Cures for Stargardt's Disease

Stargardt's disease is an inherited disorder that causes macular degeneration, or central vision loss, in children and teenagers. The disorder typically affects males and females in equal numbers, and best estimates place its frequency at one in every 10,000 or 20,000 young people. Currently, there is no known cure for Stargardt's disease, but its effects on your lifestyle can be diminished.

What Is Stargardt's Disease?

• Until the 1990s, Stargardt's disease was poorly understood. In 1997, however, researchers uncovered its genetic origins. Each parent of a Stargardt's sufferer carries a "silent" mutation of a gene known as ABCA4. ABCA4 controls the flow of vitamin A in and out of the central portion of the retina. In normal circumstances, vitamin A is beneficial to eye health, but it becomes toxic when allowed to concentrate in one area of the eye. This is precisely what occurs in Stargardt's disease: buildup of vitamin A byproducts in the central retina causes progressive damage that eventually leads to partial blindness.

Diagnosis

• The effects of Stargardt's disease typically manifest between the ages of 6 and 20. Initially, your child may complain of vision problems that are too subtle to appear in standard testing. While these sorts of problems can have numerous causes, this may be your first clue that Stargardt's has set in. If you are concerned that this is the case, make sure you schedule regular eye exams to track any developing problems.

  Eventually, Stargardt's will cause noticeable physical changes to the retina. If you receive a Stargardt's diagnosis, you doctor will likely run a series of tests to determine the extent of the damage. The disorder sometimes causes blood vessels in the retina to leak, and your doctor will probably test for this, as well.

Progression

• By its nature, Stargardt's disease is progressive, and it typically achieves maximum damage within a decade or so of onset. Generally, vision loss is gradual until the 20/40 range is reached. At that point, a rapid decrease in vision occurs until eyesight in the central retina bottoms out between 20/200 and 20/400. Vision in this range meets the definitions of legal blindness.

Diminishing the Effects of Stargardt's

• While Stargardt's disease cannot be stopped, there are some important factors to keep in mind. First, even Stargardt's at its worst is incapable of causing total blindness. It affects only the central portion of vision, and although ability to see color can be impaired, peripheral vision remains unaffected. Night vision is also left intact, although patients may have trouble moving from brightly lit areas to low light. Low-vision aids like large-print materials, lamps, telescopes and special magnifiers are typically effective even after full damage has been done. Consult with your specialist to create a program that will allow maximum function and lifestyle choices in dealing with Stargardt's.

  In 2008, studies showed danger to Stargardt's patients from excess Vitamin A intake. If you or your child have the disorder, you should avoid foods rich in the vitamin to keep from accelerating the rate of vision loss.