Prevalence of AMD-related vision loss expected to increase as population ages
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Key takeaways:
- Prevalence of AMD-related blindness decreased globally from 2000 to 2020.
- Older age is associated with greater prevalence of AMD-related vision loss.
While the prevalence of blindness due to age-related macular degeneration decreased globally from 2000 to 2020, researchers warn that the social and economic impact of AMD may grow as the population ages.
“Developing novel, cost-effective treatment modalities ideally restoring sight, and adopting a life-course approach integrating all levels of care is paramount for managing AMD for the next decades,” researchers in the Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study, wrote in Eye.
In a systemic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys from January 1980 to October 2018, researchers estimated the prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI) and blindness as a result of AMD.
They found that in 2020 an estimated 1.85 million people were blind due to AMD, which ranked as the second leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, while 6.23 million had MSVI from AMD.
From 2000 to 2020, researchers estimated that the prevalence of AMD-related blindness decreased by 19.3% worldwide, while the prevalence of MSVI due to AMD rose by 10.1%. Latin America and the Caribbean were the only regions that did not have a decrease in prevalence of AMD-related blindness during this time, and North Africa, the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa were the only regions that did not have an increase in AMD-related MSVI.
“The global population growth and increasing life expectancy can explain the increasing number of individuals with AMD-related vision loss,” the researchers wrote. “Yet, the divergences in AMD prevalence and vision impairment necessitate extensive research to unravel the complex interplay of genetic factors, lifestyle choices and access to health care services.”
The prevalence of AMD-related blindness in individuals aged 50 years and older was 0.1% globally in 2020, with the highest prevalence in North Africa and the Middle East at 0.22%, followed by Sub-Saharan Africa at 0.15%. Prevalence of AMD-related MSVI in the same age group was 0.34% globally, with the highest prevalence again in North Africa and the Middle East at 0.55% and in Sub-Saharan Africa at 0.5%.
Both blindness and MSVI as a result of AMD were associated with older age, and high-income countries had the highest number of individuals of AMD-related blindness.
“Policymakers and the academic community should consider that AMD’s social and economic impact is expected to increase substantially due to population growth and aging,” the researchers wrote. “Since population growth rates and life expectancies differ across regions, the burden of AMD will vary globally. Different from cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment, respectively, the burden of AMD can only be alleviated if significant advances in research are made.”
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