SAN FRANCISCO—March is AMD Awareness Month, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), through its EyeSmart™ Campaign, released tips to help Americans learn more about age-related macular degeneration (AMD). “The past few years have been marked by significant improvement in understanding the causes and the treatment of AMD,” said George Williams, M.D., an AAD clinical correspondent. “New research and clinical advances are helping us to better treat both the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ forms of AMD. One strong risk factor that people may not be aware of is family history. It’s important to find out whether your relatives have had AMD, and to tell your eye M.D., if you have a history of AMD in your family. Knowing your risks can save your sight.”
The top five risk factors for AMD are being over the age of 60, having a family history of AMD, cigarette smoking, obesity and hypertension. Some risk factors can be changed (i.e., diet and smoking), while others can’t. AAO suggested one step people at risk of developing AMD can consider is taking a dietary supplement of vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, along with zinc, which has been shown to lower the risk of AMD advancing to advanced stages by 25 percent.