New molecular histopathologic insights into the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration.

摘要

Introduction Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in the United States, representing 54% of legal blindness.] Currently, 1.75 million people are affected by advanced AMD, and due to the aging population, 3 million people will be affected by 2020.2 At present, 7 million people are at risk of developing advanced AMD, and 1 in 3 persons >=70 years old with early AMD will develop advanced disease over 10 years.1,3 The devastating impact to both the individual and general public is staggering. Mild AMD causes a 17% reduction in quality of life, a decline that is similar to moderate angina or patients who are symptomatic with human immunodeficiency syndrome virus.4 Moderate AMD causes a 40% decline in quality of life, or the equivalent of people with severe angina or on chronic hemodialysis. Advanced AMD causes a 64% decrease in quality of life, which is equivalent to people suffering from prostate cancer with severe pain, or after a severe stroke that leaves a patient bedridden, incontinent, and requiring constant nursing care. In Canada, the financial impact is estimated to be dollar2.6 billion on the gross domestic product.4