Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is an inherited condition that affects the most sensitive part of the retina, the macula. Waste products known as drusen, form within the macula, "melting away" the rods and cones within the macula. Central vision is lost as a result of this process. ARMD is usually in both eyes. Damage to the macula may vary in severity. In the most advanced cases of ARMD, the loss of central vision will make reading and driving impossible. Patients with ARMD do not experience total vision loss. Many patients retain the use of their peripheral vision, therefore allowing them to function fairly well.
Dry ARMD causes a slower, less severe vision loss. The patient with dry ARMD may notice a gradual loss of central vision, with distortion and loss of letters in words being the first sign of change in vision. The patient may notice, as the disease progresses, the inability to read, do fine detail work, or even drive. The damage to the retina by dry ARMD may increase the patients chance of acquiring wet ARMD. There are no treatments for dry ARMD. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report, India has 31.7 million diabetic subjects, and the number is expected to increase to a staggering 79.4 million by 2030. Furthermore, type 2 diabetes in Indians differs from that in Europeans in several aspects: The onset is at a younger age, obesity is less common, and genetic factors appear to be stronger. These clinical differences and the rising prevalence of diabetes in India warrant well-conducted epidemiologic studies on diabetes-related complications in this population, to assess the health services burden due to diabetes. Although a few studies have been conducted on the prevalence of DR in urban and rural population in India