"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the main causes of blindness among the population over 65 years of age," said Carmen Sainz Gómez, who defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Navarra. From her study, carried out at the Casa de Misericordia in Pamplona, it can be seen that "32% of the elderly at residency program have problems of leave vision and 15% suffer from blindness". This research obtained the maximum grade, A cum laude unanimously.

AMD is a disease that does not lead to total blindness, since, although patients maintain peripheral vision, they lose central vision. Carmen Sainz Gómez explained that "a complete ophthalmological examination was performed, a brief survey on family and personal history and the relevant medical-pharmacological data were collected".

As result of the research, the causes of leave vision have been classified in order of frequency. "Thirty percent suffer from cataract, 16% have AMD and 11% have myopia magna," said the author of the study led by Professor Alfredo García Layana, an ophthalmologist at the Clínica Universitaria. The order varies in the case of blindness: "The causes are myopia magna (23%), cataract (21%) and AMD (19%)".

60% have lesions associated with AMD.

Carmen Sainz Gómez pointed out that "60% of residents over 65 years of age present some of the lesions associated with AMD". As for the late form of the disease, "the one that produces a significant loss of central vision, it has been detected in 17% of the elderly".

In the words of this expert, "the etiology of AMD is unknown, possibly multifactorial and there is no curative treatment. That is why we are investigating the possible risk factors related to the disease, trying to modify its natural course".

In their study, among the known risk factors, "a significant statistical relationship could be established with the age of the elderly, gerontoxon, iris depigmentation and peripapillary atrophy".