The eyes are the windows of the world, but for about one in seven Australians over the age of 50 years, they had no choice but to live with dark, blurry areas in the centre of their vision as a result of a condition called age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Being the second leading cause of blindness in Australia and New Zealand accounting for 12% of visual impairments in older Australians, AMD is identified as a chronic, painless eye disease associated with aging that causes loss of central vision. It is caused by damage to the cells in the central region (macula) of the back of the eye (the retina). AMD causes blurred vision and loss of vision in the middle of what we would normally see, and it may be hard to read fine print or drive. In further extreme cases, it could result in worse or different color perception.
AMD occurs when the macula — the key area of the retina responsible for vision — shows signs of degeneration. During normal aging, yellowish deposits called drusen form in the retina, which is the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye. As drusen increase in size and number, they eventually begin to damage the light-sensitive cells of the macula. This stage of the disease, called “dry” AMD, can mean blurry central vision and impaired day-to-day activity. While about four in five people with AMD have the dry form of the disease, it’s the so-called “wet” form that is most concerning, because it accounts for 80-90% of all legal blindness associated with the disease. In wet AMD, abnormal blood vessels accumulate underneath the macula and leak blood and fluid. When that happens, irreversible damage to the macula can quickly ensue if not treated quickly.
AMD is treatable, but incurable. Prior treatment methods have involved injections directly into the eyeball, which were costly, invasive, and tend to scare away people from getting treated. However, the past decade has witnessed a revolution in medical imaging techniques, which have been driven by advances in optics, cameras, computers, and software. Retinal imaging technology has come to the surface, providing detailed views of retinal changes in people who have AMD and helping ophthalmologists perform early diagnosis and treat AMD. The scanning is performed by casting a beam of low energy infrared light in the eye to trace the unique pattern of retinal blood vessels. People with AMD can expect to have at least one, and sometimes several, types of images taken on each visit to the eye doctor.
In line with its broader vision to accommodate the wider community, Retinal Eye Scanner technology are Healthia’s latest addition to its network of optometry clinics, in conjunction with the rapid expansion of its Eyes and Ears division. The Retinal Eye Scanner can be used to identify AMD as well as other eye diseases, eventually supporting Healthia to meet rising demand for eye imaging treatment among Australia’s aging population who are living with vision impairment.
The Retinal Eye Scanner rollout will provide the greatest advantage to around 51,500 Australians aged 55 and above who have been confirmed to have AMD, and 1.45 million others who are living with signs of AMD but are yet to be detected. The popularity of these scanners with a low occurrence of false positives, high reliability and ability to be performed within a short duration of time can be accessed across Healthia’s network of optometry clinics under the Eyes and Ears division within Healthia’s broader network of more than 300 allied health clinics.
The division consists of optometry and audiology stores located in Australia, and launched when Healthia acquired The Optical Co in 2020 to now operate more than 50 clinics, all of which are supported by Healthia’s eyewear distribution business.
Many now also offer co-located audiology services with continued expansion to take place which will likely happen under Healthia’s new ownership after the Company received an offer to be acquired for $260m by a private equity fund. The offer to acquire all HLA shares at $1.80 came at a significant premium at the time, and is now subject to court and shareholder approval.
Clara is a Business Reporter for The Sentiment.
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