Dry Macular Degeneration Treatment: What Helps, What Doesn't, and Where Integrative Care Fits

In short. No treatment restores vision already lost to dry AMD. Four things have good evidence for protecting what remains: not smoking, AREDS2 vitamins for people with intermediate disease, a Mediterranean-style diet, and regular monitoring so that a switch to wet AMD is treated fast. Since 2023, people with the advanced form, geographic atrophy, also have two eye injections that slow its spread. Integrative care, including acupuncture, can sit alongside this plan. The evidence for it in AMD is weak, and we say so.

For the condition as a whole, including the types and stages, the warning signs, who is at risk, how it is diagnosed, today’s treatments and the trials under way, read our macular degeneration guide.

What dry AMD is. Age-related macular degeneration damages the macula, the small central part of the retina used for reading and recognising faces. About 196 million people had AMD worldwide in 2020, projected to reach 288 million by 2040 [1]. Most have the dry form, which moves through three stages:

• Early: medium-sized yellow deposits (drusen) under the retina. Usually no symptoms.
• Intermediate: large drusen or pigment changes. Some people notice they need more light to read.
• Late (geographic atrophy): patches of retinal tissue are lost and central vision fades. Late AMD can also be the wet form, where abnormal vessels leak.

Dry AMD treatment by stage

What helps depends on the stage, and the two eyes are often at different stages. Your eye doctor can tell you where each eye stands.

Any stage can turn into wet AMD, so the warning signs above apply throughout.

Treatments with good evidence

Stop smoking. Smoking is the largest risk factor you can change. Current smokers have roughly two to four times the risk of AMD compared with people who never smoked [2]. Risk falls after quitting.

AREDS2 vitamins, if your eye doctor says you have intermediate AMD, or late AMD in one eye. The formula is 500 mg vitamin C, 400 IU vitamin E, 80 mg zinc, 2 mg copper, 10 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin. In the original AREDS trial the formula lowered the risk of progressing to late AMD by about 25% over five years (AREDS Report 8, Arch Ophthalmol 2001). Ten-year AREDS2 follow-up of 3,883 people found lutein and zeaxanthin worked about 20% better than the older beta-carotene version and, unlike beta-carotene, did not raise lung cancer risk in former smokers [3]. Two cautions: the formula has not been shown to help early AMD or to prevent AMD in people who do not have it, and multivitamins labelled "eye health" often contain different doses.

Eye injections for geographic atrophy. Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre, approved February 2023) and avacincaptad pegol (Izervay, approved August 2023) block parts of the complement immune system [4]. Syfovre is injected into the eye every 25 to 60 days and Izervay once a month. In their main trials, Syfovre slowed lesion growth by about 16% to 22% over two years and Izervay by about 14% to 18% in the first year [4]. They do not restore vision, and most people still notice some decline. Risks listed on the FDA labels include infection, inflammation inside the eye, retinal detachment, rare inflammation of the retinal blood vessels, and a higher chance of developing wet AMD, which your retina specialist will discuss [4].

Points to weigh with your retina specialist before starting:

• The benefit is slower growth, not better sight. Treatment means an injection every one to two months with no set end date [4,15].
• Wet AMD becomes more likely. By two years in the Syfovre trials, wet AMD developed in 12% of eyes injected monthly and 7% of eyes injected every other month, against 3% with sham injections [4]. In the Izervay trials it was 7% against 4% at one year, and 12% against 9% by two years in the GATHER2 trial [13,24].
• Rare inflammation of the retinal blood vessels. In the maker’s October 2023 update, retinal vasculitis had been reported after about 0.01% of Syfovre injections, roughly 1 in 10,000 [14].
• No one-year limit for Izervay. In February 2025 the FDA removed the 12-month limit from the Izervay label, based on two-year trial results [15].

Low-vision rehabilitation. Magnifiers, lighting, larger print and training in using the edge of your vision help people keep reading, cooking and living independently. Ask your eye doctor for a referral as soon as daily tasks get harder, not only when vision is very poor.

Treatments with some evidence

Photobiomodulation (Valeda). In November 2024 the FDA authorized the Valeda light-delivery system, which shines amber, red and near-infrared light into the eye, for dry AMD in people whose vision is between 20/32 and 20/70 and who have no wet AMD and no atrophy at the center of the macula [5,9]. In the company-sponsored LIGHTSITE III trial, treated eyes read about four more letters than sham-treated eyes after about two years, roughly one line on the eye chart, which the FDA described as a benefit of marginal clinical significance [9]. People with early AMD showed no clear benefit. More treated eyes than sham-treated eyes developed wet AMD, mostly in people whose other eye already had it, so regular checks continue [9]. It is offered by some retina practices. As of 2025, Medicare had not set a national payment rate; each regional Medicare contractor sets payment, and coverage is not guaranteed. Ask about cost before you start [10]. Home red-light devices are not the same thing and are not authorized for AMD.

A Mediterranean-style diet. A 2026 review by National Eye Institute researchers pooled data from the AREDS and AREDS2 cohorts and other studies [6]. People with intermediate AMD who ate closest to a Mediterranean pattern had a 23% lower risk of progressing to late AMD, including 29% lower for geographic atrophy, than those who ate least like it. Eating the most fish was linked to a 31% lower risk, and eating the most red meat to a 20% higher risk. These are observational findings, so they show association rather than proof, but the diet carries no risk and helps heart health too.

In practice, that means:

• Fish two or more times a week, especially oily fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel
• Leafy greens most days: spinach, kale, collards (the main food sources of lutein and zeaxanthin)
• Vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains and nuts as the base of meals
• Olive oil as the main fat
• Red and processed meat kept occasional

Diet supports AREDS2 vitamins; it does not replace them where they are recommended.

What is not proven

• Saffron. A randomised crossover trial of 100 people with mild to moderate AMD found 20 mg of saffron a day improved vision by 0.69 letters over three months, less than one letter [7]. The effect is real in that trial but small, and longer trials are needed.
• Acupuncture. A 2023 review of nine randomised trials (508 patients, all in China) found results that favoured acupuncture, but rated the certainty of evidence low to very low and concluded there is no high-quality evidence that it works for AMD [8].
• Anything sold as reversing dry AMD. No supplement, drop, herb, device or therapy has been shown to restore retinal tissue lost to dry AMD.

What’s new for dry AMD (as of October 2026)

No new treatment restores retina that dry AMD has destroyed. Current research aims to slow geographic atrophy further, to protect eyesight rather than only slow lesion growth, or to work around lost cells.

A listing on ClinicalTrials.gov does not prove a trial is legitimate: the clinic in a 2017 report of three women blinded by “stem cell” eye injections had one, and each woman paid to take part [22]. Real trials do not charge you to join. Ask your retina specialist to review any offer.

Where Netra fits

Netra Eye Institute is an acupuncture and Oriental medicine practice. We do not diagnose or stage AMD, and we do not replace your ophthalmologist or retina specialist. Our role is adjunctive, and it starts from the plan above:

• We check that the evidence-based basics are in place: smoking, AREDS2 where your eye doctor recommends it, diet, blood pressure and blood sugar, and daily home monitoring.
• We offer acupuncture and, where appropriate, Chinese herbal medicine within Netra Restoration Therapy (NRT), with the evidence for each explained before you start. Herbs are reviewed against your medications; many people with AMD take blood thinners, and some herbs interact with them.
• We track what matters to you, such as reading speed, contrast sensitivity and a standard vision questionnaire, and share results with your eye doctor.
• We stop or refer if anything suggests wet AMD or another urgent change.

NRT is not a cure for dry AMD, and we cannot promise it will slow progression. If you want to talk through whether it is reasonable for you, request a consultation.

Questions people ask

Can dry AMD be reversed?

No. No treatment restores retinal cells lost to dry AMD. Drusen sometimes shrink on their own, but in a small scan study about a third of eyes whose drusen shrank went on to develop atrophy or wet AMD, so it is not a sign of recovery [23]. Treatment aims to slow the disease and make the most of the vision you have: AREDS2 at the intermediate stage, injections for geographic atrophy and low-vision rehabilitation. Our page on whether macular degeneration can be reversed goes further.

What is the new procedure for dry macular degeneration?

The newest options are the two geographic atrophy injections, approved in 2023, and the Valeda light treatment, authorized in 2024. In Europe, the PRIMA retinal implant has been available since July 2026 for advanced geographic atrophy. Several other treatments, including a gene therapy, are in phase 3 trials. None restores lost retinal cells.

How serious is dry macular degeneration?

It depends on the stage. In the AREDS study, people with the lowest risk score had about a 0.5% chance of developing late AMD within five years, while those with large drusen and pigment changes in both eyes had about a 50% chance [11]. Once geographic atrophy appears it grows slowly, about 1 mm² a year on average, though this varies widely. In one population study, more than a third of eyes already had atrophy at the center when it was first found, and in the rest it reached the center after about five to six years on average [12]. Dry AMD can also turn wet at any stage.

What should you not do if you have dry macular degeneration?

Do not smoke. Do not take older supplement formulas with beta-carotene if you smoke or used to, and do not add extra zinc or vitamin E on top of AREDS2. Do not ignore new wavy lines or a dark patch, and do not skip eye checks because your vision feels stable. Avoid any “stem cell” or “reversal” treatment you are asked to pay for [22].

Should everyone with dry AMD take AREDS2 vitamins?

No. The trials support them for intermediate AMD and for late AMD in one eye. Ask your eye doctor which stage you have.

Do the 2023 injections help early dry AMD?

No. Syfovre and Izervay are approved for geographic atrophy, the late form.

How often should I be checked?

Your eye doctor sets the schedule by stage, often every 6 to 12 months for intermediate AMD, sooner with any new symptom.

Is acupuncture safe for people with AMD?

In trained hands serious harm is rare. Bruising around the eye can happen with periocular points, and we adjust technique for people on blood thinners.

References

1. Wong WL, Su X, Li X, et al. Global prevalence of age-related macular degeneration and disease burden projection for 2020 and 2040. Lancet Glob Health. 2014;2(2):e106-16.
2. Thornton J, Edwards R, Mitchell P, et al. Smoking and age-related macular degeneration: a review of association. Eye. 2005;19(9):935-44.
3. National Eye Institute. NIH study confirms benefit of supplements for slowing age-related macular degeneration (AREDS2 Report 28, Chew EY et al., JAMA Ophthalmol, 2 June 2022).
4. HCPLive. New therapies for geographic atrophy (DERBY/OAKS and GATHER1/GATHER2 trials); FDA prescribing information for SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan injection), 2023, and IZERVAY (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution), 2023.
5. Modern Retina. FDA authorizes marketing of Valeda Light Delivery System for treatment of patients with dry AMD; LumiThera, LIGHTSITE III 24-month results (company release, 15 March 2023).
6. Keenan TDL, Hébert M, Chew EY, Johnson MW. What should patients with age-related macular degeneration eat? Am J Ophthalmol. 2026;288:12-21. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2026.04.003. Reported in Optometry Times and Eyes On Eyecare.
7. Broadhead GK, Grigg JR, McCluskey P, et al. Saffron therapy for the treatment of mild/moderate age-related macular degeneration: a randomised clinical trial. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2019;257:31-40.
8. Sun W, Zhao Y, Liao L, et al. Effects of acupuncture on age-related macular degeneration: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2023;18(3):e0283375.
9. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. De Novo decision summary DEN230083: Valeda Light Delivery System. Decision date November 4, 2024.
10. Corcoran Consulting Group. Reimbursement for retinal photobiomodulation therapy. June 2025.
11. Ferris FL, Davis MD, Clemons TE, et al. A simplified severity scale for age-related macular degeneration: AREDS Report No. 18. Arch Ophthalmol. 2005;123(11):1570-1574.
12. Colijn JM, Liefers B, Joachim N, et al. Enlargement of geographic atrophy from first diagnosis to end of life. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021;139(7):743-750. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2021.1407.
13. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Drug Trials Snapshot: IZERVAY. August 4, 2023.
14. Ophthalmology Times. Apellis provides update on cases of retinal vasculitis among patients treated with pegcetacoplan injection. October 2023.
15. HCPLive. FDA expands dosing label for avacincaptad pegol for geographic atrophy. February 13, 2025.
16. Holz FG, Le Mer Y, Muqit MMK, et al. Subretinal photovoltaic implant to restore vision in geographic atrophy due to AMD. N Engl J Med. 2026;394(3):232-242.
17. Science Corporation. European commercial launch of PRIMA. July 22, 2026.
18. Annexon Biosciences. Vonaprument phase 3 program expanded with a month 24 dual primary endpoint. August 12, 2026.
19. Retinal Physician. Ocugen begins phase 3 OCU410 trial. September 2026.
20. Belite Bio. Form 6-K, second quarter 2026 results. August 12, 2026.
21. Retinal Physician. The therapeutic pipeline for geographic atrophy. March-April 2026.
22. Kuriyan AE, Albini TA, Townsend JH, et al. Vision loss after intravitreal injection of autologous “stem cells” for AMD. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(11):1047-1053.
23. Schlanitz FG, Baumann B, Kundi M, et al. Drusen volume development over time and its relevance to the course of age-related macular degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol. 2017;101(2):198-203.
24. Astellas. IZERVAY (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) prescribing information, section 5.2. Revised 2026.
25. Stealth BioTherapeutics. Commercial and R&D pipeline update and 2026 strategic priorities. January 6, 2026.