Mathematics to improve macular degeneration treatment

Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have created a mathematical model and simulated numerically the progression of age-related macular degeneration, one of the main causes of blindness. This model can be used to better understand how this disease appears and assess the most effective treatments. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a degenerative disease of the macula, the central area of the retina. There is currently no cure for the disease and it is characterised by a gradual loss of central vision and is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries in people over the age of 65. It is estimated that AMD affects around 800,000 people in Spain. It is estimated that around 196 million people are affected worldwide and it is also estimated that this number will reach 288 million by 2040. There are two types of AMD: the dry or atrophic phase, which is usually the first and most common phase which progresses slowly; the acute phase, known as the wet or exudative phase, which occurs less frequently but has a worse prognosis at a visual level.