Updated Resource Available: Alliance’s Latest Brochure Takes a “Closer Look” at Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Published January 6, 2023
The Alliance for Aging Research has updated and released its highly successful educational brochure — Taking a Closer Look at Age-Related Macular Degeneration. This is the 5th edition of the brochure and has been updated to reflect the latest advances in detection, prevention, and treatment. The brochure includes the Amsler Grid—a convenient tool that can detect changes in vision due to AMD.
“AMD is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in older adults and affects over 15 million Americans, and unfortunately, is a progressive disease that can worsen with time,” says Lindsay Clarke, JD, Senior Vice President of Health Education and Advocacy for the Alliance. “While this disease is predominantly caused by a combination of genetics, this resource details ways to lessen the risk and recognize the symptoms.”
AMD damages the macula – the central part of the retina that we use to write, read, watch TV, drive, and do other everyday tasks. While AMD rarely causes complete blindness, it can lead to legal blindness without proper treatment. Most people with AMD keep a reasonable amount of their peripheral—or side vision—and can learn to adapt and make the most of that remaining vision, but early intervention is key.
At present, there is no cure for AMD, but there are several treatments that can help slow progression, and even help restore lost vision, in some patients. With exciting advances made in understanding the disease, there is much hope for the future of AMD prevention and treatment.
To help learn more about disease and treatment options, the updated brochure guides readers through the latest information on symptoms and risk factors, while offering ways to reduce risk.
The materials for this campaign were produced by the Alliance for Aging Research and reviewed by Robert Eugene Anderson, MD, PhD, George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology and Ophthalmology University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Dean McGee Eye Institute Oklahoma City, OK. You can download a free copy of the brochure, learn more about trends in visual health on The Healthy Aging Blog, and view more materials in the Age-Related Macular Degeneration Campaign section of the Alliance’s website.