- Today about 462,000 people in the United Kingdom are estimated to be affected from AMD.
- By the year 2020, the number of people with age related macular degeneration is projected to be around 700,000 in the UK. This corresponds to an increase of at least thirty percent compared to today’s level.
- AMD is the most common cause of blindness or loss of central vision for individuals over 50 in the UK (50.2 %). Besides AMD, glaucoma (16.6%), cataract (12,5%) and diabetic retinopathy (8.7%) are also among the leading causes of blindness.
- Gender is an important determinant of AMD. In general, women are more likely to develop AMD than men. Around 64 percent of all AMD patients are women compared to 36 percent male patients.
- There are several Risk Factors for AMD, some factors we can control but other factors we cannot control. The number one risk factor for AMD is age since mainly older people are affected by the disease. Other risks include smoking, ethnicity, family history and diabetes, to name but a few.
If you want to know more about the treatment of Age related Macular Degeneration please click on the following link: AMD Treatment