title: [The age-related macular degeneration as a vascular disease/part of systemic vasculopathy: contributions to its pathogenesis].
abstract: The wall of blood vessels including those in choroids may be harmed by several repeated and/or prolonged mechanical, physical, chemical, microbiological, immunologic, and genetic impacts (risk factors), which may trigger a protracted response, the so-called host defense response. As a consequence, pathological changes resulting in vascular injury (e. g. atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration) may be evolved. Risk factors can also act directly on the endothelium through an increased production of reactive oxygen species promoting an endothelial activation, which leads to endothelial dysfunction, the onset of vascular disease. Thus, endothelial dysfunction is a link between the harmful stimulus and vascular injury; any kind of harmful stimuli may trigger the defensive chain that results in inflammation that may lead to vascular injury. It has been shown that even early age-related macular degeneration is associated with the presence of diffuse arterial disease and patients with early age-related macular degeneration demonstrate signs of systemic and retinal vascular alterations. Chronic inflammation, a feature of AMD, is tightly linked to diseases associated with ED: AMD is accompanied by a general inflammatory response, in the form of complement system activation, similar to that observed in degenerative vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. All these facts indicate that age-related macular degeneration may be a vascular disease (or part of a systemic vasculopathy). This recognition could have therapeutic implications because restoration of endothelial dysfunction may prevent the development or improve vascular disease resulting in prevention or improvement of age-related macular degeneration as well.
authors.affiliation: Budapest Körvasút sor 75/B 1158.
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
keywords: age-related macular degeneration; endotheldiszfunkció; endothelial dysfunction; időskori maculadegeneráció; kockázati tényező; oxidative stress; oxidatív stressz; prevenció; prevention; preventive therapy; preventív terápia; risk factors