Dr. Michael Cooney Explains The Condition And The Importance Of Catching It Early
We can all agree that vision is a hugely important part of our daily lives, affecting everything from driving and using computers to hobbies and more. While many people expect changes in their vision as they age, they may not realize these changes could lead to blindness if not caught early. In fact, nearly 11 million Americans live with one of two forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).[1] AMD is a disease that impacts the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision and a leading cause of vision loss in people age 50 and older.[2] Wet AMD is one of the two forms of the disease and it accounts for approximately 90 percent of all AMD-related blindness.1 The good news is that, for some, wet AMD is treatable.
The key to combatting wet AMD is early diagnosis and maintaining regular visits to your ophthalmologist. Dr. Michael Cooney has spent his career helping patients maximize their eye health and maintain good vision as they age. During AMD Awareness Month, Dr. Cooney is available on Friday, February 26th for live interviews on what Americans need to know about taking care of their eyes as they age. He can discuss AMD, tips for maintaining your eye health, and ways people may help prevent vision loss in the future.
MORE ABOUT DR. MICHAEL COONEY
Dr. Cooney is a practicing retina specialist in New York. Previously he was an assistant professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University and director at Duke University Eye Center of both the Medical Retina Service, at the Duke Center for Macular Degeneration, and the Medical Retina Fellowship Program from 2001 to 2005. Dr. Cooney’s clinical practice focuses on the medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases, particularly age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. He is actively involved in the clinical development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for vitreoretinal disease and the training of residents and fellows. In 1998, Dr. Cooney helped to establish InnoRx, an ophthalmic drug delivery and pharmaceutical company acquired by SurModics and served as a consultant from 2000 to 2002. Dr. Cooney received his doctor of medicine from Columbia University.
[1] Macular Degeneration Essential Facts. Bright Focus Foundation. http://www.brightfocus.org/macular/news/macular-essential-facts#
[2] Facts About Age-Related Macular Degeneration. National Eye Institute. https://nei.nih.gov/health/maculardegen/armd_facts
