Baby Boomers Less Likely to Have AMD Than Previous Generations

May 6, 2010 (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) — Today's aging baby boomers might be less likely to have age-related macular degeneration (AMD) than their forebears, according to a new study presented here at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology 2010 Annual Meeting.

"This rapid decline in age-related macular degeneration, which was 68% lower for each generation, suggests that modifiable factors play important roles in the etiology of AMD," said Karen J. Cruickshanks, MD, professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison. "Childhood exposure to environment contaminants — for instance, growing up in houses that used wood, coal, or kerosene for cooking — may contribute to the risk of AMD."