TREATMENT OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Age-related macular degeneration is the main cause for blindness in developed countries, and the third in the whole world. Its wet form or neovascular constitutes a severe eye disorder that rapidly deteriorates vision affecting the patients' quality of life. The effectiveness of currently existing treatments greatly depends on the stage of the disease at the beginning of therapy; being, therefore, early detection and diagnose of great importance. Community pharmacies have a high level of contact with the risk age group and, in numerous instances, the pharmacist acts as the first health agent by actively recommending visits to the ophthalmologist or sending patients to the emergency services after detecting any change in visual sharpness. The purpose of this present article is to review concepts related to this pathology based on its pathogenesis, clinical forms symptomatology and treatment, especially in reference to anti-angiogenic therapies.