This disease is most common in people over 55.
Although there is some variability, the wet macular degeneration timeline can take several months to progress from when symptoms appear to significant degeneration. In some cases, when left untreated, wet AMD can take mere days to advance to late-stage disease.
The biggest risk factor for both types of AMD is age, with people age 55-64 having a 0.2 percent risk of developing AMD, and those older than 84 having a 13.1 percent risk. Smoking cigarettes increases the risk of developing AMD by a factor of two to four, and the risk persists many years after stopping smoking.
Wet (exudative) AMD: accounts for 10% of AMD but results in 90% of blindness. Severe rapid visual loss occurs.
Vision loss usually happens in the last stage of AMD. However, not everyone with AMD progresses through all the stages. Many people with AMD do not lose their vision.
Gene therapy for wet AMD
Gene therapy is a promising alternative to ongoing eye injections of drugs such as Eyelea, Lucentis and Avastin. The goal of gene therapy is to provide a 'one-and-done' treatment by helping the eye make its own anti-VEGF medicine.
Protect your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses and broad-brimmed hats. Research also suggests that certain nutrients help prevent macular degeneration. Eat a diet rich in fresh fruits and dark-green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, collard greens, and kale.
The symptoms of the vision loss from wet AMD can come on suddenly, even within one day, when blood vessels suddenly leak into the retina. The process is painless. The symptoms are distortion or a blind spot in the central vision. The blind spot can appear gray, red, or black.
Summary: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss among older adults in the United States, is often associated with psychological stress.
Macular degeneration is not always hereditary, but a family history of the condition is a risk factor. People may refer to the condition as age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD) as it usually affects older adults. Family history is a major risk factor for the condition.
Macular degeneration is widespread.
Age is a prominent risk factor for age-related macular degeneration. The risk of getting advanced age-related macular degeneration increases from 2% for those ages 50-59, to nearly 30% for those over the age of 75.
Prevalence of AMD
About 200,000 new cases of wet AMD are diagnosed each year in North America. Between 2010 and 2050, the estimated number of people with AMD will more than double from 2.1 million to 5.4 million.
Approximately one in 10 Americans aged 50 and older have the early form of AMD and approximately 1 out of every 100 Americans ages 50 and older have the vision threatening late form of AMD.
Tomato juice contains practically all the essential nutrients your eyes need. From vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium, and other elements. Tomatoes also contain lycopene, a vital antioxidant that fights against age-related macular degeneration.
Eating healthy, getting regular exercise, and quitting smoking can also help. If you have intermediate AMD in 1 or both eyes, special dietary supplements (vitamins and minerals) may be able to stop it from turning into late AMD. If you have late AMD in only 1 eye, these supplements may slow down AMD in your other eye.
Although there's no cure for wet macular degeneration, there are treatments to slow the disease and prevent your eyesight from getting worse. If you start treatment early enough, you might be able to regain some of your lost vision. The macula is the part of your retina you need to see clearly straight ahead.
Apellis Pharmaceuticals announced on February 17, 2023, that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Syfovre (pegcetacoplan injection) for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
New in 2023, the FDA has approved the first medication to treat dry age related macular degeneration (AMD), called Syfovre.
Having macular degeneration does not automatically mean you have to stop driving. Many people still meet the legal requirements and can continue to drive safely and legally.
Can you get AMD in only one eye, or does it always occur in both? It is possible to develop AMD in only one eye. However, as the disease progresses both eyes may become affected. If an individual has macular degeneration in one eye, he or she is more likely to develop it in the other eye than someone who does not.
About 90% of people who have AMD have dry AMD. With dry AMD, layers of the macula become thinner over time. That makes the macula work less well and leads to vision problems. But an estimated 10% of people with AMD have the wet type.