Macular degeneration
hideMacular degeneration is a medical condition usually of older adults that results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the macula) because of damage to the retina. It occurs in “dry” and “wet” forms. It is a major cause of blindness in the elderly (>50 years)[citation needed]. Macular degeneration can make it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces, although enough peripheral vision remains to allow other activities of daily life.
The inner layer of the eye is the retina, which contains nerves that communicate sight, and behind the retina is the choroid, which contains the blood supply to the retina. In the dry (nonexudative) form, cellular debris called drusen accumulate between the retina and the choroid, and the retina can become detached. In the wet (exudative) form, which is more severe, blood vessels grow up from the choroid behind the retina, and the retina can also become detached. It can be treated with laser coagulation, and with medication that stops and sometimes reverses the growth of blood vessels.
Although some macular dystrophies affecting younger individuals are sometimes referred to as macular degeneration, the term generally refers to age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).
For more information about Macular degeneration, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with macular degeneration
Cataract surgery does not appear associated with worsening of age-related macular degeneration
Nov 09, 2009 |
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Age-related macular degeneration does not appear to progress at a higher rate among individuals who have had surgery to treat cataract, contrary to previous reports that treating one cause of vision loss worsens the other, ...
Study finds lack of VEGF can cause defects similar to dry macular degeneration
Nov 02, 2009 |
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Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that when the eye is missing a diffusible form of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), i.e. one that when secreted can reach other cells at a distance, the retina ...
Counting duplicated genome segments now possible
Aug 30, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A newly designed computational method has proven its usefulness in counting copies of duplicated genome sequences and in doing initial assessments of their contents, according to a study to be published Aug. ...
Painless 'microneedle' patch may take the sting out of shots
Aug 19, 2009 |
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Good news for people fearful of needles and squeamish of shots: Scientists at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society report the design of a painless patch that may someday render hypodermic ...
Pharmacy pamphlets apparently more about looks than legibility: study
Aug 06, 2009 |
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It seems like common sense that an information leaflet for vision loss would have large print and appropriate contrast, but that's not the case a new study done at the University of Alberta has found.
Anti-growth factor drugs raise hope and concern for treatment of children's eye diseases
Aug 03, 2009 |
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A new class of antibody drugs may provide a powerful new tool for the treatment of eye diseases in children, but specialists need to be alert for the possibility of serious side effects, according to an editorial in the August ...
The 'see food' diet
Jul 23, 2009 |
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Current research suggests that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent one of the leading causes of legal blindness among the elderly. The related report by Tuo et al, "A high omega-3 fatty acid diet reduces retinal ...
'Nature' and 'nurture' variables early predictors of AMD
Jun 25, 2009 |
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Like many diseases, causes for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can be categorized as either "nature" or "nurture". Researchers think these factors, when used in the proper model, can be strong predictors of the disease.
Eating fish, nuts and olive oil may be associated with reduced risk of age-related blindness
May 11, 2009 |
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Regularly eating fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods containing omega-three fatty acids and avoiding trans fats appears to be associated with a lower risk for the eye disease age-related macular degeneration, according ...
New therapies expected to help reduce future visual burden of age-related eye disease
Apr 13, 2009 |
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The prevalence of the eye disease age-related macular degeneration is projected to increase substantially by 2050, but the use of new therapies is expected to help mitigate its effects on vision, according to results of simulation ...
3-D snapshots of eyes reveal details of age-related blindness
Mar 19, 2009 |
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To get a better look at the abnormalities that cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in Americans and Europeans over 50, the research groups of James Fujimoto at the Massachusetts ...
What drives brain changes in macular degeneration?
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Mar 03, 2009 |
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In macular degeneration, the most common form of adult blindness, patients progressively lose vision in the center of their visual field, thereby depriving the corresponding part of the visual cortex of input. Previously, ...
Researchers make stem cell breakthrough
Mar 01, 2009 |
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In a study to be released on March 1, 2009, Mount Sinai Hospital's Dr. Andras Nagy discovered a new method of creating stem cells that could lead to possible cures for devastating diseases including spinal ...
Researchers seek to create 'fountain of youth'
Biology /
Jan 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- The same principles that a Biodesign Institute research team has successfully applied to remove harmful contaminants from the environment may one day allow people to clean up the gunk from ...
