(Dr. Michael Goldbaum presenting the Frebruary 2004
Vision Research Lecture Series)

At the Macular Degeneration Tea on October 15, 2003, Dr. Michael Goldbaum, Professor and Co-Chief of the Shiley Eye Center Retina Division spoke to a group of people who donate to the Macular Degeneration Project, headed by Barbara Brody, MPH, Director of the Community Ophthalmology Division here at the Shiley Eye Center. The following are some of the questions he addressed.

Where is the macula and how big is it?
The macula is located roughly in the center of the retina, in front of the optic nerve. The macula is tiny, smaller than the tip of a pin.

What causes Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)?
The cause of the disease is not well understood at this time. Macular degeneration advances very slowly in some people and has almost no effect on their vision. For some the disease progresses more quickly and causes vision loss in one or both eyes.

What is the difference between wet and dry AMD?
The vast majority of people have the dry form of the disease, which results from the slow breakdown of the cells in the macula. A small number of people have the wet form in which new, weak blood vessels grow and leak fluid under the macula. This can result in a rapid loss of vision.

Is it hereditary?
Yes. People with a family history of AMD are at higher risk of getting the disease.

What is the research on new treatment?
The National Eye Institute is conducting and supporting a number of studies to learn more about AMD.

For example, scientists are:
• Studying the possibility of transplanting healthy cells into a diseased retina.
• Evaluating families with a history of AMD to understand genetic and hereditary factors that may cause the disease.
• Looking at certain anti-inflammatory treatments for the wet form of AMD.

This research should provide better ways to detect, treat, and prevent vision loss in people with AMD.

How can Macular Degeneration be prevented?
While there is no effective treatment for dry AMD at this time, it is crucial that you have your eyes examined through dilated pupils each year.

Do vitamins help?
Yes. Vitamins A, E, and Zinc can help.
The specific daily amounts of antioxidants and zinc used by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) researchers were:
• 500 milligrams of vitamin C
• 400 International Units of vitamin E
• 15 milligrams of beta-carotene (often labeled as equivalent to 25,000 International Units of vitamin A)
• 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide
• 2 milligrams of copper as cupric oxide

If you are already taking daily multivitamins and your doctor suggests you take the high-dose AREDS formulation, be sure to review all your vitamin supplements with your doctor before you begin. Because multivitamins contain many important vitamins not found in the AREDS formulation, you may want to take a multivitamin along with the AREDS formulation. For example, people with osteoporosis need to be particularly concerned about taking vitamin D, which is not in the AREDS formulation.

Can a person with macular degeneration also have glaucoma and/or cataracts?
Yes