Vitrectomy decreases the progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new research study. There is no published evidence that a vitrectomy hastens the progression of AMD. Intraocular surgery is known however to incite significant inflammation and breakdown of the blood–ocular barrier, which may last from weeks to...

A genome-wide association study has identified a possible role of the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) in advanced AMD, according to a new research report. These findings implicate a new biologic pathway in AMD and provide new avenues for prevention and treatment of AMD. The role of the alternative complement pathway in disease pathogenesis was...

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and polymorphisms in the CFH and ARMS2/HTRA1 genes are independently associated with risk of AMD, according to a new research study. Higher CRP level tends to confer a higher risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) within most genotype groups. Studies have documented the importance of genetic,...

Measurement of Red-Green and Yellow-Blue color vision can provide a measure of functional change in diseases of the retina, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Abnormalities in rod and cone photoreceptor morphology have been reported in normal aging retinas in the absence of known pathology and have been taken as an indicator of...

Using a novel double-pass device, researchers have objectively measured the retinal image quality of patients affected with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and found it to be significantly poorer than normal subjects. A double-pass device is able to measure the optical quality of the human eye by analyzing the properties of light that...

Having age-related macular degeneration (AMD) does not place persons at greater risk of developing a heart attack (myocardial infarctions, MI), according to a new study. Although the cause of AMD remains poorly understood, increasing evidence suggests that it may share similar risk factors and common pathogenic mechanisms with cardiovascular...

Fish and shellfish consumption decreases the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study. Fish oil is rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the major dietary and structural omega-3 LCPUFA of the retina, has the capacity to modulate processes implicated in AMD...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a visual prosthetic device known as an Implantable Miniature Telescope to improve vision in patients 75 years and older with stable severe to profound vision impairment caused by bilateral central scotoma associated with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Smaller than a pea,...

Improvement in visual acuity is often considered the best indicator of the effectiveness of a treatment in age-related maculopathy. However, during the course of the disease, the location of the patients' preferred retinal locus of fixation may change. This can lead to an unexpected functional improvement, unrelated to treatment. Macular...

Interferon γ–inducible protein-10 (IP-10) and eotaxin may be early biomarkers in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a new study. Chronic inflammation consists of a series of biological responses to harmful stimuli that include activation of subsets of immune cells, which are recruited to inflamed areas, angiogenesis and...