Purpose: To project the number of persons with late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Scandinavia through 2040.
Methods: Age- and sex-specific prevalence rates of late AMD (choroidal neovascularization and geographic atrophy) from the European Eye Study and the Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group were applied to the projected Danish, Norwegian and Swedish population from 2012 to 2040.
Results: A total of 187 000 persons aged ≥65 years in Scandinavia are currently affected by late AMD: 47 000 in Denmark, 43 000 in Norway and 97 000 in Sweden. Owing to an ageing population, the number of persons affected by late AMD will increase 75% to 328 000 in 2040.
Conclusion: The number of patients with late AMD in Scandinavia is expected to increase substantially over the next three decades, resulting in increased demand for ophthalmic health services.
© 2012 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica © 2012 Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.