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Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can cause central vision loss. There’s no cure for AMD, but some treatments may slow disease progression or improve your symptoms. Your treatment options depend on the type of AMD you have (dry AMD or wet AMD) and your stage of AMD.
Continue reading to learn more about treatment options for AMD and new approaches that may become available in the future.
AREDS2 supplements provide a combination of vitamins and minerals that may be able to slow the progression (disease course) of AMD and help you keep your vision for longer. AREDS2 supplements are available without a prescription at many drugstores or online.
AREDS stands for Age-Related Eye Disease Studies. These clinical trials studied the effect of certain vitamins and minerals on people with intermediate or advanced AMD. AREDS2 supplements are the newest formula — an older formula is referred to as AREDS.
AREDS2 supplements are different from other multivitamins because they include higher doses of specific vitamins and minerals. It’s hard to get high enough levels of the same vitamins and minerals through your diet or ordinary multivitamins alone.
AREDS2 supplements may not be appropriate for everyone with AMD. Doctors may recommend them for people with intermediate AMD in one or both eyes or late AMD in one eye. But if you only have early AMD or you have risk factors for AMD but no actual AMD, AREDS2 supplements would not be appropriate for you.
The ingredients in AREDS2 supplements are:
AREDS, the first formula, included beta-carotene. However, researchers discovered that beta-carotene increased the risk of lung cancer in people who smoke or used to smoke.
There are many different brands of AREDS2 supplements. Talk to your eye doctor about which brand may be best for you.
Although you can find all the ingredients included in AREDS and AREDS2 supplements in a healthy diet, the dose is much higher in the supplements. Some of the ingredients may change the way you digest food and the way some medications work. That’s why it’s so important to check with your health care provider before you take any new vitamin or supplement.
Complement inhibitors are a category of medications that can help slow the progression of geographic atrophy — a severe form of AMD. Complement inhibitors are injected into the eye.
Two complement inhibitors are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat geographic atrophy that has developed due to AMD:
Complement inhibitor drugs work by calming down your immune system to prevent damage to your retina (the light-sensitive membrane at the back of your eye). Researchers have found that complement inhibitors can slow the development of geographic atrophy. However, these drugs can’t improve your eyesight or bring back vision you’ve already lost.
When you’re receiving complement inhibitor drugs for geographic atrophy, you must get an injection into your eye — called an intravitreal injection — every one to two months.
The side effects of pegcetacoplan and avacincaptad pegol may include:
Rare cases of retinal vasculitis (severe inflammation that blocks blood flow to the retina) have been reported with pegcetacoplan. Talk to your health care provider about the potential risks and benefits of complement inhibitors.
Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections are a treatment option for people with wet AMD. For some, these medications can help slow the progression of vision loss.
Examples of anti-VEGF drugs include:
Some people with AMD produce too much of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor. This protein encourages the growth of abnormal and leaky blood vessels, which can damage your retina.
Anti-VEGF drugs work by blocking the VEGF protein to help improve your vision. Anti-VEGF drugs are injected into the eye using a needle every one to four months, depending on the response to treatment.
Some of the more common side effects of anti-VEGF injections include:
Rare but serious side effects of anti-VEGF drugs may include:
Your side effects may be different depending on which anti-VEGF treatment you're using. Talk to your health care provider about the potential risks and benefits of this treatment.
Read more about specific medications in this list of treatments for AMD.
There are two types of laser treatment sometimes used for wet AMD — photodynamic therapy (PDT) and laser photocoagulation surgery.
During PDT, your health care provider will inject a light-sensitive medication called verteporfin (Visudyne) into a vein in your arm. Verteporfin collects in the abnormal blood vessels that have grown in your eye. Shining a low-intensity laser into your eye for about one minute activates the verteporfin to destroy the abnormal blood vessels while leaving normal ones unharmed.
PDT can help stop the progression of vision loss from wet AMD, but it can’t restore vision you’ve already lost. Your treatment regimen may include PDT in addition to an anti-VEGF injection. The results of PDT may not be permanent, and you may need more than one treatment. PDT is used less often than anti-VEGF injections for wet AMD.
Possible side effects of PDT may include:
During laser photocoagulation surgery, your health care provider will use a laser to destroy abnormal blood vessels. This type of laser surgery can stop your vision loss from progressing but leaves a permanent blind spot in your vision. Laser photocoagulation surgery isn’t used as commonly as other wet AMD treatment options.
Laser photocoagulation surgery may be a one-time treatment. However, you may need additional treatments.
Side effects of laser photocoagulation surgery may include:
Certain lifestyle changes may help you slow the progression of AMD. Stopping smoking can help you limit dangerous oxidant chemicals that can damage the eyes. Meanwhile, eating a diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables can help you get plenty of antioxidants, which work against oxidants to protect your eyes.
Make sure you attend all recommended appointments with your ophthalmologist to help maximize your eye health.
The safety and efficacy of new approaches for AMD treatment are being studied in clinical trials. Currently, there’s no cure for AMD, but there’s hope that new treatments may be able to cure AMD in some people.
Some of the new approaches to AMD treatment that may become available in the future include:
If you have AMD, you may qualify to participate in a clinical trial to discover new AMD treatments. Talk to your health care provider to find clinical trials in your area.
On myAMDteam, the social network for people with age-related macular degeneration and their loved ones, members who understand life with age-related macular degeneration come together to share support, advice, and stories from their daily lives.
Are you living with dry age-related macular degeneration? What new treatment approaches are you most interested in? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or post a comment on your Activities page.
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Christopher L. Haupert, M.D.
has 24 years of experience as a vitreoretinal surgeon with Iowa Retina Consultants.
Learn more about him here.
Amanda Jacot, PharmD
earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2009 and a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Texas College of Pharmacy in 2014.
Learn more about her here.
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