Although age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people age 65 and over, ophthalmologists have found that the first stages begin earlier in life.
There are two types of AMD — wet and dry. Dry AMD is caused by a breakdown of light-sensitive cells in the center of the retina. Wet AMD is triggered by the growth of abnormal blood vessels under the macula that can leak blood and fluid and damage the macula.
According to studies reported in the Archives of Ophthalmology, getting adequate amounts of vitamin D and fish can help prevent AMD or slow its progress. In these studies, people who ate more than two four-ounce servings of broiled fish per week, or one four-ounce serving of baked or broiled fish, were more than 40 percent less likely to develop advanced AMD. The same was true for those who had high levels of vitamin D in their blood.
You are at greater risk for AMD if you smoke, have high blood pressure, and eat a diet high in saturated fat.
About 11 million people in the United States alone suffer from AMD, with the numbers projected to rise to nearly 22 million by 2050.