Risk Factors for Age-related macular degeneration

List of Risk Factors for Age-related macular degeneration

The list of risk factors mentioned for Age-related macular degeneration in various sources includes:

• Gender - women more at risk
• Smoking
• Family history
• High cholesterol

Risk factors discussion:

Are You at Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: NEI (Excerpt)

The greatest risk factor is age. Although AMD may occur during middle age, studies show that people over age 60 are clearly at greater risk than other age groups. For instance, a large study found that people in middle-age have about a 2 percent risk of getting AMD, but this risk increased to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75.

Other AMD risk factors include:

Gender--Women tend to be at greater risk for AMD than men.

Race--Whites are much more likely to lose vision from AMD than Blacks.

Smoking--Smoking may increase the risk of AMD.

Family History--Those with immediate family members who have AMD are at a higher risk of developing the disease. (Source: excerpt from Are You at Risk for Age-Related Macular Degeneration: NEI)

Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration: NEI (Excerpt)

Although AMD can occur during middle age, the risk increases as a person gets older. Results of a large study show that people in their 50s have about a two percent chance of getting AMD. This risk rises to nearly 30 percent in those over age 75. Besides age, other AMD risk factors include:

Gender--Women may be at greater risk than men, according to some studies.

Smoking--Smoking may increase the risk of AMD.

Family History--People with a family history of AMD may be at higher risk of getting the disease.

Cholesterol--People with elevated levels of blood cholesterol may be at higher risk for wet AMD. (Source: excerpt from Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration: NEI)

Risks factors for Age-related macular degeneration: medical news summaries:

The following medical news items are relevant to risk factors for Age-related macular degeneration:

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About risk factors:

Risk factors for Age-related macular degeneration are factors that do not seem to be a direct cause of the disease, but seem to be associated in some way. Having a risk factor for Age-related macular degeneration makes the chances of getting a condition higher but does not always lead to Age-related macular degeneration. Also, the absence of any risk factors or having a protective factor does not necessarily guard you against getting Age-related macular degeneration. For general information and a list of risk factors, see the risk center.

 » Next page: Symptoms of Age-related macular degeneration

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• Symptoms of Age-related macular degeneration
• Diagnostic Tests for Age-related macular degeneration
• Diagnosis of Age-related macular degeneration
• Signs of Age-related macular degeneration
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