AMD Central

• White Americans aged 80 years and older are most at risk for age-related macular degeneration, which affected 14% of people in this demographic in 2010.
• Overall, the National Eye Institute expects the number of people impacted by AMD to double, increasing from 2.07 million to 5.44 million, by 2050.
• AMD, which comes in dry and wet (the more severe) forms, is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the U.S.
• The dry (atrophic) form is most common, occurring in up to 90% of people with AMD.
• AMD can be inherited, but certain factors such as obesity, history of smoking, hypertension and a diet high in saturated fats can also increase a person’s risk for developing the condition.
• The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS/AREDS2) have shown that certain high-dose vitamin combinations can slow the progression of AMD, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, copper and zinc.
• Anti-VEGF injections can help treat wet AMD by blocking the production of VEGF. This treatment improves vision in one out of three patients and can at least stabilize vision in nine out of 10 cases. There are currently three primary anti-VEGF drugs on the market, with more options expected in coming years.
• Charles Bonnet syndrome can occur in up to 50% of people with AMD. The syndrome involves visual hallucinations that the brain produces as a reaction to vision loss. It occurs more often in those with AMD in both eyes.
• A study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology in 2020 found that people living in highly polluted areas were at least 8% more likely to develop AMD.
• New treatments for AMD are under development, including the use of stem cells to replace retinal cells destroyed by AMD and gene therapy to help the eye self-block VEGF production without receiving frequent injections required for anti-VEGF therapy.
• AMD occurs in early, intermediate and late/advanced stages. Symptoms such as blurry vision, dark spots or wavy lines do not start appearing until the intermediate or late stages.
• AMD occurs in one out of 20,000 children and teenagers. These rare cases are caused by Stargardt disease, a genetic disorder that occurs in 25% of children when both parents carry the ABCA4 mutation.

References:

American Academy of Ophthalmology. Anti-VEGF treatments. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/drugs/anti-vegf-treatments. Accessed May 13, 2021.

American Academy of Ophthalmology. New treatments for age-related macular degeneration. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/tips-prevention/promising-new-treatments-amd. Accessed May 13, 2021.

American Academy of Ophthalmology. Poor air quality raises the risk of AMD, according to new research. Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/news/poor-air-quality-risk-amd-macular-degeneration. Accessed May 13, 2021.

American Macular Degeneration Foundation. Stargardt disease defined. Available at: https://www.macular.org/stargardt-disease. Accessed May 13, 2021.

CDC. Learn about age-related macular degeneration. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/macular-degeneration.html. Accessed May 13, 2021.

Cleveland Clinic. Age-related macular degeneration. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15246-age-related-macular-degeneration. Accessed May 13, 2021.

Macular Society. Charles Bonnet syndrome. Available at: https://www.macularsociety.org/macular-disease/macular-conditions/charles-bonnet-syndrome/. Accessed May 13, 2021.

National Eye Institute. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) data and statistics. Available at: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/resources-for-health-educators/eye-health-data-and-statistics/age-related-macular-degeneration-amd-data-and-statistics. Accessed May 12, 2021.

National Eye Institute. Nutritional supplements for age-related macular degeneration. Available at: https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/age-related-macular-degeneration/nutritional-supplements-age-related-macular-degeneration. Accessed May 13, 2021.