What is macular degeneration?

    Last Updated: August 15, 2024

    Macular degeneration is an eye disease that results in irreversible impairments in visual function. The disease results from the progressive accumulation of damage to a part of the eye called the macula, a photoreceptor-dense area responsible for central vision.

    Macular degeneration is responsible for around two million cases of blindness worldwide[1] and is one of the most common causes of visual impairment among people older than 50.[2]

    Factors associated with macular degeneration

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    References

    1. ^Seth R Flaxman, Rupert R A Bourne, Serge Resnikoff, Peter Ackland, Tasanee Braithwaite, Maria V Cicinelli, Aditi Das, Jost B Jonas, Jill Keeffe, John H Kempen, Janet Leasher, Hans Limburg, Kovin Naidoo, Konrad Pesudovs, Alex Silvester, Gretchen A Stevens, Nina Tahhan, Tien Y Wong, Hugh R Taylor, Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease StudyGlobal causes of blindness and distance vision impairment 1990-2020: a systematic review and meta-analysisLancet Glob Health.(2017 Dec)
    2. ^,Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years, and prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study.Lancet Glob Health.(2021-02)