Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of vision impairment in the elderly. Macular degeneration may be may be dry macular degeneration (no bleeding of the vessels), or wet macular degeneration (bleeding from vessels); and causes loss of central vision. In late stage AMD, new blood vessels develop on the retina, which are fragile and can bleed, and can cause separation of retinal layers and a retinal detachment. Scientists recently linked chlamydia pneumonia to AMD, but “remain cautious”; and chlamydia pneumonia, H-pylori, and CMV have been “correlated” with wet macular degeneration.
In the eye, chlamydia pneumonia causes narrowing of vessels, plaque, and angiogenesis, just as it does in the cardiovascular system and brain, which is why cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s are common co-morbid conditions. Macular degeneration is a vascular disease in retinal vessels that causes restriction of the blood supply to the macula. New blood vessels form in response to chronic infection, as the body attempts to restore blood and oxygen to damaged tissue.
