review · Eye
A systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based eye disease surveys between 1980 and 2018 evaluated global visual impairment and blindness caused by age-related macular degeneration. In 2020, approximately 1.85 million people worldwide were blind due to the condition, while an additional 6.23 million experienced moderate to severe vision impairment. High-income countries accounted for the largest total number of blind individuals, at around 0.60 million. However, the North Africa and Middle East region recorded the highest prevalence among people aged 50 and older for both blindness, at 0.22 percent, and moderate to severe vision impairment, at 0.55 percent. Between 2000 and 2020, the global crude prevalence of blindness linked to the condition declined by 19.29 percent, whereas moderate to severe impairment rose by 10.08 percent. The overall rise in affected individuals highlights a need for expanded rehabilitation services and new treatment modalities.
Age-related macular degeneration remains a prominent cause of vision loss among older populations globally. While rates of complete blindness have decreased over two decades, the proportion of individuals living with moderate and severe vision impairment has risen. Tracking these epidemiological shifts allows health planners to target resources effectively and address the growing burden of vision impairment, particularly in heavily impacted regions such as North Africa and the Middle East.
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BACKGROUND: We aimed to update estimates of global vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye diseases from January, 1980, to October, 2018. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate the prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity from <6/18 to 3/60) and blindness ( < 3/60) caused by AMD, stratified by age, region, and year. RESULTS: In 2020, 1.85 million (95%UI: 1.35 to 2.43 million) people were estimated to be blind due to AMD, and another 6.23 million (95%UI: 5.04 to 7.58) with MSVI globally. High-income countries had the highest number of individuals with AMD-related blindness (0.60 million people; 0.46 to 0.77). The crude prevalence of AMD-related blindness in 2020 (among those aged ≥ 50 years) was 0.10% (0.07 to 0.12) globally, and the region with the highest prevalence of AMD-related blindness was North Africa/Middle East (0.22%; 0.16 to 0.30). Age-standardized prevalence (using the GBD 2019 data) of AMD-related MSVI in people aged ≥ 50 years in 2020 was 0.34% (0.27 to 0.41) globally, and the region with the highest prevalence of AMD-related MSVI was also North Africa/Middle East (0.55%; 0.44 to 0.68). From 2000 to 2020, the estimated crude prevalence of AMD-related blindness decreased globally by 19.29%, while the prevalence of MSVI increased by 10.08%. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated increase in the number of individuals with AMD-related blindness and MSVI globally urges the creation of novel treatment modalities and the expansion of rehabilitation services.
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DOI: 10.1038/s41433-024-03050-z
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