Frequently Asked Questions

The National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) found that taking a specific high dose formula of antioxidants and zinc (500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 International Units of vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta-carotene, 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide and two milligrams of copper as cupric oxide) may delay or prevent intermediate AMD from progressing to the advanced stage. There is no evidence, however, that the AREDS formula benefits people with early stage AMD. Patients with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes or advanced AMD (dry or wet) in one eye but not the other eye should consider taking the formula. Consult a physician before taking any supplements; the AREDS formula may be contraindicated for certain medical conditions or may react negatively with some medications.

It is possible to develop AMD in only one eye. However, as the disease progresses, both eyes may become affected. If advanced AMD occurs in one eye, there is a much greater risk of developing advanced AMD in the other.

Yes, there are several forms of juvenile macular degeneration (JMD), and all are inherited. The most common form of JMD is Stargardt's disease, also called fundus flavimaculatus or macular dystrophy, which normally develops in the childhood or teen years. Best disease or vitelliform macular degeneration is the second most common form of JMD; symptoms usually occur between birth and age 7. People in their thirties or forties can develop genetic forms of macular disease such as Sorsby's fundus dystrophy, Behr's dystrophy and Doyne's honeycomb retinal dystrophy. Finally, myopic macular degeneration can occur in people who are severely near-sighted due to extreme elongation of the eyeball. This condition can result in macula tears and bleeding beneath the retina.

Yes, some people with macular degeneration also develop Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) and hallucinate. Some eye diseases prevent normal nerve impulses from reaching the brain, and it is believed that spontaneous, brain-generated nerve activity may cause visual hallucinations. CBS appears to be more common in women than men and is more likely to occur if both eyes are affected by disease. The hallucinations are normally complex and can include detailed patterns or fully formed images such as animals, people, faces or scenery. Patients know that the hallucinations are not real. These images are not associated with any other sensory (e.g., sound or odor) hallucinations, nor are they delusions. The hallucinations may last for seconds or for most of the day. They tend to disappear when people close their eyes. CBS may last for days or even years, but can be managed by educating the patient and reassuring him or her that the images are a result of eye disease, not a mental disorder.

• View a video of neurologist and author, Dr. Oliver Sacks, discussing Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) typically affects individuals over 50 years old. Scientific evidence shows that genes may play a role in the development of nearly three out of four cases of this devastating eye disease.

Several genes are believed to be strongly associated with the risk of developing AMD:

• Factor H and Factor B genes are responsible for proteins that help regulate inflammation in the part of the immune system that attacks diseased and damaged cells. According to study results published in 2006 by Columbia University, 74 percent of AMD patients carry certain variants in one or both of these genes, and these may significantly increase their risk of developing it.
  
  
• PLEKHA1 – a gene located on chromosome 10; researchers believe it may increase the risk of developing AMD. Like Factors H and B, PLEKHA1 appears to be involved in the cellular processes related to inflammation.
  
  
• LOC387715 – A certain variation of this gene appears to increase the risk of developing AMD. This risk is further heightened if a person with this gene variation also smokes.
  
  
• HTRA1 – Scientists have identified a link between a mutation in this gene and the development of AMD. Specifically, the HTRA1 mutation is thought to be associated with the formation of drusen (yellow deposits of waste products under the retina that are often a sign of dry AMD), and may also promote the growth of fragile new blood vessels typical of wet AMD.
  
  
• Complement C3 – Researchers have found that a variant in this gene increases the risk of developing the wet and dry forms of AMD. This gene plays an important role in the immune system, leading scientists to believe that inflammation is a vital part of the AMD disease process.

Other gene candidates are being studied to determine their role in AMD. While there is definitely a strong genetic component to this disease, it is highly likely that its development is due to a combination of multiple factors including gene mutations or variations and environmental factors such as sunlight exposure, diet and smoking.