What are the side effects from the AREDS formulation?
The AREDS participants reported few side effects from the treatments. About 7.5 percent of participants assigned to the zinc treatments — regardless of whether they were the “antioxidants plus zinc” or “zinc alone” treatment — experienced genitourinary problems that required hospitalization. Some of these problems included urinary tract infections, kidney stones, incontinence, and enlarged prostate. This compares with five percent of participants who did not have zinc in their assigned treatment that experienced the same genitourinary problems. Participants in the two groups that took zinc also reported anemia at a slightly higher rate; however, testing of all patients for this disorder showed no difference among treatment groups. Yellowing of the skin, a well-known side effect of large doses of beta-carotene, was reported slightly more often by participants taking antioxidants.
