Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the world’s leading causes of blindness, particularly among people aged 65 and older. In the United States, an estimated 2.1 million people aged 50 and older have advanced or late-stage AMD (with loss of visual function) and another 9.1 million have early or intermediate AMD (with minimal to significant vision loss). The number of people around the world with diagnosed AMD is expected to reach 196 million by the year 2020, as life expectancies rise and populations age.

AMD is characterized by the loss of central vision due to the gradual deterioration of the macula—the part of the eye that allows you to see fine details and where sharp central vision occurs. AMD makes daily activities, such as reading, driving, recognizing faces, watching television, and navigating stairs difficult or impossible. AMD is not painful. The speed of its progression varies (advancing slowly or quickly) and it can occur in one eye or both eyes. When the disease advances rapidly, it may swiftly lead to discernible vision loss. The advanced stages of AMD may lead to permanent loss of vision if left untreated. To reduce risk of dry AMD rapidly advancing, make use of available at home tests, such as the Amsler Grid (download here) and at home monitoring devices, such as the ForeseeHome device (learn more here). If only one eye is affected, vision loss is harder to detect because the unaffected eye works harder to make up for the deficiency in the affected eye. It is important to have regular eye exams to keep tabs on visual acuity and macular function in both eyes. AMD has three forms: early, intermediate, and advanced. Early and intermediate AMD are the most common of the phases. Usually AMD progresses linearly (from early to intermediate to advanced), but most people with intermediate AMD do not progress to an advanced form. Only about 10% to 15% of adults with early and intermediate AMD will progress to advanced AMD, which can be “wet” (also known as exudative or neovascular AMD) or “atrophic” (known as “geographic atrophy”).