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Macular Degeneration Research (MDR), a program of the American Health Assistance Foundation, was established in 1997 to fund research on and educate the public about macular degeneration. Since program's inception, MDR has awarded over $6.47 million to support basic research into the causes and potential treatments of this disease.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye disease that causes deterioration of the macula, the central area of the retina, the paper-thin tissue at the back of the eye where light-sensitive cells send visual signals to the brain. Sharp, clear, “straight ahead” vision is processed by the macula. Damage to the macula results in the development of blind spots and blurred or distorted vision. When the macula becomes damaged, many daily activities such as driving and reading become increasingly difficult. AMD usually affects individuals older than 50 years of age, and scientific evidence shows that genes may play a role in the development of nearly three out of four cases of this devastating eye disease.

AMD is a major cause of visual impairment in the United States. Approximately 1.8 million Americans age 40 and older have advanced AMD, and another 7.3 million people with intermediate AMD are at substantial risk for vision loss. The government estimates that by 2020 there will be 2.9 million people with advanced AMD.

Medical News

• Read macular degeneration news summaries.

Email News Updates and Newsletters

• Sign up to receive medical and science email news alerts.

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Medical Illustrations

• View an Anatomy of the Eye illustration.

• View a cross section of the Normal Macula.

• View an illustration of Dry Macular Degeneration.

• View an illustration of Wet Macular Degeneration.

• View an illustration of the Normal Macula Compared to Wet and Dry Macular Degeneration.

• View the Progression of Macular Degeneration Symptoms as seen through the eyes of the patient.

Real Life Questions

If you have questions concerning macular degeneration, please fill out and submit the information on the Real Life Questions form. We will answer some of the questions, and the responses will be posted in the What's New section every other Wednesday.

Fact Sheets

The Fact Sheets are available in Portable Document Format (PDF). You will need Adobe Reader on your computer to access the PDF files. If you do not have this software, you may download a free copy from the Adobe website.

Please note: fact sheets will open into a new window.

• Avastin



• Clinical Trial Information



• Diet And Macular Degeneration



• Financial Aid



• Forms of Macular Degeneration



• Helpful Organizations



• Heredity and Macular Degeneration



• Lucentis



• Macugen



• Low Vision Aid Resources



• Low Vision Organizations



• Photodynamic Therapy



• The Facts On Macular Degeneration

Reviewed on 2/14/2008

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this section is a public service of Macular Degeneration Research, a program of the American Health Assistance Foundation (AHAF). It should not in any way substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional and is not intended to constitute medical advice. Most organizations mentioned are not affiliated with AHAF. In addition, AHAF does not endorse any programs or products offered by these organizations.

Some of the information in this section of our website was obtained from the National Eye Institute and the National Library of Medicine.

© American Health Assistance Foundation, 2007. All rights reserved.
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