Age-related macular degeneration (also called AMD or AMRD) is a condition that affects the central vision of a person. It can cause significant loss of central vision and affect quality of life of the person.
Age, smoking, high blood pressure and a diet high in saturated fat are key risk factors for age related macular degeneration.
Can AMD Be Prevented?
The disease often has a progressive ageing related course, and preventive therapies are thus very sought after.
Anti-oxidant supplementation has been shown to marginally reduce the progress of intermediate forms of disease to its advanced forms. Diet enhancement with anti-oxidants rich food is another less evaluated option.
Avoid other risk factors like smoking.
Control systemic diseases like hypertension and other heart conditions mentioned before to help in mitigating the progress of AMD.
Early detection of disease using artificial intelligence enabled diagnosis is a foreseeable option in the future and can be coupled with other preclinical detection techniques.
Contributed by
Dr Brijesh Takkar
CRTP Fellow, IHOPE
Consultant Ophthalmologist, Vitreo Retinal Diseases
L V Prasad Eye Institute
Bibliography
- https://www.nature.com/articles/eye201747#:~:text=India%20has%20about%2077%20million,from%2039.5%25%20to%200.3%25.
- https://proceedings.aios.org/2017/fp1240-national-survey-of-prevalence-and-causes-of-blindness-and-visual-impairment-among-50-population/
- https://eyewiki.aao.org/Age-Related_Macular_Degeneration#Etiology
Changed
07/Apr/2025
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