Awareness of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons in Germany

ABSTRACT

Background: Due to current demographic trends age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is becoming more prevalent. When disease progresses to late-stage neovascular AMD, rapid initiation of treatment is required to achieve optimal outcomes. However, many affected individuals may be unaware of their disease impeding and delaying care seeking. Therefore, in an exploratory study we assessed whether elderly persons living independently in the community were aware of their AMD.

Methods: Participants were recruited in eleven seniors’ community centers. Participants underwent a standardized interview followed by non-mydriatic fundus photography of the macula and the optic disc in both eyes (Canon CR-2AF, Canon, New York, USA). The images were graded by an ophthalmologist and the data were analyzed descriptively.

Results: A total of 281 participants (73.9 ± 8.1 years; 71.9% women) underwent bilateral fundus photography. The fundus photographs of 208 participants (74%; 73.6 ± 7.0 years; 73.1% women) could be graded. In a third (32.2%, n = 67) no pathological changes were detected. AMD was present in 24.5% of the examined subjects (n = 51). Half of the cases had early (47.1%), followed by intermediate (41.2%) and late (11.7%) AMD. Only one third (n = 16, 31.4%) were aware of their disease.

Conclusions: A quarter of community dwelling elderly had AMD but only a third of these were aware of being affected with AMD. This confirms previous studies demonstrating low awareness for age-related eye diseases in the community. Considering the increase in population aging, awareness campaigns for AMD are needed.

KEYWORDS:

• Screening
• age-related eye diseases
• awareness
• non-mydriatic fundus photography
• age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Conflict of interest

No authors have any conflict of interest related to this manuscript.

Disclosure

M. Heinemann: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); S. G. Welker: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); J.Q. Li: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); M.W.M. Wintergerst: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); G.N. Turski: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); C.A. Turski: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F), CenterVue (F); F.G. Holz: Heidelberg Engineering (F, C, R), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F, C), CenterVue (F), Allergan (F, R), Alcon/Novartis (F, R), Genentech/Roche (F, R), Bayer (F, R), Acucela (F, R), Boehringer Ingelheim (F, R); R.P. Finger: Heidelberg Engineering (F), Optos (F), Carl Zeiss MedicTec (F),, CenterVue (F), Bayer (C), Novartis (C), Santen (C), Opthea (C), Novelion (C), Retina Implant (C), Oxford Innovation (C), Novartis (F)

This submission has not been published anywhere previously and it is not simultaneously being considered for any other publication.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the German Scholars Organization/Else Kröhner Fresenius Stiftung (GSO/EKFS 16)