Are there any specific risk factors related to AMD? As we have seen, AMD is related to ageing, but it certainly does not affect all older people. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests genetic factors can determine whether or not someone will get AMD, and a number of genes linked to AMD have already been identified. Other studies have looked for additional conditions that may be associated with AMD and have found a number of possible factors besides age that are associated with an increased risk of developing AMD. These include a history of hypertension (high blood pressure) and/or cardiovascular disease, smoking, a family history of AMD, hyperopia (farsightedness), light skin and eye colour, and lens opacities (cataracts). Both men and women are at risk for this disease. The presence of these risk factors in people with AMD has been noted, but the relationship of the various factors to the disease itself has not been systematically studied and it is not clear just why the links are present. Further investigation of the relationship of risk factors to the development of AMD is one of the areas of research supported by Retina International and many other agencies.

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