One of the major risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), as suggested by the name itself, is older age. An eye disease that primarily affects those over age 55, AMD involves damage to the macula portion of the retina and can cause vision loss. For patients with a genetic predisposition to AMD, age may increase this risk. When macular degeneration occurs in patients who are younger than 55, it’s often attributed to different causes such as genetic factors or retinal damage from high myopia, a condition that causes an elongated retina that may be prone to rupture.
AMD involves a buildup of drusen, which are deposits of fats, proteins, and cell debris, according to Christina Weng, MD, a retinal specialist, surgeon, and professor at the Baylor College of Medicine. Drusen build up either underneath the retina or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and, as they become more numerous, they can begin to affect vision.
An accumulation of waste products in the body resulting from slower cell turnover can contribute to AMD as well as many other age-related diseases. “Parts of our body may become less efficient, over time, at clearing some of the debris,” said Weng.
