The rising prevalence figures may be due not only to the aging of the population, but also to better ascertainment through improved diagnosis. In patients with a later stage of AMD, neovascular AMD is 1.4 times more common than geographical atrophy (the final stage of dry late AMD) ( 9). It is estimated that half of all cases of blindness and high-grade visual impairment in Germany are due to late stage AMD ( 7, 8). The later stages of AMD, which are often highly symptomatic and threaten to impair vision permanently, also became more common in Germany over the same period, from ca. Even more importantly, the prevalence of AMD has risen markedly in recent years: in Germany, the number of persons with (mostly asymptomatic) early AMD rose from 5.7 million in 2002 to ca. The disease accounts for approximately 9% of all cases of blindness ( 2). In 2020, some 200 million persons are affected by AMD worldwide. The treatment of the exudative late form with VEGF inhibitors is labor-intensive and requires a close collaboration of the patient, the ophthalmologist, and the primary care physician.Īge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss in persons over age 65 in industrialized countries ( 1, 2). Late AMD is subdivided into the dry late form of the disease, for which there is no treatment at present, and the exudative late form, which can be treated with the intravitreal injection of VEGF inhibitors.Ĭonclusion: More research is needed on the dry late form of AMD in particular, which is currently untreatable. The number of persons with early AMD in Germany rose from 5.7 million in 2002 to ca. The main risk factors are age, genetic predisposition, and nicotine consumption. The early stage is often asymptomatic patients in the other two stages often have distorted vision or central visual field defects. Results: AMD is subdivided into early, intermediate, and late stages. Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed for original articles and reviews, as well as on current position statements by the relevant specialty societies. In this review, the main risk factors, clinical manifestations, and treatments of this disease are presented. In Germany, half of all cases of blindness and high-grade visual impairment are due to AMD. ![]() ![]() Background: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is thought to cause approximately 9% of all cases of blindness worldwide.
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