What’s my risk for AMD?
Dilated eye exams are especially important for people age 40 and over, people of Northern European decent and people with a family history of AMD.
- Age: People over age 50 are at increased risk. 1
- Genetics (family history). 2
- Obesity: Speak with your PCP if you’d like help losing weight. 3
- Northern European ancestry. 1, 4
- Smoking or history of smoking: Speak with your eye care provider or primary care provider (PCP) if you would like help quitting. 5
References
- Klein R, Klein BE, Linton KL. Prevalence of age-related maculopathy. The Beaver Dam Eye Study. Ophthalmology. 1992;99:933-943.
- Warwick A, Lotery A. Genetics and genetic testing for age-related macular degeneration. Eye (Lond). 2018;32:849–857.
- Adams MKM, Simpson JA, Aung KZ, et al. Abdominal obesity and age related macular degeneration. Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173:1246-1255.
- Merle BMJ, Colijn JM, Cougnard-Grégoire A, et al. Mediterranean diet and incidence of advanced age-related macular degeneration: The EYE-RISK consortium. Ophthalmology. 2019; 126:381-390.
- Tomany SC, Wang JJ, Van Leeuwen R, et al. Risk factors for incident age-related macular degeneration: Pooled findings from 3 continents. Ophthalmology. 2004;111:1280-1287.