[Optimizing the individual treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration]

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the major cause of visual impairment in elder people. The progress in biomedicine and the launch of new agents provide hope to the patients with AMD. Factors associated with the response of AMD to treatment have been investigated, including the baseline visual acuity, age, the characteristics of the AMD lesions and the genotype of the patients, etc. Preferred Practice Pattern guidelines are developed in different countries based on these evidences, which provided guidance for the pattern of practice, not for the care of a particular individual. To develop an evidence-based individual treatment strategy for the wet AMD patients, accurate and comprehensive evaluation are critical in initial visit and during the follow-up. Individual treatment strategy will not only benefit the patient with better visual outcome and higher quality of life, but also promote the best health economic efficiency for AMD treatment in our aging society.