On Aug. 21, 2025, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) announced a recent study aimed to estimate global, national, and region-specific prevalence and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) along with tobacco as a modifiable risk factor to aid public policy addressing AMD.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a growing public health concern worldwide, and one of the leading causes of vision impairment. Globally, the number of individuals with vision impairment due to AMD more than doubled, rising from 3.64 million in 1990 to 8.06 million in 2021. Similarly, DALYs increased by 91% over the same period.

Data on AMD were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor Study 2021 database in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021. Vision impairment was defined and categorised by severity as follows: moderate to severe vision loss (visual acuity from <6/18 to 3/60) and blindness (visual acuity <3/60 or a visual field <10 degrees around central fixation).

The burden of vision impairment attributable to AMD was subsequently estimated. These estimates were further stratified by geographical region, age, year, sex, Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) levels. Additionally, the effect of tobacco use, a modifiable risk factor, on the burden of AMD was analysed, and projections of AMD burden were estimated through to 2050. These projections also included scenario modelling to assess the potential effects of tobacco elimination.

By 2050, the number of individuals affected by AMD is projected to increase from 3.40 million males in 2021 to 9.02 million and from 4.66 million females to 12.32 million. Eliminating tobacco use could reduce these numbers to 8.17 million males and 11.15 million females in 2050.