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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative
retinal eye disease that causes progressive loss of central
vision, leaving only peripheral, or side, vision in tact.
AMD affects the macula (see diagram), the central part of
the retina responsible for clear, central vision needed for
daily
activities like reading or driving.
AMD is the leading cause of registered blindness for people
over the age of 50 in the Western world.
The extent of vision loss varies widely and is related to
the type of AMD, its severity and other individual characteristics.
AMD comes in two types - the "dry" form and the
more severe "wet" form. Dry AMD, the more common
and milder form of AMD, accounts for 85% to 90% of all cases.
Dry AMD results in varying forms of sight loss and may or
may not eventually develop into the wet form. One key identifier
for AMD is the collection of small, round, white-yellow, fatty
deposits called drusen in the central part of the retina.
Drusen accumulate in the
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