Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) & Macular degeneration

Written from the studies on PubMed, searched on 2026. nov. 11.. Every number below comes from a study listed under Sources.

What people read

Posts online say that Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) helps with Macular degeneration.

What has been studied

• 18In people16 randomised trials
• 14In animals
• 3Only in the lab

What the studies found

!Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) has been tested in randomised trials in people with Macular degeneration.

We found 80 published papers on Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) and Macular degeneration. They were published between 2004 and 2026.

18 of them are studies in people (16 randomised trials), 16 are reviews, 14 are studies in animals and 3 are studies only in the lab.

The most important ones are listed under Sources.

Sources

1. Effects of aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids on age-related macular degeneration in ASCEND-Eye: a randomised placebo-controlled trial in a population with diabetes.2025 · BMJ Open · Randomised trial
2. ASCEND-Eye: Rationale, design and baseline characteristics for a sub-study of the ASCEND randomised trial, exploring the effects of aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids on diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration.2023 · Contemp Clin Trials Commun · Randomised trial
3. No CFH or ARMS2 Interaction with Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Low versus High Zinc, or β-Carotene versus Lutein and Zeaxanthin on Progression of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2: Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Report No. 18.2019 · Ophthalmology · Randomised trial
4. Treatment of exudative age-related macular degeneration with aflibercept combined with pranoprofen eye drops or nutraceutical support with omega-3: A randomized trial.2019 · Br J Clin Pharmacol · Randomised trial
5. Investigation of the effect of dietary docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation on macular function in subjects with autosomal recessive Stargardt macular dystrophy.2018 · Ophthalmic Genet · Randomised trial
6. Plasma long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and macular pigment in subjects with family history of age-related macular degeneration: the Limpia Study.2017 · Acta Ophthalmol · Randomised trial
7. Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Lutein/Zeaxanthin, or Other Nutrient Supplementation on Cognitive Function: The AREDS2 Randomized Clinical Trial.2015 · JAMA · Randomised trial
8. CFH Y402H and ARMS2 A69S Polymorphisms and Oral Supplementation with Docosahexaenoic Acid in Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration Patients: The NAT2 Study.2015 · PLoS One · Randomised trial
9. Omega-3 supplementation combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor lowers vitreal levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in wet age-related macular degeneration.2014 · Am J Ophthalmol · Study in people
10. Circulating omega-3 Fatty acids and neovascular age-related macular degeneration.2014 · Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci · Study in people
11. Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Serve as a Preventive Strategy for Age-Related Macular Degeneration? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.2026 · J Nutr · Review
12. Dietary omega-3 LCPUFA intake in the prevention of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis.2022 · Nutr Hosp · Review
13. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and fish intake and risk of age-related macular degeneration.2021 · Clin Nutr · Review
14. Omega-3 and ranibizumab for age-related macular degeneration: A systematic review protocol.2019 · Medicine (Baltimore) · Review
15. Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Age-Related Macular Degeneration.2015 · Ophthalmic Res · Review
16. Omega 3 fatty acids for preventing or slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration.2015 · Cochrane Database Syst Rev · Review
17. Oral Deuterated Docosahexaenoic Acid Protects Against Onset and Progression of RPE Degeneration in a Mouse Model of Chronic Oxidative Stress.2026 · Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci · In animals
18. Pharmacokinetics and metabolism in mouse retina of bis-allylic deuterated docosahexaenoic acid (D-DHA), a new dry AMD drug candidate.2022 · Exp Eye Res · In animals
19. Deuterated docosahexaenoic acid protects against oxidative stress and geographic atrophy-like retinal degeneration in a mouse model with iron overload.2022 · Aging Cell · In animals
20. RESVEGA, a Nutraceutical Omega-3/Resveratrol Supplementation, Reduces Angiogenesis in a Preclinical Mouse Model of Choroidal Neovascularization.2021 · Int J Mol Sci · In animals
21. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Supplementation: Therapeutic Potential in a Mouse Model of Stargardt Disease.2018 · Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci · In animals
22. Therapeutic potential of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation in a mouse model of dry macular degeneration.2017 · BMJ Open Ophthalmol · In animals
23. VEGF-R2/CAV-1 Interaction Induced by Resveratrol/Eicosapentaenoic Acid/Docosahexaenoic Acid-Enriched Formulation through Functional Detergent-Resistant Membranes Is Associated with Decreased VEGF-A Release in ARPE-19 Cells.2024 · Mol Nutr Food Res · In the lab
24. VEGF-R2/Caveolin-1 Pathway of Undifferentiated ARPE-19 Retina Cells: A Potential Target as Anti-VEGF-A Therapy in Wet AMD by Resvega, an Omega-3/Polyphenol Combination.2021 · Int J Mol Sci · In the lab
25. Docosahexaenoic acid reduces linoleic acid induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression via PPARγ and nuclear factor-κB pathway in retinal pigment epithelial cells.2014 · Mol Nutr Food Res · In the lab
26. Correction: Association between the dietary omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio and age-related macular degeneration in Korean adults.2025 · Nutr J · Other paper
27. Association between the dietary omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio and age-related macular degeneration in Korean adults.2025 · Nutr J · Other paper
28. Omega-3 Fatty Acids as Protective Factors for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Prospective Cohort and Mendelian Randomization Analyses.2025 · Ophthalmology · Other paper
29. ASCEND-Eye: Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Diabetic Retinopathy.2024 · Ophthalmology · Other paper

Search PubMed yourself