Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Eye disease in elderly may bring on depression
More than one in 10 Singaporeans with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may be suffering from anxiety or depression.
A study by Alexandra Hospital found this to be the case in 14per cent of randomly selected AMD patients.
AMD is a severe eye disease characterised by the progressive degeneration of the macular, the most sensitive central back portion of the retina.
It occurs when cells in that part of the eye, which allows for sharp vision, die off.
It is also the most common cause of blindness among people aged 60 years and older in developed countries.
The survey of 220 AMD patients was conducted between August last year and May this year to determine the quality of life that resulted from the disease.
It also found that 14 per cent of AMD patients had problems with mobility, which increased the risk of falls, especially in older patients.
The average age of those surveyed was 66.8 and the majority were Chinese.
There are no current figures on how many Singaporeans have AMD but a community study in 1997 showed that one in four people aged 60 and above here suffered from the condition.
Best approach
Associate Professor Au Eong Kah Guan, head and senior consultant at the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Alexandra Hospital, said early detection was the best way to treat the disease, for which currently there is no cure.
Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits and refraining from smoking help to slow down the progression of the disease.
'Without vision, quality of life will be severely affected,' said Prof Au Eong.
He added that with the life expectancy of Singaporeans and the proportion of elderly in the population increasing, the prevalence of AMD is expected to increase as well.
The results of the findings were released ahead of the AMD Awareness week, which began last Saturday and was organised by the eye community in Singapore.
The week kicked off at Jurong Medical Centre, where eye screenings for age-related diseases were conducted at a fee of $5.
Public forums will be held throughout the week, including one tomorrow at the National University Hospital and on Friday at Woodlands and Jurong regional libraries.
NUH will also be launching an AMD support group tomorrow for patients diagnosed with macular degeneration and caregivers to discuss ways of coping and managing the disease.
Labels: depression, eye disease
