Number of blind people set to double by 2020

THE NUMBER of blind people in Ireland is set to double by 2020 due to an increase in the incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), an international conference on retinal research has heard.

AMD causes sight loss in older adults and affects about one in 10 people over 50. There is currently no cure, and while it is understood to be caused by disturbances of the immune system, the exact trigger is not yet known.

AMD is the leading cause of sight loss in Ireland with 7,000 new cases registered every year. There are currently 11,857 registered blind people in Ireland and some 80,000 AMD sufferers. Irish charity Fighting Blindness estimates the increasing number of AMD sufferers will double the number of clinical blind registrations in Ireland by 2020 unless preventive action is taken.

“AMD is a seriously debilitating disease which has a significant impact on a person’s independence, mobility and lifestyle. The indications are that this condition will increase threefold in the next two decades, creating a significant burden on the healthcare and social welfare systems,” Prof Mike Comer, Head of Research at Fighting Blindness, told the Retina ’09 conference in Dublin yesterday.

While there was as yet no cure, Irish researchers are making significant progress in discovering causes and potential treatments for the condition, he said.

“Targeted funding by Fighting Blindness for AMD research at this time will work towards alleviating this situation by expediting treatments and allowing useful vision to remain for longer.”

He urged the Government to maintain its commitment to funding research throughout the economically difficult period, as work to alleviate AMD had provided clear economic returns in terms of keeping people in work.

“This may result in facilitating those in their mid-fifties to continue working up to retirement age.” The long-term costs associated with caring for people in advanced stages of the condition would result in a massive socioeconomic burden on the country, he said.

Prof Joe Hollyfield of the US based Cleveland Clinic told the conference that disruption of the natural rhythm of the immune system could be a trigger for AMD.