Educate, Advise, Empower - Your Role In AMD

Hello Everyone, Dr. Steve Ferrucci here talking AMD with Visible Genomics.  Recently,  I had my yearly physical. Going in, I knew I gained a few pounds since my last visit, and was thinking I probably needed to try to eat healthier and work out more as I approach my mid-50s.  At the appointment, my doctor diligently performed a physical exam and ordered the appropriate blood work based on my examination.   When my results were back, we scheduled a phone call and he reviewed the labs with their implications and me. 

The exam revealed my blood pressure was a bit high. Not so high I needed meds, but high enough that I should consider some lifestyle changes- watch my diet, restrict my sodium intake, increase my exercise, and lose a few pounds. Also, my cholesterol was just over 200. Again, he did not recommend medications, but recommended a change in my diet to foods lower in cholesterol. Lastly, I had in fact gained 5 lbs., again emphasizing the need for diet and exercise.

So what did I learn from all this? It confirmed what I probably already knew:  I need to eat healthier, exercise a tad more, and lose a few pounds. Sure, I didn’t need an exam and lab work to tell me that I need to eat healthier and lose weight, as it was probably obvious, but his telling me cemented the fact that I really needed to make these changes.  Further, he wants to see me again in 3-4 months to see if these changes affect my values. 

My experience has many comparisons to genetic testing for AMD. Let me explain…

The biggest push back I get from practitioners hesitant to adopt the technology is that if we find a patient high risk for AMD or its progression, it doesn’t change what we do, as there is currently no treatment for dry AMD. Therefore, all we can do is counsel the patient regarding lifestyle changes: no smoking, eat healthy, UV protection etc. However, they argue, shouldn’t all patients be doing that anyway? . But you know what?? They aren’t!  But now if we see a patient at high risk for AMD progression or conversion from dry to wet AMD, and counsel them appropriately, it reinforces what they should be doing, and gives them motivation and a purpose to actually do it. Further, I will follow-up with that patient in 3-4 months,  check on their status and see how they are doing. Some of these patients will need further treatment, more encouragement or perhaps referral to a retinal specialist if they continue to advance or have in fact converted to wet disease.

 In my case, by knowing my risk factors and current health status, it has now motivated me to do better. I will see my physician again in 3-4 months and see how things progress. Hopefully, the changes I institute will be enough to avoid further treatment, such as hypertensive or cholesterol lowering medications. My physician did exactly like I would do with a high risk AMD patient: educate, advise, empower and follow a little more closely.

Now, excuse me but I need to get on the treadmill and have a salad….

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