What is the underlying cause of AMD?
More than 35% of cases of AMD are hereditary. Probably, multiple genes are involved. We do know these facts: AMD is twice as common in blue eyes, and Whites have much more AMD than blacks. Certainly, there is more to the story than aging, since “age related” macular degeneration occurs in some 40 year old patients. No single mechanism of aging seems to be responsible. Probably, singlet oxygen (and thus antioxidants) plays some role in some aging processes, but it is not the whole story.
