Macular degeneration often is called age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, because the greatest risk factor for the disease is advanced age. Although AMD can occur during middle age, according to the National Eye Institute, people age 60 and older have the greatest risk. The National Eye Institute reports that results from a large study found that middle-aged people have a 2 percent risk of developing AMD, but in people over age 75, that risk increases to 30 percent.