Q. Do you have any thoughts on promising drugs for dry AMD?
Hello doctor,
I am 63 years old. I was diagnosed with dry intermediate AMD about five years back. The VA then was 20/25, and now it is 20/60. I am currently on AREDS. I am a non-smoker. I have excellent health otherwise. The Amsler is normal. The recent OCT showed no fluid. Do you have any thoughts on promising drugs like Fenretinide, statins, or others under trial or research?
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
For dry AMD (age-related macular degeneration), the recommendations mostly include AREDS2 (Age-related Eye Disease studies 2) formulation. The other recommendations are quitting smoking (in case of smokers), controlling hypertension, lipid level, diabetes, and regular checking with an Amsler chart to pick early conversion of dry AMD into wet AMD. Your decrease in vision over five years may be due to lens changes or cataracts; you have not mentioned the cataract surgery done or not. If there is no fluid or change on Amsler, then AREDS and other preventive measures are enough. Trials are underway on Fenretinide as that decreases cytotoxins production in the retina. The other trials being done include Saffron 20 mg/day. The evidence suggests that it is neuroprotective but needs more research and authentic results. These are still under trial, and there are no recommendations available. More treatment options are available for wet AMD as it is a vision-threatening condition. There are intravitreal injections and lasers (PDT- photodynamic therapy) options.
I would advise you to stick with the current therapy of AREDS and keep testing with Amsler. Keep in touch with your eye doctor about any new modality introduced for dry AMD. He will inform you.
Probable diagnosis:
Dry AMD.
Treatment plan:AREDS and keep testing with Amsler.
Preventive measures:Stop smoking, control BP, blood sugar and lipid level.
Hi doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
Saffron seems interesting. I have not had cataract problems, but I forgot to mention that my right eye can only count fingers due to childhood trauma, corneal tear at the age of eight years. I wonder the step an ophthalmologist would take in my situation. I will discuss this with him soon.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
It is unfortunate to hear about your second eye. So, your left eye will be considered the only eye and precious one. There will be RPE (retinal pigment epithelium) and atrophic changes in dry AMD. They can also decrease vision if the cataract is not significant. The swept-source OCT (optical coherence tomography) can better view the RPE layer. I hope that will be available at every eye clinic.
Hi doctor,
Thank you. Have a happy year ahead.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Thank you. May God bless you with healthy and successful life in coming years. Best wishes.
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