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New Test To Detect Onset of Blindness in the Offing

by VR Sreeraman on Jun 11 2011 3:03 PM

 New Test To Detect Onset of Blindness in the Offing
Australian scientists are working on a test they hope could help to determine a person's risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), one of the leading cause of blindness.
AMD is a progressive disease that could be significantly minimized with lifestyle changes, so early detection is crucial, explained eye specialist Beatrix Feigl.

One in seven Australians over 50 years old is affected by AMD and about half are genetic carriers of the disease.

There is currently no way of determining if people are at risk of going blind from AMD.

But Dr Feigl has spent two years conducting sensitive vision tests on 50 people with a genetic predisposition to AMD who are currently showing no clinical signs of the condition, reports News.com.au.

She noticed small visual impairments in some of the patients, indicating it may be possible to spot early signs of the modifiable disease.

"It's a significant finding in so far as... there is no test available and usually doctors perform clinical tests when there are signs," Dr Feigl said.

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Source-ANI


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