Ocular DiseaseWhat is age-related macular degeneration?This is a common ocular disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision. The retina is the very thin tissue that lines the back of the eye and contains the light-sensing cells that send visual signals to the brain. Sharp, clear, 'straight ahead' vision is processed by the macula, which is the central part of the retina. When the macula becomes damaged through ocular disease, many daily activities such as driving and reading become increasingly difficult. Are there effective treatments for macular degeneration?If dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) reaches the advanced stages, there is no current treatment to prevent vision loss. However, a specific high-dose formula of antioxidants and zinc may delay orprevent intermediate AMD from progressing to the advanced stage. The wet form of the disease can be treated with Lucentis, Macugen, photodynamic therapy, and laser photocoagulation. Lucentis(ranibizumab injection) is an antibody fragment that binds to and inhibits the biologic activity of human vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), a protein that is believed to play a critical role in the formation of new abnormal leaky blood vessels, which can damage the area of the eye responsible for central vision. Lucentis is injected into the vitreous portion of the eye (the clear jelly-like substance that fills the eye from the lens back to the retina). Due to the fact that the production of VEGF-A is ongoing, routine administration of this drug is required. In clinical trails, the treatment prevented further vision loss in most patients and improved the vision of some.Macugen (pegaptanib sodium injection) works by blocking vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that promotes blood vessel growth. According to the data collected during the clinical trials, patients receiving Macugen were less likely to progress to legal blindness and experience severe vision loss. Macugen is injected into the vitreous portion of the eye (the clear jelly-like substance that fills the eye from the lens back to the retina). Routine adminitration of Macugen is required due to the fact that the production of VEGF is ongoing.Photodynamic therapy works by injecting a light-sensitive drug called Visudyne (verteporfin) into the patient's bloodstream. The drug circulates throughout the blood vessels, including the abnormal vessels growing beneath the eye's retina. Once the drug has had time to permeate the tiny vessels beneath the retina, the light of a low-intensity laser is shined into the eye. The Visudyne absorbs the light, destroying the abnormal or leaky vessels. Photodynamic therapy has an advantage over photocoagulation because less heat is required from the laser, meaning that healthy tissues around the site of the procedure receive less "collateral damage." One limitation of photodynamic therapy is that it treats only the symptoms of wet macular degenerat