Are you a candidate for age-related blindness?

Do you smoke? Are you suffering from hypertension? Are you always exposed to sunlight? If you answered "yes" to these questions and are over 50 years old, you’re at risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that affects 30 million people worldwide.

According to the AMD Alliance International, a non-profit alliance of international vision and seniors’ organizations, AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over 50. Its cause remains a mystery but you’re likely to get it if you smoke, have high blood pressure or coronary artery disease, are far-sighted, and if your diet is low in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

The disease affects the macula of the eye. The macula is a light-sensitive tissue at the center of the retina. It provides central vision and allows us to see fine details. When it is damaged, there is loss of central vision, leaving only peripheral or side-vision intact.

Of the two types of AMD, the most disabling is the wet form. Although it affects only 10 percent of patients, it causes severe vision loss. This is due to the growth of abnormal, leaky blood vessels that block vision.

While there is no way to restore vision, further vision loss can be prevented with the help of a new drug introduced recently by Novartis. Visudyne (verteporfin for injection) is the first drug approved for people with the wet form of AMD.

As the drug is injected into a person’s bloodstream, it is activated by photodynamic (PDT) or laser therapy. This produces a clot that closes the abnormal blood vessels without damaging other parts of the eye. Visudyne reduces the risk of vision loss and has very little side-effects. It’s one of the biggest breakthroughs in the field of ophthalmology.

If you feel you are a candidate for AMD, call the Visudyne hotline at 840-5667 or visit the Visudyne website at www.visudnye.com. PDT with Visudyne is available at the Eye Referral Center, c/o Linda Serenio, at 525-9360 to 64.