Stargardt disease is an inherited form of severe dry age-related macular degeneration characterized by lipofuscin deposits accumulating within the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).

Your ophthalmologist can diagnose Stargardt eye disease through an eye exam and genetic testing, as well as by performing fluorescein angiography to confirm and monitor its progress.

1. Steroid Eye Drops

Stargardt disease is a progressive eye condition affecting the retina (light processing tissue that lines the inside of your eye). Individuals living with Stargardt have a genetic mutation which causes protein deposits under their retinas that prevent nutrients and waste from reaching the macula, the part of our retina which allows us to see fine details and colors. As a result, over time central visual acuity declines from 20/20-20/400 over time – remaining functional but making reading, driving or navigating difficult, as well as recognising faces or objects when dimly lit environments.

Treatment for Stargardt disease typically combines medications and lifestyle modifications. Eye exercises are essential for maintaining the function of both eyes, as well as slowing vision loss. Patients may take docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), along with vitamin A dietary supplements, in order to help slow progression. Sunglasses or restricting sunlight exposure is advised for added protection against UV radiation that may contribute to degeneration.

Eye doctors can diagnose Stargardt disease by assessing visual acuity and taking a family history, in addition to performing electroretinography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) tests which measure electrical responses of retina. These can detect any thinned-out or damaged areas caused by Stargardt disease as well as determine whether you carry the gene mutation responsible.

LBS-008 is a first-of-its-kind oral therapy to prevent accumulation of toxic byproducts from the eye’s visual cycle, such as those associated with Stargardt disease and dry AMD. LBS-008 does this by decreasing and controlling circulating levels of Retinol Binding Protein 4 (RBP4) which carries vitamin A into retina. By controlling RBP4, LBS-008 reduces formation of these toxins while helping protect retinal tissues against harm.

An autosomal recessive Stargardt disease patient experienced significant improvement in central and driving vision after being treated with dilated echothiophate iodide drops. She had been experiencing problems while reading and driving; the treatment reversed this decline and restored central driving vision.

2. Vitamin A Supplements

Stargardt disease is an inherited eye condition that primarily affects the central portion of retina (light processing tissue lining the back of eye) known as macula. Macula contains high concentrations of light-sensing rods and cones necessary for sharp central vision, but mutations to ABCA4 gene cause these light sensing cells to degenerate over time, diminishing central vision clarity. A retina specialist will typically be able to detect Stargardt disease.

Stargardt disease is caused by genetic mutations affecting retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), part of an eye’s macula. The ABCA4 gene normally produces a protein to eliminate waste materials produced during vitamin A processing; however, in Stargardt patients this protein becomes defective, leading them to accumulate lipofuscin pigments which clump together within their retina and inhibit visual function.

Though Stargardt eye disease cannot be cured, people can slow its progress by going for regular eye examinations with an ophthalmologist specializing in treating retinal diseases such as fundus autofluorescence or optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT imaging allows testing to detect Stargardt disease early.

People living with Stargardt disease should wear sunglasses and follow a healthy diet containing ample quantities of vitamin A and other vital nutrients, while regular eye exams are crucial in monitoring progress and preventing further vision loss.

New research suggests that synthetic vitamin A could help slow the progression of some inherited eye disorders, including Stargardt macular dystrophy. When given to mice with genetic mutations similar to those that lead to Stargardt disease, modified vitamin A prevented build-up of lipofuscin pigments associated with macular degeneration. When tested in small groups of Stargardt macular dystrophy patients, its use improved vision by stopping accumulations of lipofuscin pigments.

3. Eye Exercises

Stargardt disease is an inherited form of macular degeneration characterized by gradual central vision loss with preserved peripheral vision, usually appearing in children and young adults. Its cause lies within mutations to the ABCA4 gene which provides instructions for producing proteins which clear waste products away from retina; mutations cause accumulations of lipofuscin in retinal pigment epithelium cells which damages photoreceptors, leading to blurred and distorted vision and eventually leading to blind spots and distortion.

The macula, located at the central portion of retina (light processing tissue lining the interior of your eye), contains the highest concentration of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones responsible for seeing fine details like text and street signs. It plays an essential role in providing sharp central vision as well as perceiving color perception; people suffering from Stargardt’s disease gradually lose the ability to detect light, creating a black hole within the macula itself.

Stargardt’s disease develops gradually, making early diagnosis difficult. Children may not even notice their vision becoming blurry or distorted until an ophthalmologist examines their eyes – further confirmation may come in form of finding fatty deposits under the macula and ineffective cones which aids their diagnosis.

An ophthalmologist will conduct several tests to ascertain how much vision remains, such as visual acuity tests, color vision tests and an Amsler grid to measure macular function. They may also use ocular imaging techniques such as to examine eye structure or detect signs of severe Stargardt disease such as choroidal caverns.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University’s Visual Sciences Research Center (VSRC) are studying the fundamental mechanisms and pathologic processes affecting retina, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and Stargardt disease. Additionally, they are investigating ways to prevent and treat these diseases, as well as potential treatments that might slow or stop their progress.

4. Laser Treatment

Stargardt disease is a genetic condition in which fatty material accumulates in the macula of the retina – the area necessary for sharp central vision – due to mutations in ABCA4 gene instructions for making protein to help clear waste products in eyes including excess vitamin A; unfortunately people suffering from Stargardt’s disease fail to produce such protein; instead it combines with other waste products to form yellowish clumps of fatty material that kill light-sensitive cells in macula cells, leading to vision loss over time.

As a result, central vision deteriorates gradually during childhood or adolescence and may become blurry or distorted, leading to difficulties reading, driving and recognising faces or objects in low light conditions. Children suffering from this condition often have trouble reading books, driving vehicles and recognising faces in dim lighting environments. They also struggle adjusting after coming in from bright days and may notice blind spots in the center of their field of vision.

Stargardt’s disease will eventually result in legal blindness, but treatment can slow its progress and improve vision. Central visual acuity typically stops decreasing when reaching around 20/200; however, its exact timetable cannot be predicted with certainty for each patient.

Research of a new drug targeting the ABCA4 gene and accumulation of vitamin A toxic byproducts has yielded promising results for improving vision in people living with Stargardt’s disease. Known as LBS-008, this medication has received orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designation from both US and EU regulatory authorities, as well as approval by FDA clinical trial patients to produce approximately five ETDRS letter increases in mean BCVA results.

This study was published in Vision Research journal and funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health; authors were supported by University of California San Diego and its Center for Regenerative Medicine. To treat their target area, researchers utilized a laser that delivered series of pulses that produced a slight tingling sensation upon application of treatment to target area; treatments could take anywhere between five minutes for upper lips to ninety minutes for full leg or back treatments.