What is age-related macular degeneration (AMD)?
Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive eye disease that is commonly known as just macular degeneration or AMD. The condition occurs due to the deterioration or damage of the retina, which is the light-sensitive tissue located at the back of the eye. Because AMD is a condition that typically develops as a person ages, it is referred to as age-related macular degeneration. As people are now living longer, the number of individuals affected by this condition is also increasing.
What is the 2022 global prevalence and projection of AMD?
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a global concern, and a leading cause of permanent vision impairment, particularly late-stage AMD. Studies estimated the following statistics:
- In 2022, there were approximately 203 million people worldwide living with AMD, including 12 million with late AMD. This number is expected to increase to around 243 million by 2030, with 15 million people projected to have late AMD.1
- In Europe, there were around 59 million people with AMD, including 4.4 million people with late AMD in 2022.1
- In Asia, approximately 75 million people had AMD, including 8.9 million with late AMD in 2022.1
- In 2019, an estimated 19.8 million Americans aged 40 and above were living with AMD, with 1.5 million experiencing vision-threatening late AMD.2
The significant increase in the number of individuals affected, particularly late-stage AMD, highlights the need for early detection, effective treatment, and prevention strategies.
1. World Health Organization. (2019). World report on vision. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/328717. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
2. Rein, David B et al. “Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the US in 2019.” JAMA ophthalmology vol. 140,12 (2022): 1202-1208. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2022.4401
What are the different types of AMD?
1. What is Dry AMD?
Dry AMD is the most common type, accounting for about 80% of all cases. The exact cause of dry AMD is unknown, but both genetic and environmental factors are believed to be involved.
In this type, the cells of the retina gradually die off and are not replaced. It may begin in one eye and then progress to affect both eyes over time.
Although vision can worsen, it doesn't necessarily result in complete blindness. The term "dry" refers to the absence of fluid leakage from blood vessels under the macula.
2. What is wet AMD?
Wet AMD, on the other hand, is less common but often more severe. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the macula, causing blood and fluid to leak out. This leakage leads to scarring and permanent loss of central vision. Wet AMD can progress rapidly, and it accounts for almost 90% of severe vision loss among people with macular degeneration.
Wet AMD is also known as neovascular AMD because the condition involves the growth of new (neo) and abnormal blood vessels (vascular).