PROZAC

could offer an unlikely remedy for the leading cause of sight loss in over-50s. US scientists noted an association between Americans taking the antidepressant and a reduced risk in developing macular degeneration, which affects 600,000 Britons. The condition occurs when ageing causes damage to the macula – the part of the eye that allows the brain to focus on objects straight ahead. Researchers believe the drug may bind to an agent of the immune system, inflammasome, which is believed to trigger the breakdown of the eye’s macula.