Macular Degeneration is one of the most common cause of vision loss in the elderly. Aging is the cause. In fact, the formal name is age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The eye is basically a camera. It has a lens and film. The film in our eye is called the retina. Our eyes focus light onto a small part of the retina called the macula. This is where all our sharp central vision happens.
Like in real estate, location matters. The macula is a small area that is very special for vision. It appears that aging causes this small patch of film (the macula) to simply fall apart. The older one gets, the more likely these aging changes will occur. Many people over the age of ninety are completely blind because of macular degeneration.
To avoid macular degeneration, it helps to stop smoking, exercise, sleep well and have a good diet. Basically, living healthy is the best thing you can do. For most people, this is not a fast moving disease. The macula slowly falls apart over years and decades. Useful vision is present for a long long time. The problem is that most people continue to worsen over time.
In patients with proven macular degeneration, AREDS 2 vitamins are generally recommended. In some patients who have fluid or bleeding in the macula, injections are given into the eye for years. Currently, there has been no other treatment for age related macular degeneration...until now.
What if we could slow down this process? Even just a little bit?
