The Age-Related Eye Disease Study Severity Scale for Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Abstract

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) is a multicenter prospective cohort study of the clinical course, prognosis, and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract. Between 1992 and 1998, 11 retina clinics enrolled 4757 people aged 55 to 80 years in AREDS. Fifty-six percent of participants were women, 96% were white, and median age was 68 years.¹ The study also included a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of treatment with high-dose antioxidant vitamins and/or zinc on the incidence of advanced AMD and vision loss. A 25% reduction in the risk of developing advanced AMD was observed with the combination treatment.²