Age-related macular degeneration or AMD is an eye condition where the central region of your retina (the macula) suffers damage and impairs your vision.

Typically, macular degeneration is indicated by a loss or reduction in central vision. This often leads to people with it having clearer side or peripheral vision, as a result.

What is AMD, then? AMD is what happens when this deterioration in the macula is caused by age-related factors. This is often the case for people who develop macular degeneration in their 60’s or later.

This is a progressive eye condition that can lead to severe vision loss. As such, it is important to be proactive in decreasing AMD risk or halting it early once it has begun. 

Today, we will help you do that by going over the age-related macular degeneration risk factors and prevention options. This may help you lower your risk of developing this age-related eye disease.

What can raise the odds of getting age-related macular degeneration?

While there is no definite way to prevent AMD, there are things that can be avoided to reduce the risk of AMD developing. Below, we cover the main risk factors that increase the chance of developing AMD. 

Note that these are only risk factors, however. There is no certainty that having one of these will lead to AMD or that not having them will guarantee AMD avoidance.

1. Age

Age is the first and most obvious risk factor for AMD. The older we get, the more our cells deteriorate without repairing or replacing themselves.

This is the main reason the dry version of AMD is often seen as an age-related eye disease. In this version of the disease, older macular cells stop replacing themselves while breaking down.

2. A family history of macular degeneration 

This has also been shown to increase your chances of getting the condition. For some reason, some families appear more predisposed to getting it than others.

3. Smoking 

Smoking is believed to be an AMD risk factor because of the oxidative stress it puts on the body. The US FDA has cited studies showing that smoking may even increase AMD risk four-fold. 

Recent research also suggests that cigarette smoke activates an immune system component called the “complement cascade” in retinal cells. This cascade has been linked to AMD.

4. Obesity 

Obesity also appears to have a high correlation with AMD occurrence. This may be due to the increased oxidative stress it can place on the body.

Interestingly, research is ongoing about how historical obesity increases AMD risk. While only proven with mice so far, it would mean that having been obese at one point would be sufficient as a risk factor.

So, if true for humans as well, being at a healthy weight now would not be enough to counter this risk factor if you have been obese in the past.

5. Cardiovascular diseases or CVD

CVD appears to be linked to AMD. In fact, AMD is sometimes treated as a risk factor for it.

The wet version of AMD in particular tends to be linked to high blood pressure. The wet version of AMD is when blood vessels grow and leak under the retina.

How can you prevent age-related macular degeneration?

While there are no treatments to cure AMD, there are a number of ways to prevent its progression and lower your risk of getting the condition.

Of course, you want to start with regular eye screening. You won’t even know that you have to take steps to avoid vision loss if you don’t notice something’s wrong!

At Shinagawa Eye Centre, we can perform comprehensive assessments and screen you for possible eye issues, including AMD. We can run tests like these: 

• Amsler grid test to check if you can see straight lines
• Optical coherence tomography or OCT
• Angiography 
• Eye exam

So, don’t be afraid to contact us if you want to get checked for it or other eye problems. 

If you do want to lower the risk of developing AMD, try the following:

• Eat a healthy diet. Try to get a lot of antioxidant-rich vegetables in particular. Previous clinical trials have also linked antioxidant-rich supplements with a marked reduction in the risk of dry AMD progressing into the worse wet AMD. 
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle with adequate exercise. This seems to both reduce the risk of AMD and the chances of it becoming worse.
• Quit smoking. We already noted it as a risk factor earlier.

Get screened for AMD and other eye problems today

AMD can be a serious issue, especially if left untreated and allowed to progress into grave vision loss. Fortunately, a good eye screening can identify it ahead of time and give you options.

Call us to enquire or book an appointment for age-related macular degeneration screening or treatment. Our eye doctors will be happy to assess you and come up with a plan for addressing AMD if you do have it.