The exact cause of AMD is not known, but there are a number of risk factors that may play a role.
These risks include:
- Age. AMD is a major cause of vision loss in Americans aged 60 and older
- Family history/Genetics. If AMD runs in your family or you have a certain abnormal gene, you may have a higher risk
- Gender. Women are more likely to get macular degeneration
- Smoking. Cigarette smoking significantly increases the risk of macular degeneration
- Obesity. Being severely overweight increases the chance that early or intermediate macular degeneration will progress to the more severe form
- Low levels of nutrients. Low levels of minerals such as zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E may increase the risk of AMD
- Cardiovascular disease. High blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and heart disease with chest pain increase the risk of AMD
- Race. Macular degeneration is more common in Whites than any other race
Who is LUCENTIS for?
LUCENTIS® (ranibizumab injection) is a prescription medicine for the treatment of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Important LUCENTIS Safety Information
Like any prescription medication, LUCENTIS is not for everyone. You should not use LUCENTIS if you have an infection in or around the eye.
Like other injections given into the eye, serious eye infection (endophthalmitis) and detached retina have occurred with LUCENTIS. Increases in eye pressure have been seen within 1 hour of an injection. Your eye doctor should monitor your eye pressure and eye health during the week after the injection. If your eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or has a change in vision, you should seek immediate care from your eye doctor.
Although uncommon, conditions associated with eye- and non–eye-related blood clots (arterial thromboembolic events) may occur.
Serious side effects related to the injection procedure were rare. These included serious eye infection, detached retina, and cataract. Other uncommon serious side effects included inflammation inside the eye and increased eye pressure.
The most common eye-related side effects were red eye, eye pain, small specks in vision, the feeling that something is in your eye, and increased tears. The most common non–eye-related side effects were high blood pressure, nose and throat infection, and headache.
LUCENTIS is for prescription use only.
Individual results with LUCENTIS may vary.
Please see LUCENTIS full Prescribing Information.
