(February 29, 2008 - Insidermedicine) Those who develop age-related macular degeneration before the age of 75 may be at double or more risk for having a fatal heart attack or stroke in the next decade, according to research published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Here are some facts about age-related macular degeneration:

•    Also known as AMD, the condition affects the center of the retina at the back of the eye, a region known as the macula, which is crucial for fine central vision.

•    AMD develops and worsens with advancing age and is a leading cause of untreatable blindness among the elderly in the developed world.

•    There is some evidence for a link between AMD and smoking, so those diagnosed with this condition or those concerned about their eyesight as they age should quit smoking.

Researchers out of the Centre for Vision Research at the University of Sydney assessed both the eye health and general health of 3,600 individuals aged 49 or older in the years 1992 to 1994. Five years later, they reassessed over 2,300 of these individuals, and ten years later, they reassessed nearly 2,000.

Those who developed early stage AMD before the age of 75 were found to be twice as likely to suffer a fatal heart attack or stroke in the coming decade, compared with those who had no signs of AMD. Individuals with advanced AMD were five times more likely to die of a heart attack and ten times more likely to die of a stroke in the following decade.

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.