Is macular degeneration hereditary?

by Mike Warren
(Sydney)

Question:

My mother has macular degeneration and at the age of 75 is no longer able to drive a car. Is the condition hereditary and what can I do to maximise my protection against it?

Answer:

Thank you for sharing about your mother's situation. It is a sad reality that Macular Degeneration can have a large impact on quality of life and mobility, especially in the elderly.

Yes, macular degeneration does have some level of heredity. So your mother having macular degeneration increases your risk of following suit. It does not make it definite though.

What you need to do is to have annual eye exams to watch for the early signs.

Quit smoking, if you smoke. This is the single largest risk factor that you can control.

Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and nuts. I have gone into more detail about nutrition for healthy eyes here.

You can take dietary supplements using the AREDS formula, such as MacuVision from Blackmores. There is no evidence to suggest that it can prevent the onset of macular degeneration, but it does slow the progression of the disease once it is formed in the eye.

There is no cure for macular degeneration. Prevention is far better, and healthy living is the key to that.