New Delhi: Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is one of the important causes of severe visual loss in the elderly population. It constitutes to 8.7% of the world population. AMD symptoms include blurred or fuzzy vision, straight lines that appear wavy or crooked, decreased contrast or colour sensitivity, difficulty seeing at a distance and/or a small but growing, blind spot in the centre of vision.

Rate of depression amongst AMD patients is substantially higher than depression due to other reasons amongst the elderly population. The severity and magnitude of AMD-related depression in elderly are at par with other chronic and disabling diseases.