Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is, contrary to what some might believe, pretty common even in sub-Saharan Africa, according to research published in PLOS Medicine recently.
So the blindness-causing eye ailment that generally adversely impacts people who are older than 50 is basically a worldwide concern.
The article noted not only that AMD is a common cause of vision loss and blindness in the area, but also that this realization necessitates that more attention be focused on vision services to improve diagnosis and treatment.
According to the article, Andrew Bastawrous from the International Eye Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine led a team of researchers from the UK, Kenya and Rwanda that found that AMD caused one-tenth of the cases of blindness in people who were 50+ years old in Kenya’s Nakuru district. This district, noted the article, includes members of all of the 42 tribes living in Kenya.
The researchers came about their findings on the heels of pursuing exhaustive examinations of groups of 50 persons who were 50+ years old between 2007 and 2008 in Kenya’s Nakuru district.
According to the article, researchers found that the diagnosis of AMD varied according to the sort of eye exam used. Of those of the combined 3,304 persons who were examined courtesy of digital photography, 1.2% had advanced AMD and 11.2% had early-stage AMD. Of the 4,313 persons who were examined via the slit lamp method, 6.7% had early-stage AMD and 0.7% had advanced-stage AMD.
According to the article, the researchers discovered that the rate of the eye disease climbed with age and that the digital imaging technique was more reliable than the less sophisticated slit lamp technique.
The researchers said that more attention needs to be paid to ”low vision services” in Kenya and that the continent needs to “train African-based ophthalmologists” so that they’re better equipped to diagnose and treat AMD.
Separately, various reports have linked proper lifestyle with a decreased risk of AMD. Staying active through regular exercise will help to ward off AMD. It’s also important to avoid becoming overweight, avoid hypertension, steer clear of puffing on cigarettes and eat fish with omega-3 fatty acids to promote eye health.
Reference: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001393