Prevent Blindness Ohio Participates in North American Conference of AMD Alliance International

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                      For more information:

   Prevent Blindness Ohio
Stacie Lehman
Phone: 800-301-2020 ext. 105
E-mail: staciel@pbohio.org

 

 

Columbus, OH (February 9, 2012)- AMD Alliance International(AMDAI), a global consortium of more than 70 members in 25 countries which provides help to people worldwide living with macular disease, held its North American meeting on February 3^rd at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. Sherry Williams, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio, represented the organization at the conference.  Discussions were held to share best practices of participating vision organizations, current advancements in AMD studies and drug therapies as well as new research findings and its impact on those living with AMD.

 

According to the National Eye Institute, more than 9 million Americans, ages 40 and older, have some form of AMD.  AMD slowly robs people of their central vision and, if left untreated, can result in severe vision loss and even blindness. There are two forms of AMD: "dry" and "wet". Dry AMD is the most common form of the disease. It involves the presence of drusen – fatty deposits that form under the light-sensing cells in the retina. Vision loss in dry AMD usually progresses slowly. Wet AMD is less common, but more rapidly threatening to vision. Wet AMD causes tiny blood vessels under the retina to leak or break open. This distorts vision and causes scar tissue to form.

 

“Prevent Blindness Ohio was thrilled to have so many dedicated leaders in the mission of ending AMD coming together to address important issues and developments in the treatment and prevention of this debilitating eye disease,” said Sherry Williams, President & CEO of Prevent Blindness Ohio. “It is our hope that after this conference, we will all be better armed to serve those who already suffer from one of the leading causes of blindness as well those who are at risk.”

 

In conjunction with February as Age-related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, Prevent Blindness Ohio offers a dedicated online resource for patients and caretakers to learn more about the disease.  The website, preventblindness.org/amd, offers a variety of tools and information on everything from risk factors to treatment options. 

 

For more information on AMD and other eye disease, please contact Prevent Blindness Ohio at 800-301-2020 or visit www.pbohio.org.

 

About Prevent Blindness Ohio

Prevent Blindness Ohio, founded in 1957, is Ohio’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to prevent blindness and preserve sight. We serve all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 800,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. Prevent Blindness Ohio is an affiliate of Prevent Blindness America, the country’s second-oldest national voluntary health organization. For more information or to make a contribution, call 800-301-2020.  Or, visit us on the web at www.pbohio.org or facebook.com/pbohio.

 

About AMDAI

AMD Alliance International strives to bring knowledge, help and hope to individuals and families around the world affected by AMD. Our mission is accomplished through:

               Sherry Williams, Prevent Blindness Ohio

               joins AMD Alliance International CEO,

              Narinder Sharma and Board Chair, Hugh

              Parry at the AMDAI North American Conference

 

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