Blood test saves sight

A BLOOD test could save the sight of older people by detecting a common eye disease before symptoms emerge.

More than 600,000 Brits have age-related macular degeneration. It is the leading cause of blindness among over-50s in the UK.

By the time many notice any problems – such as dark spots in their vision – much of the damage has been done.

But US researchers say a blood test could detect AMD earlier and may lead to new treatment options. Their study was published yesterday in the journal Ophthalmology.