Test to predict most common cause of blindness in elderly 'available within a year'

A new test to predict the risk of developing the most common cause of blindness in the elderly could be available in Britain within a year. By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent Scientists who created the genetic test say it can tell people whether they are at risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as they grow older. The disease, in which the central part of the retina gradually thins, affects 250,000 people in the UK and leaves one in 10 sufferers blind. It cannot be reversed but early treatment of the condition can help to slow down or prevent sight loss. The manufacturers say that the ideal candidate for the test would be someone in their 50s with a family history of the condition. The test, called Macular Risk, has been developed by ArcticDX, a Canadian company, and Cambridge Enterprise, the commercial... [read full story]