Early test on the lookout for eye disease
A new, quick and simple eye test can predict who is at risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness.
A new, quick and simple eye test can predict who is at risk of age related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness.
While people with early AMD can still see in fine detail, other parts of their vision may be damaged – something that isn’t revealed by current tests.
“By the time eye tests detect damage in the central vision, it’s usually too late because it means the disease has progressed too far,” says Professor Ted Maddess of the Vision Centre at Australian National University.
In collaboration with Australian company Seeing Machines, Professor Maddess and his team have developed a new test that spots these early warning signs of AMD.
“Many people as they grow older have little yellow blobs of protein and lipids that build up in the retina, known as drusen,” explains Professor Maddess.
“While having drusen doesn’t always lead to AMD, it can signal an increase in the individual’s risk of the eye disease.”
AMD occurs when the drusen accumulate and expand, blocking the retina from getting oxygen or removing dead cells. This can cause patches of the retina to die or lead to abnormal growth of blood vessels.
“It ends up damaging our central vision, which we use to read, drive and see in fine detail. This is why current tests for AMD focus on the central visual field,” says Professor Maddess.
“However, these tests ignore other parts of the retina, which our study now shows can be damaged in early AMD.”
The new test will assist doctors in helping at risk individuals to prevent the disease.
“Doctors can advise the patient to exercise more, to eat more antioxidants, or to stop habits like smoking that cause eye disease. They can also have the patient come in more frequently for check-ups.
“Knowing who is at risk of progressing to late stage AMD and helping them to prevent it, regardless of whether they develop the disease or not, can go a long way towards saving their sight.”
Professor Maddess says AMD affects one in seven Australians over the age of 50, costs $2.6 billion a year, and will cause blindness in 1.7 million Australians by 2030.
