Self-help organization of people with retina degenerations

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AMD Alliance - Line - Information mobil at the Euro-Tandem-Tour 2006

Please Click here to read more about age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Location and times of the AMD- Information Bus on the Euro - Tandem - Tour 2006

AMD Alliance - Information Bus - 2006

„AMD - Education – Information – Advice”

Definition

The age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronically progredient illness of the macula which leads to the loss of the central vision. The macula is the small, central part of the retina responsible for sharp and focussed sight. Therefore, it is vital for all activities such as driving, reading, recognizing faces, watching TV – and also for distinguishing colours.

Symptoms

The most frequent symptoms of AMD are a blurred central vision, a central blind spot or a distorted vision of objects. The peripheral vision usually remains intact. The illness typically shows first only on one eye. But there is a 45% chance that the other eye is going to be affected within the following 5 years.

Epidemiology

• AMD is the main cause of marked loss of sight and blindness in patients aged 50 or older within the Western world. According to official estimations, the number of people affected in Germany alone could rise to 8 million people (aged 65 or older) by the year 2020.
• The frequency of AMD increases with age. About 18 % of the age group 70 to 74 are affected whereas for people aged 85 or older, the percentage rises to 47 %. It is expected that by 2025 1.2 billion people and by 2050 about 2 billion people worldwide will be aged 60 or older. This rising number of older people will lead to a considerable increase in the number of people diagnosed with AMD.

Risk factors

The problem of what exactly causes the AMD is not yet solved. Scientific studies have identified a number of factors which entrain a higher risk to be affected by the illness. These risk factors are, among others: smoking, age, gender, hair colour, food. There are some ways of prevention.

Treatments for „moist“ AMD

According to the current state of research, AMD cannot be cured. In the past 20 years many latest findings from research went into possible treatments. The illness can be somewhat slowed down today but – regrettably - still not cured.

There is a number of tried out and successful treatments to ease AMD such as drug therapies and laser therapies. Other treatments still have research status and are being applied successfully but still need to be developed further in order to obtain long-term results.

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