Age-related macular generation is an ocular disease that causes a reduction in central vision as individuals grow older. The condition is caused when a region of the retina called the macular becomes damaged and causes patients to lose the ability to see fine details; it can also be referred to as central vision.
While age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) rarely causes blindness, it is the number one cause of severe eyesight loss in people aged 50 and above. Individuals suffering from the advanced stages of this ailment often lose the ability to see faces, drive and read the small print.
By 2019, an estimated 20 million American adults already suffered from some form of the disease while 1.49 million had late-stage macular degeneration and 18 million adults aged 14 and older had early-stage macular degeneration. Furthermore, researchers predict that by 2040, roughly 288 million people globally may develop the illness.
With February being Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Low Vision Awareness Month, doctors from Hattiesburg Eye Clinic are spreading awareness of factors that may increase people’s risk of developing ARMD. Therapeutic-certified optometrist Dr. Anna Armstrong notes that people may not notice a number of major symptoms during the early stages of ARMD, including distorted or blurred vision; they may also have trouble with face recognition as the disease progresses.
Some of the major risk factors for ARMD are, unfortunately, out of an individual’s control. Those factors include being of European descent and having a family history of the disease. Everyone’s risk of developing the disease also heightens as they grow older.
Even so, Armstrong revealed that there were some things that could be done to reduce one’s risk of developing this eye illness. Smoking cigarettes increases a person’s chances of developing AMD by up to four times while obesity increased people’s risk of ARMD by 32%. According to Armstrong, working to improve your general health will also have a positive impact on eye health. She noted that exercising regularly and eating a well-balanced diet was crucial to improving health and reducing ARMD risk.
Early diagnosis can allow ophthalmologists to take steps and prevent age-related macular degeneration from advancing quickly. Armstrong recommends yearly eye exams from age 40 and even earlier for people with a family history of ocular disease to catch the disease in its early stages. She and her colleagues also recommend AREDS2 vitamin supplements for people with intermediate-stage ARMD to reduce the disease’s progression.
The exploding caseload of people suffering from age-related macular degeneration may explain why a number of enterprises such as BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV) are looking to develop novel formulations targeting this clinical indication.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to BiondVax Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ: BVXV) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://ibn.fm/BVXV
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