Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsMacular DegenerationHow Common Is It?By EthnicityBy Age and GenderRisk FactorsScreening
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Macular Degeneration
How Common Is It?
By Ethnicity
By Age and Gender
Risk Factors
Screening
In the United States alone, there are as many as 11 million people who haveage-related macular degeneration(AMD).For older Americans (starting at age 60), this is the leading reason for vision loss.
With AMD, themaculaat the center of the light-sensitiveretinain the back of the eye begins to break down. As a result, it may no longer be possible to see fine details.
This article will delve into key facts and statistics about macular degeneration, an all-too-common eye condition.
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Macular Degeneration Overview
Macular degenerationaffects your central vision, which enables you to see sharp details. This makes it hard to distinguish things like faces or letters, although you do keep some side vision. There are two different forms of this condition—dry and wet.
Dry macular degenerationis the most common type, affecting eight out of 10 people with AMD.With the dry form, protein deposits known asdrusencollect underneath the light-sensitive retina. The macula may begin to break down and get thinner, a condition called geographic atrophy.
Even if dry macular degeneration does not progress to wet macular degeneration, this form can still cause vision loss. At any point, dry AMD can turn into the wet form or can just remain as is.
Withwet macular degeneration, new blood vessels begin to grow. These can begin to leak onto the retina and scar, affecting vision.
How Common Is Macular Degeneration?
In the United States, macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss for those over age 50.Approximately 11 million people in the United States have age-related macular degeneration.
As the population of older Americans increases, it is expected that the number of people with AMD will increase as age is the primary risk factor.But rates could decline, too.
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White people of older age are more likely to be diagnosed with macular degeneration than other groups.
A large study of a U.S. managed care medical plan found White people to be more at risk for AMD and Black people to be at lower risk.Asian Americans were at higher risk than Whites at age 60, but there was no difference in risk at age 80.
The study found Latinx people varied in their risk for dry or wet AMD at different ages relative to White people, with the same or less risk of dry AMD at 60 and 80 and increased risk for wet AMD at 60.
Age is the biggest risk factor for macular degeneration, with rates increasing with age. A study following a large group of subjects in Wisconsin found these five-year incidence rates, which predict the chance of developing the condition in five years:
Gender can play a role in whether or not you develop AMD. Women develop AMD more frequently than their male counterparts.
Just 35 out of 100 men in the United States develop macular degeneration compared with 65 out of 100 women. This is believed to be related to the fact that women live longer than men and macular degeneration is an age-related disease. In women, age is in fact the key risk factor for developing AMD.
Causes of Macular Degeneration and Risk Factors
Currently, the underlying cause of macular degeneration remains unknown. However, this condition has been linked to various risk factors that can help predict if you fall into a group, making it more likely to develop AMD.
Some risk factors to keep in mind here include the following:
Screening and Early Detection
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends a complete eye examination every year or two after age 65 to look for AMD and other eye conditions.
To determine if you have signs of macular degeneration, your eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) will likely perform the following tests:
Summary
Macular degeneration is a common eye problem in the United States, affecting about 11 million people. This condition can cause you to lose the central vision that enables you to see fine detail such as faces and letters.
Macular degeneration is more apt to affect Whites than other ethnic groups, and more women have this condition than men. You may also be at greater risk of developing AMD if you have a family history of macular degeneration, smoke, are over age 65, or are overweight.
A complete eye examination can screen for AMD, and people age 65 and over should have such exams every year or two.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pennington KL, DeAngelis MM.Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): associations with cardiovascular disease phenotypes and lipid factors.Eye Vis (Lond). 2016;22;3:34. doi:10.1186/s40662-016-0063-5Bright Focus Foundation.Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Cruickshanks KJ, Nondahl DM, Johnson LJ, et al.Generational differences in the 5-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration.JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(12):1417-1423. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.5001Vanderbeek BL, Zacks DN, Talwar N, Nan B, Musch DC, Stein JD.Racial differences in age-related macular degeneration rates in the United States: a longitudinal analysis of a managed care network.Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;152(2):273-282.e3. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2011.02.004 (Although from 2011, this is the best study for racial stats).Korpole NR, Kurada P, Korpole MR.Gender difference in ocular diseases, risk factors and management with specific reference to role of sex steroid hormones.J Midlife Health. 2022;13(1):20-25. doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_28_22National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Age-related macular degeneration: diagnosis and management.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye health information for adults over 65.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pennington KL, DeAngelis MM.Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): associations with cardiovascular disease phenotypes and lipid factors.Eye Vis (Lond). 2016;22;3:34. doi:10.1186/s40662-016-0063-5Bright Focus Foundation.Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Cruickshanks KJ, Nondahl DM, Johnson LJ, et al.Generational differences in the 5-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration.JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(12):1417-1423. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.5001Vanderbeek BL, Zacks DN, Talwar N, Nan B, Musch DC, Stein JD.Racial differences in age-related macular degeneration rates in the United States: a longitudinal analysis of a managed care network.Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;152(2):273-282.e3. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2011.02.004 (Although from 2011, this is the best study for racial stats).Korpole NR, Kurada P, Korpole MR.Gender difference in ocular diseases, risk factors and management with specific reference to role of sex steroid hormones.J Midlife Health. 2022;13(1):20-25. doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_28_22National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Age-related macular degeneration: diagnosis and management.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye health information for adults over 65.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Pennington KL, DeAngelis MM.Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): associations with cardiovascular disease phenotypes and lipid factors.Eye Vis (Lond). 2016;22;3:34. doi:10.1186/s40662-016-0063-5Bright Focus Foundation.Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?Cruickshanks KJ, Nondahl DM, Johnson LJ, et al.Generational differences in the 5-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration.JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(12):1417-1423. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.5001Vanderbeek BL, Zacks DN, Talwar N, Nan B, Musch DC, Stein JD.Racial differences in age-related macular degeneration rates in the United States: a longitudinal analysis of a managed care network.Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;152(2):273-282.e3. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2011.02.004 (Although from 2011, this is the best study for racial stats).Korpole NR, Kurada P, Korpole MR.Gender difference in ocular diseases, risk factors and management with specific reference to role of sex steroid hormones.J Midlife Health. 2022;13(1):20-25. doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_28_22National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Age-related macular degeneration: diagnosis and management.American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye health information for adults over 65.
Pennington KL, DeAngelis MM.Epidemiology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD): associations with cardiovascular disease phenotypes and lipid factors.Eye Vis (Lond). 2016;22;3:34. doi:10.1186/s40662-016-0063-5
Bright Focus Foundation.Age-related macular degeneration: facts & figures.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is macular degeneration?
Cruickshanks KJ, Nondahl DM, Johnson LJ, et al.Generational differences in the 5-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration.JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(12):1417-1423. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2017.5001
Vanderbeek BL, Zacks DN, Talwar N, Nan B, Musch DC, Stein JD.Racial differences in age-related macular degeneration rates in the United States: a longitudinal analysis of a managed care network.Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;152(2):273-282.e3. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2011.02.004 (Although from 2011, this is the best study for racial stats).
Korpole NR, Kurada P, Korpole MR.Gender difference in ocular diseases, risk factors and management with specific reference to role of sex steroid hormones.J Midlife Health. 2022;13(1):20-25. doi:10.4103/jmh.jmh_28_22
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.Age-related macular degeneration: diagnosis and management.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.Eye health information for adults over 65.
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