Three New Genes Associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

A new study by the National Eye Institute (NEI) has identified three new genes associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD, which is the most common cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60, destroys the macula, a cluster of light-sensitive cells in the central part of the retina. The macula allows for crisp central vision and the perception of fine detail.

The NEI study, which was published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found the strongest AMD genetic association in a region on chromosome 22, near the gene metalloproteinase inhibitor 3 (TIMP3). Mutations in the TIMP3 gene are linked to Sorsby’s fundus dystrophy (SFD), an early form of macular degeneration.

The two other genes associated with AMD – human hepatic lipase (LIPC) and cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) - were found in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol pathway. HDL is part of the lipoproteins family, which transport lipids such as cholesterol through the bloodstream. The study’s authors believe that early stages of AMD are affected by accumulation of oxidation products of cholesterol and other lipids in the retinal pigment epithelium.

“Very exciting news has been released on the discovery of three new genes that are associated with age-related macular degeneration,” says Dr. Bruce Rosenthal, Chief of Low Vision Programs at Lighthouse International. “Two of the genes are involved in the cholesterol pathway and may open the way for new treatments that lead to stabilizing, as well as improving vision in persons with the wet as well as the dry form of the disease. This is a very important step, since age-related macular degeneration accounts for 54 percent of the cases of legal blindness among white Americans.”

For more information on age-related macular degeneration (AMD), visit the Lighthouse International website.

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Dr Petrou stresses the important link between vision and learning and recommends complete eye examinations for children every year starting in the first year of life.
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Healthy Eyes And Normal Vision Development Can Help Your Child Learn
By Christina Petrou, OD

Millions of children struggle through school and their key developmental years with undetected vision problems. Childhood vision problems can impede the learning process, creating frustration, boredom, poor self-esteem, and disruptive behavior. Insufficient study skills can be the result. Most people view inadequate learning as an educational problem, not a vision problem. The reality is that 80 percent of what we learn is through the vision system. As the body grows and develops, a child’s eyes and vision can also go through a great amount of change.

A screening is a procedure designed to identify those children who may need further examination. However, the screenings that many schools and pediatricians administer often fall short.

The American Foundation for Visual Awareness reports that school vision screenings identify only one out of four children who have vision problems. So for every child’s vision problem detected, there are three other children unable to see the chalkboard or focus on the materials he or she is reading and writing.

The full scope of the problem is difficult to pin down. There is no single large-scale study that has determined the percentage of U.S. children who have visual problems. But to get a general grasp of the lack of complete vision care for children, consider the following:

• Some schools administer periodic vision screenings while others don’t test at all.
  
• Parents think screening equals an exam. They receive an “everything was okay” note from the school’s vision-screening tester and then postpone scheduling a comprehensive eye exam for their child.
  
• Screenings that test chart distance vision, or Snellen visual acuity, identify only 30 percent of children who would have failed a professional exam.
  
• Snellen screening alone doesn’t catch eye problems relating to alignment, coordination, and tracking, all of which are vital abilities for efficient reading and note taking.
  
• Screenings do not assess the health of the eye.
  
• As many as 25 percent of 10-year-olds have vision problems significant enough to affect school performance, the Eye Care Council says. That statistic increases to 30 percent of 15-year-olds.
  
• In some underserved areas, the number of children who fall through the cracks is staggering. Optometrists volunteering through the Lions Club found that 47 percent of children had vision problems in some U.S. schools.
  
• According to the Better Vision Institute, only 14% of children have had a comprehensive vision exam by first grade.
  
• In Wisconsin, children are not required to have a comprehensive eye exam upon entering kindergarten.

The American Optometric Association recommends that by first grade, all children should have had at least three comprehensive vision exams, one at 6 months, one at 3 years and again before beginning school, to ensure that their vision is developing healthy and normal. A qualified doctor of optometry or ophthalmology can perform a comprehensive pediatric eye exam.

For more information, please ask your eye doctor. Or, contact the American Optometric Association at 314-991-4100 or www.aoa.org. The Vision Council of America’s website is www.thevisioncouncil.org.