Women who take a certain combination of nutritional supplements may decrease their risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study.

The finding, published in the February 23rd issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, suggested vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid may lower the levels of the amino acid homocysteine.

Recent studies have drawn a connection between AMD and blood levels of homocysteine.

A total of 5,442 women aged 40 and older took part in the study and either had a history of heart disease or at least three risk factors for AMD. At the beginning of the trial 5,205 did not have the disease.

Two randomized groups were formed with one taking the nutritional supplement combination and the other placeboes from April 1998 to June 2005. Women who were on the supplements had a 34 percent lower risk of any AMD and a 41 percent lower risk of visually significant AMD.

"From a public health perspective, this is particularly important because persons with early AMD are at increased risk of developing advanced AMD, the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in older Americans," the authors wrote.