Studies using photodynamic therapy to treat age-related macular degeneration (primarily classic CNV) have shown that 59% of treated patients have a 15-letter reduction in vision loss compared with 31% of placebo-treated patients, but the majority of patients require multiple treatments (averaging 5 or more over a 2-year period) to minimize recurrence. Other treatments include external radiation, obesity antiangiogenic factor therapy (thalidomide, VEGF, antiproliferative steroids), transpupillary warming, subcentral concave surgery, macular transposition, and photocoagulation to nourish blood vessels. Yanming Tian, Department of Ophthalmology, PLA Hospital 474 In recent years, the AMD Research Organization (AREDS) has shown that antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, beta-carotene, and zinc are beneficial for patients with preexisting exudative AMD in one eye and non-exudative AMD in the other eye, and this first study proves that antioxidant therapy does work. The corresponding combination of vitamins and zinc is available at a company called Dr. Brennan’s Preservision. Lutein, a popular eye vitamin, was not used in this study, and carotenoids should not be used in current smokers, as they can increase the incidence of lung cancer.