Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative retinal disease that occurs when a part of the retina, the macula, is damaged, thus causing the deterioration of the central portion of the retina and leading to a loss of vision. In this case, degeneration typically follows retinal detachment, which is either caused by cell debris accumulation (dry AMD) or the formation of blood vessels (wet AMD) in the back of the eye. AMD has been cited as being the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and legal blindness in individuals over the age of 55 and affects over 30 million people worldwide.