Details of a ground-breaking investigation into the prevalence of AMD in Ireland were presented by Professor John Nolan, at an international conference hosted by Irish patient-led research charity Fighting Blindness in Dublin on Friday, 8 November 2013.
Details of a ground-breaking investigation into the prevalence of AMD in Ireland were presented by Professor John Nolan, at an international conference hosted by Irish patient-led research charity Fighting Blindness in Dublin on Friday, 8 November 2013.
Now in its 14th year, the annual Retina Conference brings together world leading experts involved in the global effort to understand the conditions that cause blindness; working to ultimately find treatments and cures.
Presenting for the first time ever on the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA) findings, Professor Nolan, Principal Investigator of the Macular Pigment Research Group, Waterford IT, detailed the prevalence of AMD in the Republic of Ireland – which up until now has never been investigated.
5,035 participants, aged 50 years or older, took part in clinical assessments for the investigation and as Professor Nolan explained, it was found that the estimated prevalence of AMD in Ireland is at a surprising 7%.
Professor Nolan commented at the event, “This data is the result of many years of work and commitment from the great TILDA team and I am delighted to present it for the first time to some of the world’s top international ophthalmologists, researchers and scientists at Retina 2013.”
“This unique data will inform Ireland, and beyond, on the seriousness of this blinding and life changing condition. It also highlights the need to put preventative measures in place before AMD becomes a larger burden on both patients and the economy. Currently AMD accounts for a third of the total cost of vision loss in the Republic of Ireland which is estimated at €400 million annually and predicted to rise to €2.7 billion by 2020.”
Additional draws at the conference included Professor John Flannery, a leader in the field of optogenetics, from the University of California in Berkeley. Professor Flannery discussed his latest work around the re-sensitising of the degenerated retina back to light and potentially restoring vision to individuals with late stage retinal degenerative conditions. This is huge progress for many eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa and diabetes related blindness.
Anna Moran, External Affairs Manager, Fighting Blindness, added “This year’s international conference is hugely significant, as not only are we hosting some of the world’s leading scientists in the field of vision research, but we are also including a public engagement element for our conference on Saturday 9th of November.”
“Disease specific breakout sessions will allow the public to ask questions on the area that most relates to them or their family around specific condition management, research or findings and developments from across the world. As a patient-led organization it is a priority of Fighting Blindness to support and empower our members by ensuring that they have access to the most up to date information on the conditions that affect them. Our goal is to promote and fund research to develop cures and treatments for blindness, to support those living with sight loss and to empower patients. "
Adding comment, Dr. Eva Lindgren, Medical Director, Novartis Ireland said, “We are delighted to support this prestigious Retina Conference once again. Novartis is committed to Ophthalmology in Ireland and with clinical trials running in more than 10 centres throughout the country, we are committed to continuing research in this area into the future.”
For further information on MPRG, please go to www.wit.ie.