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Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss affecting more Americans than cataracts and glaucoma combined. Recent studies indicate that by the year 2025, the population of people over the age of 65 in the United States will be six times higher than in 1990. "As 'baby boomers' age and a higher percentage of Americans reach age 60, AMD will become an even more serious medical issue," said Dr Carl Kupfer, [former] director of the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health. "The prevalence of AMD is expected to rise to 6.3 million by the year 2030, when even greater percentages of our population will have turned 60." This course will describe the etiology of macular degeneration, describe the tools used to assess functional vision loss, as well as identify treatment strategies to help our patients increase and maintain independence. The course will also identify current research in thefield of macular degeneration. |