Review on Age Related Macular Degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment among older adults in the developed world. Epidemiological studies have revealed a number of genetic, ocular and environmental risk factors for this condition. AMD starts with deposits of lipid material that accumulate under the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). These deposits, which appear as pale yellow spots on the retina, are called drusen. With increasing age, the RPE cells, which form the blood–retinal barrier, become less efficient and the retina is no longer able to receive the proper nutrition. This decline in the efficiency of the RPE cells also results in the accumulation of waste products (drusen). However, most people with evidence of drusen deposits maintain good vision. AMD results in central vision loss and is responsible for one-third of all forms of untreatable loss of vision. An estimated 9 million older Americans have some form of AMD, and about 1.75 million have advanced AMD. AMD is a disease of the elderly, and evidence suggests that 10% of individuals aged 65 to 74 years and 30% of those aged 75 to 85 years have evidence of AMD. AMD is a gradual, painless, irreversible process in which the patient loses bilateral vision.