include meso-zeaxanthin.
- Patients take these every day for years, which suits auto-ship well.
Six groups on the macular shelf.
Each group opens its category or a leading product, so formulas and wholesale pricing are easy to compare.
AREDS2-based formulas
The AREDS2 nutrient set: vitamins C and E, zinc, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin.
Low-zinc and zinc-free formulas
Formulas built on AREDS2 that cut zinc to 25 mg or leave it out, for patients who would rather take less.
Carotenoid supplements
Lutein and zeaxanthin, plus meso-zeaxanthin in some formulas, the carotenoids that make up macular pigment.
Eye multivitamins
One daily product that pairs carotenoids with a full range of vitamins and minerals.
Omegas with carotenoids
For patients already taking an omega for dry eye: fish oil that also carries lutein and zeaxanthin.
Every eye vitamin we carry
EyePromise, MacuHealth, PreserVision, Focus and other names patients ask for, all in one place.
Top sellers at wholesale.
Ordered by units sold, so the first cards are the formulas practices come back for most.
MacuHealth Triple Carotenoid (90)View product
MacuHealth PLUS+ (90-day supply)View product
EyePromise Restore (60)View product
EyePromise Zeaxanthin and Lutein (60)View product
Focus Select AREDS2 Formula (180)View product
EyePromise Macular Health, no zincView product
EyePromise Macular Health Complete PackView product
Visual Advantage Meso Z Macular SupportView product
PreserVision AREDS 2 (120)View product
Fortifeye Next Gen Macular Defense (90)View product
Nordic ProDHA Eye (lemon)View product
Pure Encapsulations VisionPro Nutrients (90)View product
Patient profiles and where to start.
Your exam decides eligibility. Daily amounts are taken from each label.
| Patient | Good fit | Per day, from the label |
|---|---|---|
| Intermediate AMD, or one-eye advanced AMD | AREDS2 nutrient set | PreserVision AREDS 2: zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg, 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg. Focus Select: identical nutrients except zinc 25 mg and copper 1.4 mg. MacuHealth PLUS+: AREDS2-based, with meso-zeaxanthin added. |
| Would rather avoid zinc | AREDS2-based, no zinc | EyePromise Macular Health: lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 10 mg with fish oil and vitamins C and E, and no zinc. |
| Smokes now or used to | A formula without beta-carotene | Each AREDS2-based formula listed above uses lutein and zeaxanthin instead of beta-carotene. |
| No AMD findings, wants macular pigment support | Carotenoid supplement | EyePromise Zeaxanthin + Lutein: 10 mg of each. MacuHealth Triple Carotenoid: lutein 10 mg, meso-zeaxanthin 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg. |
| Prefers a single daily product | Eye multivitamin | Fortifeye Next Gen, EyePromise Macular Health Complete, Pure Encapsulations VisionPro Nutrients |
| Already taking an omega for dry eye | Omega with carotenoids | Nordic ProDHA Eye: EPA 360 mg, DHA 845 mg, lutein 20 mg, zeaxanthin 4 mg. |
Copper is included in high-dose zinc formulas because supplementing zinc can lead to copper deficiency. Check amounts on each current label.
Keep a short shelf and route the rest.
Stock the fast movers patients pick up at checkout and route everything else through RescueLink. Nothing slow sits on your shelf, and the refill comes back to your practice.
On your shelf
- An AREDS2-based formula, for example Focus Select or PreserVision AREDS 2
- A carotenoid supplement. MacuHealth Triple Carotenoid sells the most.
Through RescueLink
- Zinc-free and other formulas
- Brands patients request by name
- Monthly refills, all on auto-ship
Overselling is the quickest way to lose a patient's trust here. Be direct with AMD patients: the AREDS formulas aim to lower the risk of progression, they do not bring back lost vision, and they only help when taken daily for years.
Questions doctors ask
Why would a dry eye practice stock macular vitamins?
The patient groups overlap. Many older patients who come in for dry eye also carry AMD risk, and macular nutrition is a purchase they make every month.
Which patients belong on an AREDS2-based formula?
Those with intermediate AMD, or with advanced AMD in only one eye, based on your exam. People without AMD findings were not studied in AREDS.
Why lutein and zeaxanthin rather than beta-carotene?
Beta-carotene was tied to lung cancer concerns in people who used to smoke, and AREDS2 showed lutein and zeaxanthin to be a suitable replacement.
How much zinc is in each formula?
PreserVision AREDS 2 carries 80 mg a day, the dose used in the original AREDS. Focus Select carries 25 mg, a lower dose that AREDS2 also tested. EyePromise Macular Health carries no zinc.
Can macular nutrition reverse AMD?
No. What AREDS found in eligible patients was a reduced chance of moving on to advanced AMD, not a reversal of disease already present.
What is meso-zeaxanthin?
Along with lutein and zeaxanthin, it is one of the three carotenoids that make up macular pigment. All three are in the MacuHealth formulas.
How do I help patients stay consistent?
RescueLink auto-ship keeps the monthly supply arriving without gaps, and each reorder comes back to your practice.
References (2)
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Arch Ophthalmol. 2001;119(10):1417-1436. PubMed
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the AREDS2 randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-2015. PubMed
Clinical review
Reviewed by the Medical Advisory Panel, a group of eye care professionals who focus on dry eye and ocular surface disease. Vision Rescue is a licensed pharmaceutical wholesale distributor.
Notes and disclosures
Written for licensed eye care professionals. This guide does not replace clinical diagnosis or treatment, and every decision stays with the treating provider. The groupings and patient-fit notes are a framework only. Use each product according to its current label. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Add macular support to the shelf.
Order at wholesale, and use RescueLink to send patients the exact product between visits.