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NICE guidance: age related macular degeneration
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People with suspected late AMD (wet active) should be referred to a macula service within one working day, says NICE in newly published guidance. Over 600,000 people in the UK are affected by AMD, the term given to ageing changes that occur in the central area of the retina (macula).
Late AMD (wet active) is the most damaging form and can lead to a rapid worsening of vision. The guideline recommends that people with late AMD (wet active) are offered anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) drugs within 14 days of referral to the macula service. These drugs are injected into the eye and prevent the abnormal growth of blood vessels which cause the deterioration in sight.