Disclosure: TruVista publishes this library and sells an eye vitamin with the AREDS2 doses. This article reports label facts and published sources only.
"AREDS3" on a label is the name of a Bausch + Lomb product, PreserVision AREDS3, first available in early 2026. It is a brand name, not a National Eye Institute (NEI) trial. The label keeps the AREDS2 amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, lutein and zeaxanthin, uses 25 mg of zinc a day instead of 80 mg, and adds B vitamins. As of September 13, 2026, NEI and ClinicalTrials.gov list no trial called AREDS3, and the brand says a trial of the formula is planned.
For years, "AREDS" and "AREDS2" on an eye vitamin pointed back to two large NEI trials. So when a bottle says "AREDS3," many people reasonably assume there has been a third trial with new results.
This guide explains what the name refers to, what is on the label, what evidence the brand points to, and what has and has not been published. It is meant to help you have an informed conversation with your eye doctor, not to steer you toward or away from any product.
AREDS, AREDS2 and a product called AREDS3
AREDS and AREDS2 are clinical trials run by NEI. The AREDS2 trial enrolled 4,203 people aged 50 to 85 with a median follow-up of 5 years. The formula it led to provides, per day, vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, zinc 80 mg, copper 2 mg, lutein 10 mg and zeaxanthin 2 mg. Our guide to both trials covers how they worked.
PreserVision AREDS3 is a product from Bausch + Lomb. Its product page says it was "first available February 2026," and the company's U.S. launch press release is dated May 19, 2026.
What is on the PreserVision AREDS3 label
The directions say to take 1 soft gel with a meal 2 times per day. Here is how the daily amounts compare with the AREDS2 formula.
| Nutrient | AREDS2 formula (NEI), per day | PreserVision AREDS3 label, per day (2 soft gels) |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin C | 500 mg | 500 mg |
| Vitamin E | 400 IU | 180 mg (dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) |
| Zinc | 80 mg | 25 mg (zinc oxide) |
| Copper | 2 mg (cupric oxide) | 2 mg (cupric oxide) |
| Lutein / zeaxanthin | 10 mg / 2 mg | 10 mg / 2 mg (marigold flower and paprika fruit extract) |
| Vitamin B6 | None | 50 mg |
| Folate | None | 1,500 mcg DFE (900 mcg folic acid) |
| Vitamin B12 | None | 1,000 mcg |
| Other B vitamins | None | Thiamin 3.6 mg, riboflavin 3.9 mg, niacin 32 mg, biotin 90 mcg, pantothenic acid 15 mg |
Two notes help when reading the table. First, the vitamin E amounts are the same dose written in different units: according to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), 1 IU of the synthetic form equals 0.45 mg, so 400 IU is 180 mg. Second, the product page states, under a heading for current and former smokers, that the formula does not contain the original AREDS formula's carotenoid. AREDS2 found more lung cancers in former smokers taking the original formula's carotenoid, which is one reason it was replaced with lutein and zeaxanthin. Our article on smoking and eye health explains more.
Change 1: less zinc
The product page says AREDS3 contains 25 mg of zinc a day, "compared with 80 mg in the PreserVision AREDS 2 formulations." It gives three reasons: that AREDS2 "showed no statistically significant difference in outcomes between the higher 80 mg and lower 25 mg zinc doses," "feedback from eye care professionals," and "an option for the small subset of individuals who may be sensitive to higher levels of zinc."
The AREDS2 finding is published. The trial tested both doses, and its 10-year follow-up reported a hazard ratio of 1.04 for low vs high zinc, meaning essentially no difference. NEI adds a caveat in its FAQ: "Because AREDS2 did not include a placebo control, results from AREDS, placebo-controlled trial, are still considered the gold standard." Other products also use 25 mg; see our label comparison and our article on zinc and copper.
Change 2: added B vitamins, and the evidence the brand cites
The B vitamins are the new part. The Bausch + Lomb press release points to "a recently published narrative review in Ophthalmology and Therapy" that it says drew on "more than 20 human studies involving nearly 30,000 individuals," including a trial called WAFACS.
The narrative review
The review is by Poteet, Koetting and Vakharia, published online in December 2025 (Ophthalmology and Therapy, 2026). It summarizes earlier research; it is not a clinical trial of the AREDS3 formula. Its published declarations state that editorial and medical writing assistance "was funded by Bausch + Lomb," and that the first author "reports serving on advisory boards for Bausch + Lomb." The same author is quoted in the press release.
WAFACS, the trial the brand names
The Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study (WAFACS) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2009. Here is what it tested and found:
- Who: 5,442 female health professionals aged 40 and older who had cardiovascular disease or at least 3 risk factors for it. The AMD analysis included 5,205 women who did not have AMD at the start.
- What: a daily combination of folic acid 2.5 mg (2,500 mcg), vitamin B6 50 mg and vitamin B12 1 mg, or placebo. The combination did not include the AREDS2 nutrients.
- How long: an average of 7.3 years.
- Result: 55 women in the B-vitamin group and 82 in the placebo group developed AMD (relative risk 0.66). For visually significant AMD, the counts were 26 and 44 (relative risk 0.59).
The outcome was new AMD in women who did not have it, confirmed by medical records. It was not progression of existing AMD, which is what the AREDS trials measured. The authors wrote that the supplementation "may reduce the risk of AMD." Compared with the AREDS3 label, WAFACS used the same amounts of B6 (50 mg) and B12 (1,000 mcg) but more folic acid (2,500 mcg vs 900 mcg).
Has the AREDS3 formula been tested?
Here is what we found when we checked on September 13, 2026:
- NEI: the NEI AREDS pages we reviewed, including the trials page updated October 2025, describe only AREDS and AREDS2. We found no NEI page naming an AREDS3 trial.
- ClinicalTrials.gov: a search for "AREDS3," "AREDS 3" and "Age-Related Eye Disease Study 3" returned no results.
- The brand: the press release mentions "plans for a future long-term clinical trial evaluating the formulation."
- The review: it states that a supplement with the B-vitamin complex is in development with NEI for testing in an AREDS3 trial. NEI and ClinicalTrials.gov do not list one.
The product page also makes a "2x better absorption" claim for lutein and zeaxanthin compared with the brand's AREDS 2 soft gel; the brand cites no study on its page. The page also notes that its statements "have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration."
A note on folic acid
The label lists folate two ways: 1,500 mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents) and 900 mcg folic acid. According to the ODS folate fact sheet, the adult upper limit for folate from supplements or fortified foods is 1,000 mcg a day, and it is measured as folic acid, not DFE. So the figure to compare is 900 mcg, which is below that limit on its own.
Because the limit covers folic acid from both supplements and fortified foods, folic acid from a multivitamin or fortified foods counts toward the same total. If you take other supplements, our article Can you take AREDS2 with a multivitamin? explains how to add up amounts.
Keep in mind: for the AREDS and AREDS2 formulas, NEI says the benefit was seen in people with intermediate AMD or late AMD in one eye, with no benefit for people with early AMD or without AMD, and that nutritional supplements cannot prevent AMD. No published trial has tested the PreserVision AREDS3 formula at any stage. See Can AREDS2 prevent macular degeneration?
Questions to ask your eye doctor
- What stage of AMD do I have, and was a formula studied in people at my stage?
- If you recommended AREDS2 for me, is there a reason to change to a product with 25 mg of zinc and added B vitamins, or to stay with what I take?
- Is 25 mg or 80 mg of zinc a day better for me?
- I take a multivitamin or eat fortified foods. How much folic acid am I getting in total?
- Do any of my medicines interact with the ingredients on this label?
For more on timing and expectations, see How long does AREDS2 take to work? Our science page lists the doses used in the AREDS2 trial.
Related reading
- AREDS2 Supplements Compared by Label
- AREDS and AREDS2 Explained: How the Eye Vitamin Trials Worked
- What Is AREDS2 and Who Needs It?
- Zinc and Copper for Eye Health
- Can You Take AREDS2 With a Multivitamin?
References
- Bausch + Lomb. PreserVision AREDS3 Formula Eye Vitamins, product page (accessed September 13, 2026). preservision.com
- Bausch + Lomb. Bausch + Lomb Launches PreserVision AREDS3 Eye Vitamins in the United States. Press release, May 19, 2026. ir.bausch.com
- Poteet J, Koetting C, Vakharia PS. Role of B vitamins in preventing the development and progression of age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmol Ther. 2026;15(1):1-19. doi:10.1007/s40123-025-01281-1
- Christen WG, Glynn RJ, Chew EY, Albert CM, Manson JE. Folic acid, pyridoxine, and cyanocobalamin combination treatment and age-related macular degeneration in women: the Women's Antioxidant and Folic Acid Cardiovascular Study. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(4):335-341. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2008.574
- National Eye Institute. About AREDS and AREDS2 (updated October 22, 2025). nei.nih.gov
- National Eye Institute. AREDS/AREDS2 frequently asked questions (updated November 19, 2020). nei.nih.gov
- Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4997
- Chew EY, Clemons TE, Agrón E, et al. Long-term outcomes of adding lutein/zeaxanthin and ω-3 fatty acids to the AREDS supplements on age-related macular degeneration progression: AREDS2 report 28. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2022;140(7):692-698. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.1640
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate: fact sheet for health professionals (updated November 30, 2022). ods.od.nih.gov
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin E: fact sheet for health professionals (updated March 26, 2021). ods.od.nih.gov
- ClinicalTrials.gov. Search for "AREDS3", "AREDS 3" and "Age-Related Eye Disease Study 3" (0 results, searched September 13, 2026). clinicaltrials.gov
This article is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk with your eye doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you smoke, take other medicines, or have a health condition. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. TruVista products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
