Title:Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration and its Association with Alzheimer’s Disease
VOLUME: 13 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Zois Papadopoulos*
Affiliation:Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
Keywords:Neovascular age-related macular degeneration, exudative AMD, medical retina, retinal diseases, neovascularization,
angiogenesis, VEGF, Alzheimer’s disease.
Abstract:In developed countries, people of advanced age go permanently blind most often due to
age-related macular degeneration, while at the global level, this disease is the third major cause of
blindness, after cataract and glaucoma, according to the World Health Organisation. The number of
individuals believed to suffer from the disease throughout the world has been approximated at 50
million. Age-related macular degeneration is classified as non-neovascular (dry, non-exudative)
and neovascular (wet, exudative). The exudative form is less common than the non-exudative as it
accounts for approximately 10 percent of the cases of the disease. However, it can be much more
aggressive and could result in a rapid and severe loss of central vision. Similarly, with age-related
macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease is a late-onset, neurodegenerative disease affecting millions
of people worldwide. Both of them are associated with age and share several features, including
the presence of abnormal extracellular deposits associated with neuronal degeneration, drusen,
and plaques, respectively. The present review article highlights the pathogenesis, clinical features,
and imaging modalities used for the diagnosis of neovascular age-related macular degeneration. A
thorough overview of the effectiveness of anti-VEGF agents as well as of other treatment modalities
that have either lost favour or, are rarely used, is provided in detail. Additionally, the common
histologic, immunologic, and pathogenetic features of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related macular
degeneration are discussed in depth.
