Trend and driving factors in burden of age-related macular degeneration in older adults aged 60–89 years: a global analysis over three decades.

This article examines global, regional, and national trends in the burden of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among older adults aged 60–89 years from 1990 to 2019, focusing on prevalence and years lived with disability (YLDs). Despite a slight increase or even decrease in AMD prevalence and YLDs rates—partly attributed to advances such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) treatments—the total number of AMD cases nearly doubled, primarily driven by population growth and ageing. The study highlights significant geographic disparities, with Western Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia experiencing the highest burden and fastest increases, as well as gender and age-related differences in disease distribution. These findings underscore the ongoing challenges in AMD management and the need for targeted screening, health education, and resource allocation tailored to demographic and regional variations.