Age-Related Macular Degeneration Case Study

Also, on the retina is the optic disk. There are no photoreceptors in this area, so any light that falls on this part of the retina is unseen and creates what is called the blind spot. (Hugh

Treatment options exist for the wet type; however, the dry has none. The wet version of Macular Degeneration can be treated with laser surgery, photodynamic therapy, and direct injections in order to try to slow the progression. Laser surgery is used to subdue the leaking blood vessels. During this procedure, healthy blood vessels and tissue may inadvertently be damaged.

The research topic I will be introducing is Age-Related Macular Degeneration. This has been classified as a degenerative disorder that distresses the macula in one’s eye. AMD is unfortunately a common illness that individuals over 65 suffer from and that is a central cause vision loss. AMD doesn’t have a set disease pathway, in some individuals it advances slowly so that loss of vision does not arise for a long time. The disease can also advance much quicker and may lead to lack of vision in either or both eyes. The disease begins a blurry area near the center of one’s vision which grows larger and larger possibly causing a blank space in the eye (Boyd, 2013). Research is being done on AMD because it is a prevalent illness and has extreme consequences.

In most cases of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa RPGR has been observed to be dysfunctional, approximately 60 to 80% of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa are attributed to dysfunctional RPGR (Haddad et al., 2016; Pawlyk et al., 2016). Unfortunately, as of now, there is no therapeutic cure for any of the genetically inheritable forms of retinitis pigmentosa, but research is being conducted into the gene therapies, stem cell therapies. Currently the only method of treatment is to slow degradation of the photoreceptor cells of the retina, but this only mitigates the damage and does not stop or repair any of the damage that

To understand the diverse causes of RP, a basic understanding of visual perception is required. Phototransduction (conversion of light to electrical signals) occurs first, which is initiated by two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. These two types vary in their function as rods are primarily responsible for night vision and lack sensitivity to color while cones function in color vision. Light contacts these photoreceptors, and isomerizes a retinaldehydechromophore (retinal) which is bound to varying types of opsin proteins corresponding in their reactivity to different wavelengths of light. Upon absorption of a photon of light, the chromophore 11-cis-retinal is isomerized to the all-trans confirmation, which subsequently causes a series of molecular interactions which ultimately result in the electrical response of the photoreceptors (Vugler 2010). As 11-cis-retinal is required to absorb photons of light, this compound must be regenerated, a function that is performed with the aid of nearby cells of the retinal pigment epithelium

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness for people 60 years of age and older in the developed world. Vision loss is caused by the destruction of the cone photoreceptors, located in the macula, that are responsible for color/central vision. The underlying cause of AMD is the loss of the monolayer of pigmented epithelial cells located just below the photoreceptors, known as the retinal pigmentum epithelium (RPE). The main role of the RPE is to maintain the function of the photoreceptor layer by secreting nutrients, absorbing stray light, and recycling debris used during the visual cycle. As a person ages the efficiency of the RPE layer is diminished causing a build up of toxic by-products. These toxic build-ups, known as drusens, result in the separation and death of the photoreceptor and RPE layers. AMD is speculated to result from as many as 20 different genetic mutations and as a result there is no known cure for the disease (CITE), but recent advances in stem cell therapy is a hopeful step in the right direction.

Age related macular degeneration is a loss of function of the macula, it is more commonly known as AMD. AMD is the most common cause for vision loss in adult s over the age of 55. The macula, located in the central part of the eye, is what is being damaged. This part of the eye is what enables us to see substances that are directly in front of the field of vision.

The effect of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (LCPUFA) on neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV AMD) and central geographic atrophy (CGA) over a 12 year intake was studied through a prospective cohort study. The cohort was from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), which is a large phase 3 clinical trial that has tested nutrient and vitamin supplement formulations as prevention methods for AMD. Categories of AMD and risk of progression were determined by the size and extent of drusen and abnormalities of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in each eye, the evaluation of stereoscopic photographs, and visual acuity (SanGiovanni et al., 2009). AREDS supported that individuals with the highest intake of

Dawn E. Alley, Ph.D., Chisara N. Asomugha, M.D., Patrick H. Conway, M.D., and Darshak M. Sanghavi, M.D.

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50. Every ten years after the age of 50 the prevalence of this disease increases exponentially. Many different factors contribute to the development of AMD including genetic, environment, and metabolic functions. Aside from smoking, abnormal blood pressure, and an unhealthy diet low in fruits and vegetables, many more studies are concluding that similar inflammatory and oxidative processes seen in other age related diseases are also playing a key role in the development of AMD. This disease affects the central areas of the retina and choroid. In return central vision is impaired while peripheral vision is usually not lost. AMD is

With the elderly, there is a fine line between the normal deterioration of vision and eye problems of a more serious nature. Knowing and understanding which eye conditions older individuals are at risk of developing will help to reduce their chances of getting them. Here are five common eye problems in the elderly your senior should watch out for:

Wet Macular Degeneration causes more severe loss of vision. Dry Macular Degeneration is the age-related type. There is no proven cure for dry Macular Degeneration.

Treatment of open-angle glaucoma usually begins with prescription eyedrops. These eyedrops lower pressure inside the eyeball, either by causing the eye to produce less fluid or by helping fluid to drain more. As an alternative to medication or when medication does not control glaucoma, laser surgery can be done. This surgery, also called laser trabeculoplasty, uses a laser to make the openings in the eye's drainage network larger. If medication and laser surgery are unsuccessful, conventional eye surgery may be necessary to make a new opening for fluid to leave the eye.

VEGF Inhibition Study in Ocular Neovascularisation (VISION) trial, pegaptanib is proven to be an effective therapy for wet AMD. However, reinjections have to be done regularly as the molecule of pegaptanib is degraded enzymatically by intraocular nucleases. Endophtalmitis, traumatic lens injury and retinal detachment were also observed in the patients receiving this treatment.

If you were a retina specialist, how would the data in this case affect your drug procurement processes, your clinical practices, and your recommendations to patients? Would that decision be affected by the fact that Medicare allows a markup of 6% on outpatient injectable?