Tasmania’s older population is producing “a number of success stories” in the war against macular degeneration, a leading professor has declared.
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This week is Macular Degeneration Week.
It is an age-related disease with one in seven people over 50 having evidence of it.
People with a family history have a 50 per cent chance of developing the disease.
Macular Disease Foundation Tasmania chair Nitin Verma said a high level of awareness about the disease in Tasmania meant fewer people were being declared, legally blind.
“With all the treatment we have for macular degeneration now – the numbers are going down,” he said.
“We are winning the war because everything starts with awareness.”
He put the reason for Tasmania’s success down to people having a good relationship with their general practitioner or optometrist.
Foundation patron Ita Buttrose said people over 50 should get an eye test and macula check each year.
