As the name suggests, the macular degeneration results from the deterioration of macula, a small area of ​​the retina located at the bottom of theeye, near the optic nerve. It is from this part of the retina that the best visual acuity comes. Macular degeneration leads to gradual loss and sometimes important of the central vision, which becomes more and more blurry.

Macular degeneration mainly affects people aged 55 and over. It is then designated by the expression Macular degeneration ou AMD. There are various ways to slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

There is also a form héréditaire of this disease, which is transmitted through genes: Stargardt’s disease. This occurs during childhood or adolescence. In this sheet, it will not be discussed.

Causes of macular degeneration

A variety of factors can cause macular degeneration. THE’age is the most important risk factor. About 1 in 7 people aged 55 to 64 have it, and 1 in 3 among those aged 75 and over²². People with family history macular degeneration are more likely to be affected.

The life habits play an important role. Smoking is a major risk factor: compared to non-smokers, smokers are 2 to 3 times more likely to have this condition one day.¹⁹. In addition, anything that obstructs blood flow to the tissues of the eye increases the risk. This is the case with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia.

In an epidemiological study of 1 women aged 113 to 55, people who ate well, did not smoke and were physically active were 74 times less at risk of macular degeneration than those who adopted the worst lifestyle habits²⁰. The impact force of way of life could vary from one individual to another, depending on the hereditary baggage.

Finally, inflammation could contribute to the onset of the disease. Indeed, researchers have found a correlation between blood levels of C reactive protein, a marker of inflammation, and macular degeneration.².

Types of macular degeneration

• Age-related dry macular degeneration. Also called age-related atrophic or non-neovascular macular degeneration, it is the less serious form and the most frequent of macular degeneration. It evolves over several years. All age-related macular degeneration begins with the dry form before progressing, in about 1 in 10 people, to the wet form.
• Age-related wet macular degeneration. Also called exudative or neovascular, this form of macular degeneration is an aggravation of the dry form. It is characterized by the formation of new blood vessels in the choroid, under the retina. Blood or other fluids can leak out and further damage the macula. It causes vision loss faster than the dry form, sometimes within days or weeks. The wet form can lead to complete loss of central vision. It is not well understood what causes these blood vessels to form.

Evolution of macular degeneration

In the case of dry form, many people will nonetheless retain good vision throughout their life or gradually lose their central vision. This form of macular degeneration is incurable. On the other hand, its evolution can be slowed down by taking certain antioxidant vitamins and exercising. As the disease can remain asymptomatic for a long time, this could delay diagnosis and therefore treatment – which may reduce its effectiveness.

In the case of wet form, subjects may quickly lose their central vision. Fortunately, there are treatments to cure the wet form. This shape causes symptoms quite quickly: a sudden drop in vision and distortion of objects (straight lines become distorted).

For both forms of age-related macular degeneration, vision may decline in one eye and remain in the other for years.

This disease never provoke de total blindness since peripheral vision remains intact.