AMD Alliance Issues Global Call to Action to Improve Care of Patients with Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a Leading Cause of Vision Loss in Developed World

NEW YORK, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AMD is a leading cause of blindness in the developed world, affecting approximately 30 million people worldwide, with a price tag of nearly $343 billion. AMD is divided into two categories – dry and wet.  

• Dry AMD is an early stage of the disease that occurs when the light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye.
• Wet AMD is a progressive, chronic disease that requires regular, ongoing treatment with safe, approved therapies to prevent vision loss.  However it is commonly recognized and treated acutely, thereby decreasing access, creating an economic burden and potentially endangering sight.
  • Patients diagnosed with this disease require ongoing care from the medical community and their caregivers.
  • Wet AMD reduces patients' quality of life, makes it difficult to perform daily activities and can lead to social isolation.
  • In fact, patients with wet AMD have a higher than normal rate of depression, are at twice the risk of premature death, have an increased risk of falls and related hip fractures, and therefore have premature admission to nursing homes.
  • In 2010 alone, wet AMD patients lost approximately six million healthy years due to disability and premature death.

Upon being diagnosed, people with AMD must confront many doubts and hurdles:

• "Will I lose my independence?"
• "Will I be able to see my grandchildren grow up?"
• "Will I become a burden on my family?"

As part of its global call to action, AMDAI will release a white paper on treating wet AMD as a chronic disease that focuses on the various elements of ongoing care that AMD patients require. The paper is the result of contributions by patient focus groups across Europe and the United States, and is informed by an expert panel of patient and policy advocates. Detailed findings of the white paper will be discussed via webcast on Monday, April 18 at 10am ET/3pm BT/4pm CET. To register for the webcast, please visit http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=78349.

The Webcast will be presented by experts in the field of AMD, who are also available for 1:1 interviews:

• Narinder Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of AMD Alliance International
• MacDonald (Don) Curran, Chairman and international spokesperson of AMD Alliance International
• Dr. Keith Gordon, Vice-President, Research and Service Quality, Canadian National Institute for the Blind

If you cannot attend the webcast but would like to schedule an interview, please contact Katie Compa at 415-362-1078 or [email protected].

About AMDAI

AMD Alliance International is the only international organization in the world dedicated exclusively to promoting awareness, treatment and research into macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in the developed world. We are a membership organization comprised of the worlds' leading vision, seniors and research organizations from 25 countries.  For more information please visit www.amdalliance.org.

SOURCE AMD Alliance International