In this video from the Macula Society meeting, Sunir J. Garg, MD, FACS, FASRS, discusses the impact of lifestyle changes on the development of geographic atrophy in people with high genetic risk.“Even if a person is genetically susceptible to developing AMD, you can reduce your risk of developing advanced AMD by about 55% to 60% by lifestyle modifications,” Garg, of the retina service at Wills Eye Hospital, said.These modifications include changes to diet and smoking habits, according to Garg.
Quick Take
Dr. Sunir J. Garg of Wills Eye Hospital reported at the Macula Society meeting that lifestyle modifications can reduce the risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 55% to 60%. These findings suggest that even patients with a high genetic predisposition for geographic atrophy can significantly alter their disease trajectory through targeted changes to diet and smoking habits.
Why It Matters
Patients with a strong family history of AMD often feel a sense of fatalism regarding their vision, viewing the disease as an inevitable genetic outcome. This data provides clinicians with a powerful motivational tool, offering a specific and substantial percentage of risk reduction that can be achieved through non-pharmacological means. Shifting the focus toward these high-impact lifestyle interventions allows for a more proactive management strategy in the early and intermediate stages of the disease, potentially delaying the onset of geographic atrophy for years.
Key Findings
Practice Implications
Clinicians should integrate specific lifestyle counseling into the standard of care for all AMD patients, particularly those with high-risk genetic profiles. Using the 55% to 60% risk reduction figure can serve as a strong clinical incentive for patients to adhere to smoking cessation programs and Mediterranean-style diets as primary interventions alongside traditional supplementation.
Who's Affected
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