Quick study
Published: Sun, Oct. 12, 2008 12:00AM
Modified Sun, Oct. 12, 2008 06:13AM
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closeAge-related macular degeneration
Laser surgery may not prevent advanced disease.
The question: Might laser treatment to repair leaky blood vessels in the eye, an early sign of macular degeneration, prevent progression of the disease?
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This study: Involved 1,050 people (average age, 71) diagnosed with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in both eyes. Participants had laser surgery on one eye; the other eye was not treated. Five years later, 14 percent of treated and untreated eyes had progressed to more advanced forms of the disease.
Who may be affected? Older people. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss among people 60 and older.
Caveats: The authors cited age, smoking and high blood pressure as factors that affected the risk of developing more advanced AMD.
Find this study: September issue of Ophthalmology. Learn more about AMD at www.nei.nih.gov/health and www.eyecareamerica.com.
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