Mortality and causes of death in patients with Parkinson's disease in Taiwan.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among adults 50 years of age and older in developed countries. Advancing age is the most significant risk factor for AMD, and as populations grow older and life expectancy increases, the prevalence of AMD is projected to rise substantially. By 2050, nearly 6.4 million individuals worldwide are expected to demonstrate late-stage AMD, including neovascular AMD (nAMD), the form most responsible for vision loss. Over recent decades, advances in anti–VEGF therapy have transformed nAMD from a condition causing inevitable vision loss to one that is treatable and from which vision loss is preventable. Several studies have demonstrated that early initiation of anti-VEGF therapy can lead to substantial long-term improvements in functional vision, with visual acuity (VA) significantly improving in 30% of patients and stabilizing in up to 90%. These findings underscore the critical importance of timely diagnosis and intervention in the effective management of nAMD. Access to these treatments is influenced by the availability of eye care and various sociodemographic factors, with previous research highlighting significant barriers within the field of ophthalmology. Disparities in receiving anti-VEGF therapies have been documented in patients with diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion (RVO); however, few studies have explored potential barriers to the early treatment of nAMD. This study aimed to improve understanding of treatment initiation patterns for nAMD by assessing potential disparities in both the initial presentation with the disease and the initiation of anti-VEGF therapy within the first year after diagnosis across different demographic groups. The study leverages data from the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight), a national clinical database, to identify disparities in care.