Age-related macular degeneration. Can we stem this worldwide public health crisis?

Overview

Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of legal blindness in people over age 60 worldwide, represents a public health crisis that deserves the attention and understanding of all physicians. The dry form of the disease is more common than the wet, but the wet form causes the most severe vision loss. Other than vision aids (e.g., glasses, magnifiers), no treatments or preventive measures are currently available for patients with dry macular degeneration, and laser photocoagulation with fluorescein angiography is the only clinically proven therapy for neovascular disease. Indocyanine green angiography is a promising new imaging tool that may improve detection of patients likely to benefit from laser therapy. Until better diagnostic and treatment options are available, early screening and patient education offer the best hope for reducing the widespread devastation caused by this disease.