Dubai Conference to examine results of a 10-year study

In collaboration with Bausch and Lomb and under the Patronage of the UAE Ophthalmic Society the experts will also stress the need for preventive action by Ophthalmologists, such as simple tests that can detect AMD in its early stages.

Over 10 million people in the United States alone are affected by AMD, an age-related degenerative disease that affects the center of the retina. The condition often starts in one eye and develops later in the other. In the early stages of AMD, there is little or no vision loss, but the effects of AMD usually worsen over time. Images eventually become blurred or distorted and often a dark, empty area can appear in the center of vision. In advanced cases of AMD, activities such as driving and reading can become impossible.

Dr. Manal Taryam, Specialist Senior Registrar-Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon at DOHMS stated: 'Doctors have been trying to isolate preventative measures for AMD for years, and now we are on the threshold of a new era for preventing age-related blindness, with non-invasive, relatively simple techniques. Through conferences such as this one, we hope to be able to change the way AMD is recognized and treated, to eliminate needless and preventable suffering.'

According to leading eye care professionals, age is one of the greatest risk factors for AMD. At age 50, most people have a mere 2 per cent risk of developing AMD, but that figure jumps to nearly 30 per cent by age 70. AMD also runs in families: children and siblings of someone affected with AMD are up to 3 times more likely to develop AMD and should have their eyes checked regularly after the age of 40. Smoking significantly increases the risk of AMD, as do obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, stress and long exposure to light.

Ophthalmologists recommend that people over the age of 40 have a simple exam, called a fundus examination, every year. If early-stage AMD is detected, the patient has a much greater chance of preserving their vision and their quality of life.

Dr. Ramin Tadayoni, Ophthalmic Specialist & Surgeon at France's Lariboisière University Hospital, said: 'Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is expected to rise dramatically during the next decades with the aging of population worldwide. This is a major public health issue, and patients must be proactive in asking their doctors to perform the fundus exam. It can eliminate needless and preventable suffering.'

Today's conference will focus on the encouraging evidence provided by a 10-year study. The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS), conducted by the US National Institute of Health and sponsored by Bausch & Lomb, demonstrated that nutritional eye supplements comprised of high-dose antioxidant vitamins and zinc reduced the progression of AMD by at least 25 per cent and reduced the risk of associated vision loss by 19 per cent for AMD patients. The conference will also address the different studies underlying the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids, which have also been shown to prevent AMD.

The AMD conference will take place at 7:45 pm. on Tuesday the 23rd of January 2007 at the One and Only Royal Mirage Hotel - Arabian Court