Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the US in 2019

Abstract

ImportanceAge-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness. AMD prevalence has not been estimated for the US in over a decade and early-stage AMD prevalence estimates are scarce and inconsistently measured.ObjectiveTo produce estimates of early- and late-stage AMD prevalence overall and by age, gender, race and ethnicity, county, and state.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThe study team conducted a bayesian meta-regression analysis of relevant data sources containing information on the prevalence of AMD among different population groups in the US.Data SourcesWe included data from the American Community Survey (2019), the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2008), US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claims for fee-for-service beneficiaries (2018), and population-based studies (2004-2016).Study SelectionWe included all relevant data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vision and Eye Health Surveillance System.Data Extraction and SynthesisThe prevalence of early- and late-stage AMD was estimated and stratified when possible by factors including county, age group, gender, and race and ethnicity. Data analysis occurred from June 2021 to April 2022.Main Outcomes or MeasuresThe prevalence of early- (defined as retinal pigment epithelium abnormalities or the presence of drusen 125 or more microns in diameter in either eye) and late-stage (defined as choroidal neovascularization and/or geographic atrophy in either eye) manifestations of AMD.ResultsThis study used data from nationally representative and local population-based studies that represent the populations in which they were conducted. For 2019, we estimated that there were 18.34 million people 40 years and older (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 15.30-22.03) living with early-stage AMD, corresponding to a crude prevalence rate of 11.64% (95% UI, 9.71-13.98). We estimated there were 1.49 million people 40 years and older (95% UI, 0.97-2.15) living with late-stage AMD, corresponding to a crude prevalence rate of 0.94% (95% UI, 0.62-1.36). Prevalence rates of early- and late-stage AMD varied by demographic characteristics and geography.Conclusions and RelevanceWe estimated a higher prevalence of early-stage AMD and a similar prevalence of late-stage AMD as compared with earlier studies. State-level and county-level AMD estimates may help guide public health practice.

Diagnostic Patterns of Age-Related Macular Degeneration among Asian Medicare Beneficiaries Macular Degeneration in Asians

“…Although the Asian American demographic itself consists of unique ethnic populations, recently published prevalence estimates do not independently specify AMD burden among the Asian demographic. 12 Recently published studies highlighted substantial disparities in AMD prevalence by race, state, and county level. 12 In 2019, after adjusting for age and sex, prevalence rates of early-stage AMD for patients at least 40 years were lower for non-Hispanic Blacks than other races (prevalence rate 7.16%, P , 0.05).…”

A Review of Protein- and Peptide-Based Chemical Conjugates: Past, Present, and Future

“…Sustained delivery of intravitreally-administered therapeutics is a rapidly growing field, and the delivery of polymer–protein conjugates is emerging as a key strategy for treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases such as neovascular AMD (nAMD), geographic atrophy (GA), and retinal vein occlusion (RVO). AMD is one of the leading causes of vision loss; in the United States alone, nearly 20 million adults are estimated to be living with AMD [ 267 ]. Decreased dosing frequency is critical in driving optimal therapeutic outcomes in these patient populations, as the need for frequent ITV injections at specialized clinics represents a significant patient burden.…”

An Unexpected Role for GPR143 in Retinal Homeostasis

“…Both VEGF and exosomes stimulate angiogenesis, suggesting that decreased GPR143 signaling would be detrimental and foster retinal angiogenesis. Indeed, neovascularization and retinal angiogenesis are responsible for most of vision loss in patients with AMD [29], a disease with very strong racial bias. While GPR143 is not part of the melanogenic machinery, it responds to melanogenesis, which produces L-DOPA as a biproduct, and therefore may underly the racial bias of AMD.…”