Major Points and Findings:
Prevalence and Risk Factors:
- AMD is most prevalent in persons over 65 in industrialized countries.
- The number of people with early-stage AMD in Germany increased from 5.7 million in 2002 to around 7 million in 2017.
- The main risk factors for AMD are age, genetic predisposition, and nicotine consumption.
Stages and Symptoms:
- AMD is categorized into early, intermediate, and late stages.
- Early-stage AMD is often asymptomatic, while the other stages can cause distorted vision or central visual field defects.
Treatment:
- Late-stage AMD is divided into dry and exudative (wet) forms.
- The dry form currently has no treatment.
- The exudative form can be treated with intravitreal injections of VEGF inhibitors.
Research Gaps:
- More research is needed for the dry late form of AMD, which is currently untreatable.
Progression:
- In asymmetrically affected patients, the disease often progresses to the better-seeing eye within 5 years in 19% to 28% of cases.
- The rate of progression from intermediate to late AMD is estimated at 28% in five years.
Clinical Manifestations:
- The initial symptoms often consist of distorted vision or visual loss in the center of the visual field.
- The exudative form of AMD is associated with a more rapid loss of vision compared to the atrophic form.