The glass is half full …

I wanted to bring attention to this major study that was recently published (May 2016). It was titled “Five-Year Outcomes with Anti–Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration” and it discussed the vision gains made after treatment for wet macular degeneration (AMD) with anti-VEGF injections. The take-home message to the study was that vision gains during the first 2 years were not maintained at 5 years. However, 50% of eyes had VA of 20/40 or better, confirming anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy as a major long-term therapeutic advance for neovascular AMD.

So while there is a successful treatment for wet AMD, prevention is still the key, since these treatments do not maintain vision long-term. How to prevent AMD? See your eye care provider yearly (Vision Source Longmont). Don’t smoke. Eat a diet high in green leafy vegetables, the darker the green, the better. If you don’t like veggies, take a supplement. And get a moderate dose of weekly cardiovascular exercise.