New research may be misconstrued
by Dan Roberts
A recent press release from the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that tiny spherules of calcium phosphate known as hydroxyapatite, or HAP) may be an important “triggering factor” for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The report appeared in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Some people might misconstrue this as a warning about consuming calcium. It is not, so people should make no changes in their diet or supplementation as a result of the finding. HAP deposits do not cause AMD. Rather, this research has found them to be collectors of lipid deposits, which form drusen, a known precursor of AMD in some people. By focusing on the spherules, therefore, doctors can perhaps detect early development of drusen and develop ways of stopping their build-up. For more information about drusen and efforts to reduce it, enter the keyword “drusen” into the search box on this site.