A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine reveals a genetic link between the risk for COVID and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss among people aged 50
and older. The study showed that COVID and AMD were linked with variations in the gene known as PDGFB, which plays a role in new blood vessel formation and is associated with irregular blood vessel changes that happen in AMD.
Researchers analyzed genetic data from more than 16,000 people with AMD, more than 50,000 people with COVID along with control groups. The data revealed that people with AMD have a higher risk for COVID and severe disease and that the increased risk could be linked to genetics.
