Harvey Patricia T
Vision Science Research Programme, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Gerontology. 2003 Jan-Feb;49(1):1-11. doi: 10.1159/000066507.
Of the 38 million people who are blind, the majority, 22 million, are 60 years of age or older. The most common causes of vision loss in elderly people are age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Of these, AMD is the leading cause of registered blindness in people over the age of 50 years in the western world. However, until recently, the treatment options for people with AMD have been severely limited. Verteporfin therapy is a new treatment that is efficacious and safe in selected patients with AMD who are at high risk of central vision loss. Physicians who are in regular contact with elderly people can help to minimize vision loss in this group of patients by being alert to the symptoms and signs of age-related eye diseases. This paper reviews each of the common eye diseases, with an emphasis on AMD because of the recent advances in treatment.
在3800万盲人中，大多数（2200万）年龄在60岁及以上。老年人视力丧失的最常见原因是年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）、白内障、青光眼和糖尿病视网膜病变。其中，AMD是西方世界50岁以上人群登记失明的主要原因。然而，直到最近，AMD患者的治疗选择一直非常有限。维替泊芬疗法是一种新的治疗方法，对有中央视力丧失高风险的特定AMD患者有效且安全。经常接触老年人的医生可以通过留意年龄相关性眼病的症状和体征，帮助将这类患者的视力丧失降至最低。本文综述了每种常见眼病，由于治疗方面的最新进展，重点介绍了AMD。
