Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

The risk of AMD increases with age. The disease is most common among older white Americans, affecting more than 14 percent of white Americans age 80 and older.

Table for 2010 U.S. Age-Specific Prevalence Rates for AMD by Age and Race/Ethnicity

White Americans have the greatest likelihood of developing AMD. In 2010, 2.5 percent of white adults age 50 and older had AMD. By comparison, AMD affected 0.9 percent each of blacks, Hispanics and people of other races.

Table for 2010 Prevalence Rates of AMD by Race

The majority of AMD cases occur among white Americans. In 2010, 89 percent of Americans with AMD were white. By comparison, black and Hispanic American populations each accounted for four percent of AMD cases.

Table for 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of AMD (in thousands) by Age, and Race/Ethnicity

Women generally have a longer life expectancy than men and are therefore more likely to develop age-related eye diseases such as AMD. In 2010, 65 percent of AMD cases were in women compared with 35 percent in men.

Table for 2010 U.S. Prevalent Cases of AMD (in thousands) by Age, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity

By 2050, the estimated number of people with AMD is expected to more than double from 2.07 million to 5.44 million. White Americans will continue to account for the majority of cases. However, Hispanics will see the greatest rate of increase, with a nearly six-fold rise in the number of expected cases from 2010 to 2050.

Table for Projections for AMD (2010-2030-2050)

As the proportion of people in the U.S. age 65 and older grows larger, more people are developing age-related diseases such as AMD. From 2000-2010, the number of people with AMD grew 18 percent, from 1.75 million to 2.07 million.

Table for Changes of Cases between 2000 and 2010