Over the years, All About Eyes has published age-related macular degeneration posts. A lot has changed since we first started on this important topic, so we thought we’d update for 2026 and share with you some encouraging news. Look for additional information next month as well!
For millions of Americans, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is an important eye-health concern as we get older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 19.8 million Americans age 40 and older were living with AMD in 2019. Of those, 1.49 million had vision-threatening AMD. The risk of developing AMD increases significantly with age.
AMD affects the macula, a small area near the center of the retina at the back of the eye. The macula handles the sharp, straight-ahead vision we use to read, recognize faces, drive, and perform detailed activities. 
AMD rarely causes complete blindness, according to the National Eye Institute. Instead, it affects central vision. As the disease progresses, a person may experience blurry or distorted vision, difficulty seeing in low light, or blank or dark areas in the center of their vision. Straight lines may also appear wavy or crooked.
Detecting Macular Degeneration
Since early AMD may cause no noticeable changes in vision, regular comprehensive eye examinations become important for older folks to do every year or two to help detect changes before significant vision loss occurs.
During a dilated eye examination, an eye-care professional can check the retina for signs of AMD, including drusen — yellowish deposits that accumulate beneath the retina — and changes in the retinal pigment. The size and number of drusen, along with other retinal changes, help determine the stage of AMD.
Eye doctors may also use optical coherence tomography (OCT), a noninvasive imaging test that produces detailed pictures of the retina. Additional imaging may be used when necessary to evaluate suspected wet AMD.
Stages of Macular Degeneration
AMD is classified as early, intermediate, or late. Most AMD is the dry form, although dry AMD can progress to either advanced dry AMD, known as geographic atrophy, or wet AMD. Wet AMD is always considered a form of late-stage AMD.
Early AMD
Early AMD is characterized by changes such as medium-sized drusen. Most people have no symptoms at this stage.
Intermediate AMD
Intermediate AMD may involve many medium-sized drusen, large drusen, pigmentary changes, or a combination of these findings. Some people have no noticeable symptoms, while others experience mild blurry central vision or difficulty seeing in low light, according to the National Eye Institute.
Late AMD
Late AMD can occur in two forms: geographic atrophy, an advanced form of dry AMD, and wet, or neovascular, AMD.
Geographic atrophy (dry) occurs when areas of light-sensitive retinal cells and supporting tissue gradually break down. As these areas expand, central vision can be permanently affected.
Wet AMD occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow beneath or within the retina and leak fluid or blood. Wet AMD causes more rapid vision loss than dry AMD. Although it represents a smaller percentage of AMD cases, it’s responsible for a large proportion of severe vision loss associated with the disease.
Prevention
There is no guaranteed way to prevent AMD, and some risk factors — including age and family history — cannot be changed. However, research suggests that certain lifestyle choices may help reduce risk or slow vision loss, such as:
- Not smoking or quitting if you smoke (this is a well-established high-risk factor).
- Exercising regularly.
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
- Eating a healthy diet that includes leafy green vegetables and fish.
- Having regular, comprehensive eye examinations.
AREDS2 Supplements
For people with certain stages of AMD, nutritional supplements may help slow disease progression. A study published by the National Eye Institute’s Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2) in 2025, found that the appropriate combination of antioxidants and minerals can reduce the risk of progression from intermediate AMD to advanced AMD by about 25 percent. However, these supplements do not prevent AMD from developing, and they aren’t recommended for everyone with AMD, so it is very important to discuss this option with your doctor before starting on supplements particularly because the high doses of vitamins and minerals can interact with medications or cause other health concerns.
The AREDS2 formulation contains:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Zinc
- Copper
- Lutein
- Zeaxanthin
The AREDS2 formula does not contain beta-carotene. This is especially important for people who smoke or formerly smoked because beta-carotene has been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer in smokers and former smokers. Again, check with your doctor before starting supplements.
New Treatments Available
Wet AMD
The treatment of wet AMD has changed dramatically over the past two decades.
Anti-VEGF medications are injected into the eye to block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that promotes the growth of abnormal blood vessels. These injections can slow or stop further vision loss, and many patients experience improvement in vision.
Photodynamic therapy, which combines an injected medication with laser treatment, is another treatment option for some patients with wet AMD.
Advanced Dry AMD
One of the most significant developments since this article was originally written nearly 1o years ago is the emergence of treatments for geographic atrophy.
In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Syfovre (pegcetacoplan) and Izervay (avacincaptad pegol) to treat geographic atrophy associated with AMD. These medications do not restore retinal cells that have already been lost, but clinical studies have shown that they can slow the rate at which geographic atrophy expands.
This represents an important change in the treatment landscape. While there is still no cure for AMD, advanced dry AMD is no longer a condition for which there are simply no treatment options.
For more information on age-related macular degeneration, check out the National Eye Institute’s website on this topic.