Joshua Mali, MD: Hope for Patients with Wet AMD

While is it known that wet age macular degeneration (Wet AMD) begins in the dry form of AMD, it remains difficult, if not impossible to diagnose the disease in patients younger than 50.

However, researchers are hoping to improve screening and diagnostic markers in the next few years, as it is becoming increasingly important to get a handle on the disease earlier with the population in the US aging.

There has also been big advancements made in terms of treating Wet AMD with the advent of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections in 2006 to treat various ophthalmological disorders. This medication class has shown success in helping patients retain vision or recover vision loss.

In the latest episode of DocTalk, Joshua Mali, MD, a board certified ophthalmologists at the Eye Associates in Bradenton, Florida, talks about some of the concern regarding wet AMD and why there is hope for new treatments and better screening outcomes in this patient population.

Mali said in the interview that wet AMD is the most common disorder seen at his practice. While there are some known risk factors, including age, family history, smoking history, and obesity, Mali said if clinicians are able to screen patients earlier and earlier it could have a major impact in this patient population.