Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the most common causes of poor vision after age 60. Although the specific cause is unknown, AMD seems to be part of aging. While age is the most significant risk factor for developing AMD, heredity, blue eyes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and smoking have also been identified as risk factors. AMD accounts for 90 percent of new legal blindness in the US.

Nine out of 10 people who have AMD have the dry form, which results in thinning of the macula, the area of the retina responsible for central vision. Dry AMD takes many years to develop. Currently there is no treatment to reverse the effects of Dry AMD. However, a recent study by the National Institutes of Health called the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that certain vitamins can prevent vision loss. For more information see AREDS.

The wet form of AMD occurs much less frequently (one out of 10 people) but is more serious. Promising AMD research is being done on many fronts. In the meantime, high-intensity reading lamps, magnifiers and other low-vision aids help people with AMD make the most of remaining vision.