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What is AMD ?
AMD is a progressive late onset disease of the macula, which is made up of millions of light-sensing cells that provide sharp, central vision. In its early and intermediate forms, the disease presents as small deposits on the retina comprised of cholesterol and complement (inflammatory) proteins and/or pigmentation changes in the retina. Over 90% of individuals who live through their 70s and into their 80s will have these changes in their retina. Approximately 20% of those who develop the early and intermediate form will progress to advanced disease with vision loss as they age. With the presence of advanced stage disease, the center field of view may appear blurry, distorted, or dark. The advanced form may be dry geographic atrophy (30% of advanced disease) or wet choroidal neovascularization (70% of advanced disease).[1]
What Causes AMD ?
Early Detection Can Save Vision
Researchers around the world have compared the ability of genetic testing to improve on the clinical eye examination by a trained eye care professional. In 2009, Seddon et al assessed an algorithm including 5 genes and the clinical eye examination.[3] These researchers demonstrated that the addition of genetics was a statistically significant improvement (P<0.001) for the prognostic assessment of AMD patients. That algorithm was 82% accurate.[4] These researchers continued to improve their algorithm and in 2012 they developed a method that included 12 genes with the clinical eye examination to a 10-year accuracy of 89.5% and a 5-year accuracy of 88.3%. That algorithm is now provided as the Macula Risk test.
Macula Risk® PGx is a combined prognostic and pharmacogenetic DNA test designed to determine a patient’s risk of progression to advanced Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and aid in the selection of appropriate eye supplement formulations for AMD based on his or her individual genetic risk profile.
For more sales information or inquire about individual Macula Risk Testing just click here !
Reference
1. Seddon JM et al. Prediction Model for Prevalence and Incidence of Advanced Age-Related Macular Degeneration Based on Genetic, Demographic and Environmental Variables. IOVS 2009;50(5):2044-2053
2. Yi Yu et al: Prospective Assessment of Genetic Effects on Progression to Different Stages of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Using Multistate Markov Models; Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, March 2012, Vol. 53, No. 3
3. Buitendijk, G.H.S. et al., Prediction of Age-related Macular Degeneration in the General Population - The Three Continent AMD Consortium; American Academy of Ophthalmology http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ophtha.2013.07.053
4. Ronald Klein et al. Risk Alleles in CFH and ARMS2 and the Long-term Natural History of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, JAMA Ophthalmol. 2013;131(3):383-392