# Feasibility Studies for the Future Mediterranean Glucose Lowering Dietfor Vision Extension in AMD (M-GLOVE-AMD)

> **NIH NIH R34** · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $265,835

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in individuals over 55 years of age
and is increasing as the world population becomes older. Treatment options for early AMD are limited and,
therefore, vision will become increasingly threatened in the elderly population. Evidence from observational
studies suggest that whole foods, Mediterranean diets and low glycemic load (LG) diets are associated with
less progression of AMD, suggesting a cost-effective approach to slow AMD progression. The goal of this
project is to assess feasibility aims for dietary intervention in a non-diabetic AMD cohort with early stage
disease and to plan a future large, multicenter study that will compare LG-Mediterranean dietary intervention to
standard diet. Our aims are to: 1) demonstrate feasibility of behavioral intervention to change dietary intake in
subjects with intermediate AMD from consuming a typical Western diet to a LG, Mediterranean diet; 2) assess
the feasibility of obtaining sensitive retinal images and sdOCTs and to explore assays (metabolomic markers,
complement factors, gut barrier dysfunction and dysbiosis, AGEs, and oxycholesterols (e.g. 7-ketocholesterol)
for consideration as non-disease biomarkers for a future UG1; 3) develop a protocol for a future multicenter
study and a Manual of Procedures. Our team is cross-disciplinary including experts in behavioral dietary
intervention, endocrinologists, retinal specialists, clinical trial experts and leaders of large consortia of AMD
intervention studies in the US and Europe. Innovative aspects of the planning study include: to assess the
willingness of an elderly population without diabetes to adopt a dietary intervention; to use continuous glucose
monitoring as a coaching tool for the cohort and to learn about the sensitivity of continuous glucose monitoring
for the future multicenter study; to explore ophthalmologic and non-ophthalmologic biomarkers for the future
study; and to perform feasibility studies on systemic biomarkers relevant to the pathophysiology of AMD and
that may improve sensitivity of outcome measures in the future multicenter clinical trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10794815
- **Project number:** 1R34EY035782-01
- **Recipient organization:** STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Mary Elizabeth Ruth Hartnett
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $265,835
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10794815

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10794815, Feasibility Studies for the Future Mediterranean Glucose Lowering Dietfor Vision Extension in AMD (M-GLOVE-AMD) (1R34EY035782-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10794815. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*