title: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Alzheimer's disease in the eye?
abstract: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a late-onset, neurodegenerative retinal disease that shares several clinical and pathological features with Alzheimer's disease (AD), including stress stimuli such as oxidative stress and inflammation. In both diseases, the detrimental intra- and extracellular deposits have many similarities. Aging, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, obesity, arteriosclerosis, and smoking are risk factors to develop AMD and AD. Cellular aging processes have similar organelle and signaling association in the retina and brain tissues. However, it seems that these diseases have a different genetic background. In this review, differences and similarities of AMD and AD are thoroughly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. kai.kaarniranta@uef.fi
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaarniranta
authors.forename: Antero
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salminen
authors.forename: Annakaisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haapasalo
authors.forename: Hilkka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Soininen
authors.forename: Mikko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiltunen
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology