Severe drop in quality of life

Macular degeneration patients suffer a severe drop in quality of life, not unlike those with cancer and kidney dialysis, said Dr Au Eong Kah Guan on Saturday in a talk with our members. Those with moderate age-related macular degeneration, for example, suffers a dip of 40 per cent in quality of life and it is similar to those who need regular kidney dialysis. 

Dr Au Eong, who is the advisor of Macular Degeneration Society (MDS), added that those with severe AMD suffer a drop of 63 per cent in quality of life, a rate on par to prostate cancer sufferers. Such heavy impact on the mental well-being of macular degeneration patients is the reason why it is important to have support groups like the MDS. 

Furthermore, it is critical for awareness to be drummed up so that patients can make better-informed choices which would help them tell of impending attacks, he observed in a talk titled Latest Trends in Management of Macular Degeneration at the Alexandra Hospital. 

Dr Au Eong shared that nutritional supplements can slow progress of AMD by up to 25 per cent, citing Omega-3 fatty acid as useful to those with macular degeneration. He added that authorities in Singapore could soon be carrying pictures of AMD sufferers on cigarette packs here, as smoking is a known threat to macular degeneration. 

He also spoke of the clinical trials comparing the effectiveness of Lucentis versus Avastin, stressing again that early diagnosis is often the key to reduce risk of vision loss. 

MDS held its annual general meeting after the talk, with its annual statement of account presented. MDS President Sharon Siddique gave a presentation of the society's events in the last year and secretary Peh Shing Huei and treasurer Kym Ong spoke about the online platforms of MDS. In particular, members were briefed on the society's venture into Facebook in the past year.