SARATOGA, Calif.—Seventy-four percent of Americans do not know that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people in the U.S. over the age of 60, according to a new survey conducted by CentraSight. The top choice selected by those surveyed was, incorrectly, glaucoma. Despite the high prevalence of AMD, the majority of respondents—66 percent—reported that they are somewhat or not confident in their ability to care for their loved one should a family member develop AMD.

The survey results, commissioned for February's AMD Awareness Month, highlight the need to educate older adults living with or at risk for AMD, as well as their potential caregivers, about how to manage and treat a progressive condition for which there is no cure.

AMD is a progressive disease, which can lead to severe central vision "blind spots" in both eyes in the most advanced form, end-stage AMD. People living with end-stage AMD find it difficult or impossible to recognize faces, read, watch TV or complete tasks requiring detailed vision. The condition is also associated with increased stress and depression as vision diminishes.

CentraSight is a comprehensive treatment program that uses a tiny telescope implant to restore vision and improve quality of life for patients with the most advanced form of AMD. The independent survey of 1,014 nationally representative U.S. adults ages 18+ was conducted by Wakefield Research. The survey was conducted between Feb. 1 and 4, 2016.

"The early and intermediate stages of AMD usually start without symptoms, and only a comprehensive, dilated eye exam can detect AMD," stated Samuel Masket MD, of Advanced Vision Care of Los Angeles and Clinical Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "The good news is that preventative and treatment options for patients with AMD have advanced remarkably just in the past 10 years."

Recent projections estimate that in the U.S., the number of individuals with AMD will reach 20 million in 2020. That estimate mirrors survey findings, which found that 43 percent of Americans age 65 years or older (equivalent to nearly 20 million Americans) have or know someone with AMD.

As AMD worsens and vision diminishes, the need for caregiving increases. Notably, the survey found that more than 1 in 3 (35 percent) Americans who know someone with AMD assist them frequently. This supports studies finding that people living with advanced AMD may need assistance nearly four hours per day, five days per week. Spouses or adult children provide 72 percent of that care.

A new website, AMDAffectsMe.com, sponsored by CentraSight, offers comprehensive information explaining how AMD is diagnosed and treated as well as stories from caregivers assisting their loved ones living with end-stage AMD.

The Implantable Miniature Telescope implant is part of the CentraSight treatment program to help patients follow the necessary steps for proper diagnosis, surgical evaluation and postoperative care.The telescope implant is not a cure for end-stage AMD.