Age-related macular degeneration, commonly referred to as AMD, is one of the leading causes of blindness among Americans over 50 and causes central vision loss due to buildup of fluid under the retina.

Early signs of eye disease can be detected with a simple eye exam and test that measures central vision using an Amsler grid – this diagnostic test provides early warning.

Visudyne Drug Treatment (Photodynamic Therapy or PDT)

Age related macular degeneration is a progressive eye disease resulting in gradual central vision loss, and is now the leading cause of blindness worldwide. It affects damage to the macula – part of the retina responsible for central or straight ahead vision needed for reading, driving and seeing fine details – damaging it permanently over time. There are two forms of macular degeneration: dry and wet or neovascular (neovascular).

Wet macular degeneration is a condition in which abnormal blood vessels proliferate beneath the retina and leak fluid or blood, rapidly leading to permanent blindness if left untreated. Leakage destroys photoreceptor cells essential for central vision, leading to permanent blindness.

Recent approval by the FDA for wet macular degeneration patients suffering predominantly classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Verteporfin is administered via subconjunctival injection and activated via non-thermal laser light of specific wavelength into each eye to cause chemical reaction that destroys abnormal blood vessels painlessly.

Prior to the release of this new drug, physicians used laser photocoagulation as a treatment option for CNV in an attempt to slow vision loss and treat chronically narrowed necrotic vessels (CNV). Unfortunately, this method caused permanent scarring while only helping some patients with minimally classic cases of CNV improve visual acuity.

At the clinical trials for this new drug, researchers are testing whether photodynamic therapy (PDT) is more effective than anti-VEGF therapy alone. Their study will compare patients who received both standard courses of anti-VEGF injections with those receiving PDT as an adjunctive treatment to intravitreal ranibizumab injections for comparison purposes. Furthermore, investigators will determine if adjunctive PDT treatments for all types of CNV lesions.

Note that this medical policy only addresses therapies/procedures proven safe and effective for most individuals suffering from particular diseases or conditions. Exceptional clinical situations may necessitate consideration for services not covered in this policy based upon review of their medical records.

Anti-VEGF Drug Treatment

Late in age-related macular degeneration, abnormal blood vessels can form beneath the retina and leak fluid into the vitreous, leading to swelling and vision loss. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor medications – Avastin, Eylea and Lucentis are anti-VEGF treatments approved to reduce vision loss from wet age-related macular degeneration known as Choroidal Neovascularization or CNV.

Patients suffering from wet AMD may require anti-VEGF injections for two years or longer to experience significant improvements in vision; about half of all people treated will see significant gains; however, over time these gains do not always remain stable – according to one recent study, most had lost three or more ETDRS letters after just two years of injections.

Newer medications may improve long-term treatment outcomes by offering personalized OCT-guided dosing regimens, new delivery methods and biomarkers to predict who is at highest risk of poor response. One such medication, ABBV-RGX-314 uses an innovative delivery method which bypasses the eye’s natural filtering system to allow higher doses to reach retina with reduced side effects.

A new clinical trial has demonstrated that those suffering from more severe DME could potentially reap significant advantages from more frequent injections of anti-VEGF drugs. 85 participants participating in this research underwent weekly injections with various combinations, leading to dramatic improvement in vision over the more commonly administered monthly shots.

Researchers in various research studies are exploring new methods of monitoring DME. Ocular imaging techniques such as retinal thickness measurements and macular pigmentation assessments, as well as investigating lutein/zeaxanthin may help prevent or treat DME are being utilized by these studies. Furthermore, an experimental gene therapy treatment for DME may also be under investigation.

Vitamins and Minerals

The macula is the area in the retina at the back of our eye that provides our central vision, enabling us to read fine detail as well as drive, thread a needle or recognise faces. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), however, deteriorates this vision significantly and leads to visual loss among people over 65 years old. Unfortunately it cannot be cured but certain nutritional supplements may slow its progress.

Vitamins C and E as well as zinc, copper and selenium all possess antioxidant properties which work to defend eye structures against oxidation. Researchers have discovered that specific combinations of these nutrients may assist those at high risk for advanced wet macular degeneration to maintain their current vision and slow its progression; Retinavites supplement is available with both smoking- and non-smoker versions available.

Minerals are inorganic substances that regulate bodily functions without providing energy, making up 4 % of total body weight. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus and magnesium while trace elements include sodium chloride and potassium.

Attaining a balanced intake of vitamins and minerals is vital for good health, and Making Sense of Vitamins and Minerals explains this with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Furthermore, the book includes information on foods rich in each nutrient as well as any recommended or unrecommended increases beyond them.

Foods known to support macular health include dark green vegetables like spinach, kale and chard; omega-3 rich fish species like sardines, salmon and tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids that may reduce wet macular degeneration risk. Regular dilated eye examinations are essential in detecting early signs of macular degeneration; regular grid vision checks or fluorescein angiography testing (dye injected into arm, producing digital images of retina via scanning laser) could detect early signs.

Surgery

Macular degeneration, more commonly referred to as age related macular degeneration or ARMD, refers to deterioration of the central portion of your retina called the macula, providing central or straight ahead vision that allows for reading, driving and seeing fine details like faces and colors. While macular degeneration will likely not lead to complete blindness if left untreated, daily tasks like threading needles, reading or driving could become challenging or impossible; making macular degeneration the leading cause of severe vision loss in people over 60.

Visual impairment is a painless disease characterized by distortion or blurring of central vision that gradually worsens over time, leaving you unable to read, drive and perform other daily tasks such as reading or washing yourself. It often starts gradually before becoming severe suddenly – you may notice a dark spot appearing in the center of your vision or telephone poles appearing crookedly for instance – however peripheral or sideways vision should still allow for peripheral awareness so you won’t completely lose your sight and you should still have hands free for such tasks like cooking or washing yourself!

Macular degeneration comes in two varieties; Dry form does not cause leakage under the retina and Wet form can quickly lead to rapid loss of vision due to abnormal blood vessels growing at the retina and leaking fluid into it. Anti-VEGF drugs like Eylea (aflibercept), Lucentis (ranibizumab) or Avastin (bevacizumab) have proven successful at inhibiting these abnormal blood vessel growth as well as their leakage into macula.

These treatments require regular injections that may become tiresome and stressful for both you and your doctor. Surgery may be available for patients suffering from Wet AMD who develop abnormal blood vessels or hemorrhagic neovascularization that leads to rapid visual deterioration; surgery includes creating a small hole or flap in the retina and injecting fluid to block any flow from new abnormal vessels in order to stop further visual decline.