Jakarta: Age-related Macular Degeneration or AMD is one of the most common diseases. Especially for the population Elderly (aging population) in Indonesia.
If not treated properly and regularly, then AMD will end badly. For patients with wet AMD (wet AMD), complications can occur up to blindness.
“AMD itself is divided into 2 types, namely dry AMD (dry AMD) and wet AMD (wet AMD). In dry AMD, macular damage occurs gradually, usually over years, because retinal cells die and are not regenerated, “said Dr.dr. Gitalisa Andayani, Sp.M(K), Consultant Ophthalmologist of RSCM-FKUI, in a Virtual Media Briefing on World Sight Day, on Thursday, October 14, 2021.
In about 10-15 percent of people with dry AMD, the disease will progress to wet AMD. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessel growth occurs into the macula, resulting in bleeding or fluid accumulation in the macula.
As a result, scarring will occur on the macula which causes the patient to lose central vision (blindness). Wet AMD often progresses very quickly and can cause significant vision loss.
AMD treatment
Regarding treatment, dr. Gita added, dry AMD usually does not result in total vision loss. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective treatment. However, therapy in wet AMD has undergone rapid development in the last 2 decades.
One of the drugs is Aflibercept which can inhibit anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Therapy with Aflibercept, administered by injection into the eyeball (intravitreal), can slow the growth of abnormal blood vessels and prevent further macular damage, thereby preventing blindness.
The ALTAIR study in 2020 showed that intravitreal Aflibercept therapy in patients with wet-type AMD can extend the treatment interval in the treat-and-entend (T&E) regimen with adjustments of 2 weeks or 4 weeks.
Treatment results showed improvement in vision and macular anatomy in patients who had not previously used treatment for 52 weeks, while reducing the burden of treatment.
“Essentially, currently services for AMD patients in Indonesia, especially wet type AMD, have been carried out well. Patients don’t need to worry because of course the hospital has implemented strict protocols,” said Dr. Gita.
“Therefore, the entire community, including the elderly, needs to have regular eye examinations. Perform eye examinations at least once a year, especially when they reach the age of 40, and it is necessary to detect various degenerative eye disorders including AMD,” concluded Dr. Gita.
(FIR)
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