Macular Degeneration/ Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Charles Theisler in Adjuvant Medical Care, 2023
Macular degeneration is an eye condition which may result in blurred or dark areas, or loss of vision in the center of the visual field. There are two types of AMD. In the more aggressive wet type (15% of cases), pathologic angiogenesis occurs which is the formation of fragile new blood vessels where they do not belong, under the macula, a small spot in the center of the retina at the back of the eye. These blood vessels break and bleed easily. The ensuing macular damage leads to the loss of central vision.1 In the dry type of AMD (85% of cases), small yellow deposits (drusen) slowly accumulate under the macula, also causing loss of central vision. As a result, driving and recognizing faces and colors as well as doing close-up work (e.g., reading, writing, cooking, or fixing things) are seriously compromised.
Chronic Hyperglycemia Impairs Vision, Hearing, and Sensory Function
Robert Fried, Richard M. Carlton in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018
Macular degeneration causes loss in the center of the field of vision. In dry macular degeneration, the center of the macula deteriorates. With wet macular degeneration, leaky blood vessels grow under the retina. The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health has a website titled “What you should know about age-related macular degeneration.” It features “What is AMD?” AMD is a common eye condition and a leading cause of vision loss among people age 50 and older. It causes damage to the macula, a small spot near the center of the retina and the part of the eye needed for sharp, central vision, which lets us see objects that are straight ahead.In some people, AMD advances so slowly that vision loss does not occur for a long time. In others, the disease progresses faster and may lead to a loss of vision in one or both eyes. As AMD progresses, a blurred area near the center of vision is a common symptom. Over time, the blurred area may grow larger or you may develop blank spots in your central vision. Objects also may not appear to be as bright as they used to be. AMD by itself does not lead to complete blindness, with no ability to see. However, the loss of central vision in AMD can interfere with simple everyday activities, such as the ability to see faces, drive, read, write, or do close work, such as cooking or fixing things around the house.
Nutritional Ergogenic Aids: Introduction, Definitions and Regulatory Issues
Ira Wolinsky, Judy A. Driskell in Nutritional Ergogenic Aids, 2004
Humans widely differ in the amount of macular pigment in the fovea, which can be increased by dietary intake of foods rich in lutein or zeaxanthin, such as spinach, corn40 or eggs.34 People with low levels of macular pigment may be at increased risk of developing macular degeneration with advancing age, a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. among persons older than 65 years. Serum carotenoid levels, except lycopene, were significantly lower in subjects with neovascular age-related macular degeneration41 than in matched controls. The dietary intake of lutein and zeaxanthin, particularly from spinach and collard greens, was also found to be significantly lower in cases of macular degeneration. The additional oxidative stress produced by smoking greatly increased the risk of macular degeneration in persons with low intake of lutein/zeaxanthin, but the highest levels of intake ameliorated the effect of smoking.42 As an additional bonus, lutein and zeaxanthin seem to promote clearer lenses, decreasing the risk of developing cataracts,39 which are thought to develop as a consequence of accumulating oxidative damage to lens proteins.
The management of glaucoma and macular degeneration
Published in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2019
Glaucoma [1–8] and macular degeneration [9–11] are among the ophthalmologic diseases increasingly affecting the aging population worldwide. It is estimated that around 76 million patients will suffer of glaucoma in 2020, whereas the prevalence in the population between 40 and 80 years old is expected to increase to 111.8 million in 2040 [2]. Both conditions are neuropathies and are associated with vision loss, eventually leading to blindness. Glaucoma is a multifactorial disease, with the most salient feature being an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), which still is nowadays the only clinically modifiable risk factor for its development and progression [3–6]. Macular degeneration, also denominated age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is characterized by the loss of vision in the central part of the visual field, involving the central part of the retina where the macula is found [9–11]. Blurred vision and/or visual hallucinations may also occur in AMD patients. These conditions, together with glaucoma, represent the leading causes of blindness in the industrialized countries [1–6,9]. AMD is classified in two main types, the dry or non-neovascular AMD, with a prevalence of 90% among the affected patients [11], and the wet, or neovascular AMD, which involves abnormal neo-vascularization under or nearby the macula [12,13]. The pathogenesis of AMD is poorly understood, but the prevalent hypothesis is nowadays that metabolic and more precisely mitochondrial dysfunctions are the main triggering factors of the disease [14].
(3R, 3’R)-zeaxanthin protects the retina from photo-oxidative damage via modulating the inflammation and visual health molecular markers
Published in Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology, 2019
Kazim Sahin, Fatih Akdemir, Cemal Orhan, Mehmet Tuzcu, Hasan Gencoglu, Nurhan Sahin, Ibrahim H. Ozercan, Shakir Ali, Ismet Yilmaz, Vijaya Juturu
The macula is a small, oval, yellowish region, near the centre of the eye on the retina, and oxidative stress and inflammation are linked with the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a progressively degenerative multifactorial ailment, which occurs at the central area of the retina and causes extreme visual impairment1,2. AMD is accepted as the primary cause of blindness in elderly adults who live in the industrialized countries3. High dietary intake of foods containing widely known macular carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, also known as xanthophyll retinal antioxidants, has been correlated with lower incidence of AMD4–6. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), the major oxidative damage source of DNA lipid and proteins, are produced by the absorption of UV and blue light by a photosensitizing component or molecule7–9. It was also shown that rat photoreceptors can be prevented from the oxidative stress via the pretreatment of zeaxanthin and lutein along with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)10.
Hormone Therapy as a Protective Factor for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published in Ophthalmic Epidemiology, 2020
Jennifer L. Patnaik, Anne M. Lynch, Brandie D. Wagner, E. Lacey Echalier, Wendy M. Kohrt, Marc T. Mathias, Frank S. Siringo, Alan G. Palestine, Naresh Mandava
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the United States and other developed countries. Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive disease of the macula in which patients experience central vision loss in advanced stages, including the neovascular (NV) and geographic atrophy (GA) forms of the disease.1 This sight-threatening disease can significantly reduce the quality of life. The prevalence of AMD is high with approximately 11 million persons affected with some form of AMD in the U.S. In addition, more than 1 out of 10 people older than 80 years have advanced stages of the disease.2 As life expectancy increases and our population ages, the impact of this debilitating condition is expected to increase with a doubling between 2010 and 2050.3
Related Knowledge Centers
- Blurred Vision
- Drusen
- Retina
- Visual Impairment
- Visual Field
- Visual Release Hallucinations
- Macula
- Eye Examination
- Anti-Vegf
- Laser Coagulation