Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Alternative Therapy

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness worldwide. Currently, 1.75 million people are affected by advanced AMD, and with ageing population 3 million people will be affected by 2020 in many countries. At present, 7 million people are at risk of developing advanced AMD, and 1 in 3 persons aged 70 or older with early AMD will develop advanced disease over 10 years. The devastating impact to both the individual and general public is staggering. No effective preventive drug therapies exist although nutritional and behavioral modifications can reduce progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration. Application of vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors through intraocular injections represents a treatment option only for selected types of AMD and is related with short-term efficacy, required re-treatments and ocular and systemic side effects. There is a need for new drugs taken in a non-invasive way. A growing body of the literature indicates the involvement of lipids and lipoproteins in the formation of AMD lesions. The most commonly used lipid lowering drugs are statins with a strong efficacy record in reducing cholesterol. The goal of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs as an alternative therapy in AMD. Improving treatments that reverse, prevent, or even delay the onset of AMD would have significant benefit to both the individual and society.

Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration, Lipoproteins, Non-invasive treatment, Lipid lowering drugs