| Age-related Macular Degeneration or AMD is a | | | | associated with AMD or age-related macular |
| common eye disease that causes progressive | | | | degeneration. The number is expected to grow to |
| damage to the central part of the retina, also | | | | almost 3 million by 2020 according to this |
| known as the Macula. AMD is the leading cause of | | | | estimate. |
| visual impairment in the United States, and | | | | Age-related Macular Degeneration rarely results in |
| blindness in senior citizens of America, aged 65 | | | | complete blindness but leads to distorted vision |
| and older. | | | | and reduces contrast sensitivity and color |
| As people age, the retinal pigment epithelium | | | | perception. Peripheral vision may not be affected |
| (RPE), which supplies nutrients from the choroid | | | | and victims may be able to see from the corners |
| (layer of blood vessels that nourishes the cones | | | | of their eyes. However, in the worst cases, AMD |
| and rods of the retina) to the retina and helps | | | | or Age-related Macular Degeneration may result in |
| remove waste products, may deteriorate. This | | | | a complete loss of vision or lead to blindness. |
| results in the formation of waste deposits and the | | | | Although the chances for developing AMD or |
| light-sensitive cells of the macula may be | | | | age-related Macular Degeneration increase radically |
| damaged due to lack of nutrients. The normal | | | | as people age, researchers suspect an association |
| signals sent through the optic nerve to the brain | | | | between development of AMD and occurrence of |
| by these cells become disrupted and the vision | | | | a variant of a gene known as complement factor |
| becomes blurred. | | | | H (CFH). The cause of this eye disease may also |
| According to the estimate of Archives of | | | | be related to nutrition, smoking, and sunlight or as |
| Ophthalmology in 2004, approximately 1.75 million | | | | a side effect of a particular drug. |
| U.S. residents have indicative symptoms | | | | |