One of the major risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as suggested by the name itself, is older age. An eye disease that primarily affects those over age 55, AMD involves damage to the macula portion of the retina and can cause vision loss. For patients with a genetic predisposition to AMD, age may increase this risk. When macular degeneration occurs in patients who are younger than 55, it’s often attributed to different causes such as genetic factors or retinal damage from high myopia, a condition that causes an elongated retina that may be prone to rupture.
AMD involves a buildup of drusen, which are deposits of fats, proteins, and cell debris, according to Christina Weng, MD, a retinal specialist, surgeon, and professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. Drusen build up either underneath the retina or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and, as they become more numerous, they can begin to affect vision.
An accumulation of waste products in the body resulting from slower cell turnover can contribute to AMD as well as many other age-related diseases. “Parts of our body may become less efficient, over time, at clearing some of the debris,” said Weng.
It’s important for adults over 50 to get a dilated eye exam at least once a year, said Weng, not just to look for AMD, but for other vision-related disorders related with older age, such as glaucoma and cataracts.
“We used to think the prevalence of AMD was a little lower than what we understand today, where we know it can actually affect over 10% of the population over the age of 40,” she said.
AMD has two types: dry and wet. Dry AMD has no symptoms in its early stages, but as it progresses, it can lead to symptoms like blurry vision, blind spots, and distortion. Most forms of dry AMD do not become wet AMD.
Wet AMD is less common than dry AMD, and can progress faster. It is linked to more severe damage than the dry form. Wet AMD develops when abnormal blood vessels grow under the retina. These blood vessels can bleed and cause scarring that’s associated with sudden vision loss.
A retinal specialist, a type of ophthalmologist who specializes in retinal issues, can evaluate and treat both forms of AMD.
Though certain causes of age-related vision decline such as cataracts can be corrected with a straightforward surgery, more advanced forms of dry AMD like geographic atrophy (GA), which causes blind spots in the central vision, and certain stages of wet AMD may cause vision loss that can’t be reversed or corrected.
“That is especially why it’s critical to diagnose AMD as early as possible,” said Weng.
