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Retinal Degenerations pp 185–196Cite as

Statins and Age-Related Maculopathy

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Part of the book series: Ophthalmology Research ((OPHRES))

Abstract

Age-related maculopathy (ARM) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults in the industrialized world (1–4). ARM is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the retina that results in a degradation of the sharp, central vision necessary for most everyday activities, including reading and driving. The prominent histopathological and clinical lesions in ARM involve Bruch’s membrane, a specialized vascular intima separating the photoreceptors and their support cells, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), from their blood supply. ARM is characterized according to the presence and distinctiveness of drusen that lie at the border between the RPE and Bruch’s membrane. Currently, the gold standard for the definition of ARM is based on the use of retinal grading systems that provide standardized means for the grading of visible lesions and pigmentary changes associated with the disease (4–7). The number and size of these drusen are used to classify ARM into various stages—early, intermediate, or advanced—and linked to the progression of the disease (8).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

    Gerald McGwin Jr MS, PhD & Cynthia Owsley MSPH, PhD

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  1. Gerald McGwin Jr MS, PhD
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  2. Cynthia Owsley MSPH, PhD
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT

    Joyce Tombran-Tink PhD  & Colin J. Barnstable DPhil  & 

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McGwin, G., Owsley, C. (2007). Statins and Age-Related Maculopathy. In: Tombran-Tink, J., Barnstable, C.J. (eds) Retinal Degenerations. Ophthalmology Research. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-186-4_10

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