Macular Degeneration, Age-related Macular Degeneration and AMD are terms that describe the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in older Americans.
Due in part to a longer lifespan this disease has hit epidemic proportion and the incidence of AMD increases dramatically as we get older. If you expect to live to 80 years or beyond your chances of having AMD may be over 40 %.
There is yet no cure for AMD, but there is a tremendous research effort to solve this problem.
Dry AMD and Wet AMD
AMD occurs in two forms; Dry AMD and Wet AMD. Dry AMD is typically the first phase of AMD and it can be graded as early, intermediate, or advanced AMD based upon the findings observed in a detailed examination of the retina. This “grading “ is important since certain nutrient supplements have been tested in clinical trials under the AREDS studies ( for more information go to http://www.nei.nih.gov/amd/ ) and have been shown to decrease the risk of disease progression in intermediate and advanced AMD.
If you have been told you have AMD and want to determine the severity of your disease and whether you should take the AREDS supplements we can provide a detailed examination and perform other studies as may be medically indicated.
Contact us at 520 327 2020
The National Eye Institute provides a wealth of information on macular degeneration or AMD on their website. You can obtain more detailed information, videos, and illustrations by going to http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts.asp
The importance of identifying the intermediate state of age-related macular degeneration cannot be over emphasized.
Patients who are 65 years old or have a family history of AMD or have been told they may have AMD are encouraged to have a comprehensive eye examination.