Age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population of industrialized countries [1]. Based on a meta-analysis, the prevalence of early-stage AMD is estimated to be 6.8 % and for the late stages 1.5 % [2]. Prevalence, incidence, and progression of all forms of AMD rise with increasing age. Thirty percent of all probands aged ≥75 years were found to have early AMD and 7.1 % suffered from late stages of the disease [3, 4].