How many injections have you had for wet AMD?  How long have you been receiving them?

It's impossible to predict what the course of treatment will be for an individual patient.  But a recent study looked at 855 people over a four year period to track their experience with Lucentis injections for wet AMD.

All the AMD treatments we have now are designed to halt the progression of the disease and vision loss. The holy grail for researchers would be to develop ways to restore the sight that has been lost. Recently, scientists at University College London were able to restore some vision in night-blind mice. While it's a long way from there to restoring vision in humans, it is a step in the right direction.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina (UNC) have completed a small study that may lay the groundwork for a blood test to predict your risk of moving from dry AMD to wet AMD.

Not everyone with dry AMD will progress to wet AMD and there is no way to really predict if you are one of them.  Early treatment of wet AMD can make a big difference in how well you keep your vision, so it's important to catch it early.

We're pleased to present a holiday gift from Dan Roberts, our friend (and poet!) at MD Support.  Enjoy and pass it along to remind friends and family of the gift of sight - and good humor.

A Blurry Night Before Christmas

by Dan Roberts

(with apologies to Clement Moore)

When we think of March, we might be thinking of the colors of Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day and Spring. But, it's also National Nutrition Month, which should prompt us to think in color as well.

The bright colors of foods like berries, peppers, carrots, kale and grapes indicate that they contain antioxidants. People who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables don't develop macular degeneration as much as people who don't eat them.

You're eating a healthy diet, with lots of plants and fish.  But what about supplements?

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) showed that a combination of antioxidants and zinc could slow the progression of macular degeneration and vision loss.  It's ten years later and that conclusion still holds up.

Peggy Wolfe offers an invaluable and inspirational road map to living with AMD

When her ballet class surprised her with a birthday party two years ago, Peggy Wolfe danced across the floor, shouting, "Eighty Power! Eighty Power!" It was a fitting entry into octogenarianism for the diminutive powerhouse.

During the 1950s, Wolfe and her soon-to-be husband visited her blind uncle in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesdays. They took turns reading to him from his beloved books about the Civil War. Uncle Matt was an inspiration to Wolfe, as she watched him sit at her family's dining-room table, poring over large sheets written in braille, knowing he had taken two streetcars, with the help of his white cane, to get there.

How often have you heard, "Eat more fruits and vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones"?

Most people think spinach first and stop there.  But, there are many fresh greens available now besides spinach and some of them have more lutein than spinach.

In honor of National Nutrition Month, here is a healthy vegetable soup recipe from one of our partners.

A few months ago, we did a presentation on AMD in Highland Park, California at a senior living community. It was sponsored by WORKS and they provided a delicious dinner for the attendees.  Everyone loved this warm and healthy winter meal.

Thanks to Marlene Aguilar for her great recipe.  You can adjust the amounts and add other healthy veggies to the mix as you wish.  Reduce the potatoes if you'd like to lower the calories.  Freeze any leftovers for an easy dinner or lunch later in the month.

Retina Implant AG has just published the results from part of a multicenter clinical trial of their artificial retina implant.  According to the company, "...during the course of a three to nine month observation period, functional vision was restored in the majority of nine German patients implanted with a subretinal microchip as part of the first module of the Company's second human clinical trial."  These individuals all have retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and severe vision loss.  The vision achieved by the patients exceeded the results from the first clinical trial.  MDP has been following this story for a number of years and each report is more encouraging than the previous one.