View clinical trials related to Age-Related Macular Degeneration.
Filter by:This is a pilot study to determine if proton radiation therapy can provide effective and safe treatment for subfoveal neovascularization membrane (SNVM). The study will include adult patients over the age of 50 with macular degeneration, who have subfoveal neovascularization membrane (SNVM) and have had prior treatment with Avastin or Lucentis. Additional purposes of this study are to see if the growth of neovascular membranes can be stopped and overall vision improved with the use of protons and assess the side effects associated with this treatment.
Choroidal thinning has been hypothesized to partake in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but it is not known if increasing choroidal thickness may potentially alter the disease course. Past studies have shown that a single dose of the phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor sildenafil citrate can increase choroidal thickness in young healthy patients. The investigators hypothesize that sildenafil may also increase choroidal thickness in eyes with AMD and perhaps potentially reduce AMD progression. Alternatively, if sildenafil has minimal effect on choroidal thickness in eyes in patients with AMD, such results may suggest that choroidal vascular compliance or stiffness is reduced in this condition. Patients seen at the Duke Eye Center with a diagnosis of AMD or age-matched control subjects with no macular pathology will be administered a single 100mg oral dose of sildenafil citrate (Viagra®; Pfizer), and undergo EDI-OCT imaging before and after treatment. Images obtained will be used to measure choroidal thickness, as well as central macular thickness (CMT) and macular volume (MV). Choroidal thickness changes after a single-dose sildenafil treatment in AMD patients will be compared with age-matched control subjects using standard statistical methods. By also correlating choroidal thickness changes with functional (visual acuity) and anatomical (CMT & MV) changes, the investigators hope to further their understanding of the choroid's role in aging and AMD pathogenesis. The safety of a single dose of sildenafil citrate will be addressed by excluding any patients with risk factors or using medications that are contraindicated for sildenafil as determined by careful informed consent and a study questionnaire.
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the Western World. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disease remain largely unknown. In Europe about two million people suffer from AMD. According to the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) the disease can be classified into early, intermediate and late. Early age-related macular degeneration is characterized by the presence of small or medium-sized drusen and/or retinal pigmentary abnormalities. Intermediate age-related macular degeneration is characterized by large drusen or numerous medium-size drusen and/or geographic atrophy not extending to the center of the macula. Late age-related macular degeneration can be either atrophic with extension to the macula or neovascular. The late form of the disease is associated with a pronounced loss of visual acuity. In the recent years several studies focused on risk factors for late AMD and a recent systematic review and meta-analysis reported risk factors for AMD based on 16 studies in almost 114000 subjects. Strong and consistent associations with late AMD for found for increasing age, current cigarette smoking, previous cataract surgery, and a family history of AMD. Consistent associations between late AMD and higher body mass index, history of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and higher plasma fibrinogen were also found, but the association was weak. Inconsistent associations were found for gender, ethnicity, diabetes, iris color, history of cerebrovascular disease, serum total and HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Evidence has also accumulated that other factors influence the risk for AMD. Several genetic risk factors have been identified in the last years including genes in the alternative complement pathway and the RMS2/HTRA1 region. In addition, post-hoc analysis of data from the AREDS study has indicated that reduced intake of the omega-3 free fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docsahexaenoic acid are associated with the risk of late AMD thereby supporting previous population based studies. The AREDS study also revealed that reduced intake of the macular pigment lutein and zeaxanthin may be associated with late AMD, again supporting previous population-based studies. Finally, 2 small studies indicate that reduced choroidal blood flow is associated with an increased risk of developing late AMD. Less data are available for the progression of early or intermediate AMD and the associated risk factors. This is at least partially related to the problems in quantifying progression of drusen size and volume. In the recent years, however, significant efforts have been achieved in optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based methods for quantifying drusen progression and drusen volume. Polarization-sensitive OCT is the most promising of these approaches and will be used to quantify drusen area and volume in the present study.
Evaluate a treatment result of every two months versus as needed (PRN) after 3 initial monthly intravitreal aflibercept for the Japanese age related macular degeneration.
The study hypothesis is that patients with dry age-related macular degeneration experience visual function impairments such as defects in dark adaptation, glare intolerance, poor light transition and reading in low lighting conditions. Studies have shown that patients in the early phases of AMD with normal visual acuity commonly reported difficulty with these visual functions but there have been no systematic studies evaluating these deficits in this population. This prospective, exploratory study will include up to 130 patients with dry AMD and 60 controls. These patients will undergo the following non-invasive visual function testing: - microperimetry with eye tracking - low luminance visual acuity - specialized color vision (cone-specific) - contrast testing and night vision testing. High-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) images will be taken of the central retina using the Spectralis OCT unit. The values of visual function tested will be correlated with the findings on SDOCT (volume/amount of drusen present in early AMD). There are no known risks to the subjects beyond what is normal for standard examinations of the eye, visual function testing and standard ocular photographic procedures.
Geographic atrophy (GA) causes the loss of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in broad areas of the retina. The application of subthreshold micropulse laser spots in healthy RPE in the vicinity of the area of GA may restore the imbalance in survival factors caused by the disease (ie, the laser may decrease vascular endothelial growth factor and RPE-derived transforming growth factor beta, upregulation of pigment epithelium-derived factor). This may slow or even stop the enlargement of atrophy secondary to GA, and therefore, avoid further vision loss.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether 2RT nanosecond laser therapy slows the progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration.
The VITamin D and OmegA-3 Trial (VITAL; NCT 01169259) is a randomized clinical trial in 25,875 U.S. men and women investigating whether taking daily dietary supplements of vitamin D3 (2000 IU) or omega-3 fatty acids (Omacor fish oil, 1 gram) reduces the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, and stroke in people who do not have a prior history of these illnesses. This ancillary study is being conducted among participants in VITAL and will examine whether vitamin D or omega-3 fatty acids, compared to placebo, reduce the incidence and/or progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Background: - Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease that blurs the sharp vision needed for activities such as reading, sewing, and driving. It affects the macula, the center of the retina at the back of the eye, which allows a person to see fine detail. Researchers want to collect medical histories, eye exam data, and genetic information that may be associated with AMD. They want to compare this information with information collected from people without AMD. Objectives: - To collect medical information and gene samples for researchers studying AMD. Eligibility: - Individuals between and 60 and 90 years of age who have AMD in at least one eye. - Individuals between and 60 and 90 years of age who have no AMD in either eye. Design: - This study will involve one study visit. This study visit will last 6 to 8 hours. - Participants will have the following tests and exams as part of their study visit: - Full physical exam and medical history - Full eye examination - Laser scan of the eye - Retina function test - Vision sensitivity test - Optional blood sample (for genetic study) - No treatment will be provided as part of this study.
The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship among the body fat distribution, especially the visceral fat, in patients with age-related macular degeneration in comparison to patients with a normal fundus.