Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly worldwide affecting 30-50 million individuals. AMD is more common in developed world. AMD is characterized by central visual loss. Advanced AMD can be classified in broadly into two types: dry and wet form. Several clear risk factors for the development and progression of age related macular degeneration have been established are advancing age, genetic factors, history of smoking ,white race, obesity, high dietary intake of vegetable fat, low dietary intake of antioxidants and zinc. This prospective non-interventional study was conducted from February 2011 to October 2012 in the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, included patients who attended the eye OPD, retina clinic and eye ward and were diagnosed as a case of AMD. Present study included 174 patients out of which patients 79(45.39%) were above the age of 70 years, with 51 (29.31%) patients between 61-70 years and 44 cases (25.28%) in the sixth decade. Male: female ratio was 0.75: 1. 21 (12.06%) patients have a positive family history of AMD. Most common risk factor identified in our study was chronic sun exposure (49.42%) followed by hypertension in 41.8% patients. 25.26% cases gave history of smoking and raised serum cholesterol levels were seen in 14.28% cases. History of alcoholism was positive in 19.54% patients. Of the 174 cases in our present study 90 patients (51.72%) were hypermetropic. Conclusion: Age related macular degeneration is a disease of elderly with risk factors, most of them are preventable. If timely proper measures are taken, a major cause of blindness can be prevented in elderly age group. INTRODUCTION: Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness among the elderly worldwide affecting 30-50 million individuals. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2002 that 8.7% of the world's blindness was due to AMD with 14 million persons worldwide blind or severely visually impaired. AMD is more common in developed world. The prevalence of advanced AMD increases with each decade after age of 50 with the highest prevalence occurring after age of 80. The population over age 85 years is expected to increase by 107% by the year 2020, so the prevalence of this disease will continue to rise dramatically. ARMD is characterized by central visual loss as a result of drusen deposition leading to geographical atrophy or choroidal neovascular membrane and its complications. Several risk factors have been identified for the development and progression of age related macular degeneration like advancing age, genetic factors, a history of smoking within the past 20 years, white race, hypertension, obesity, high dietary intake of vegetable fat, low dietary intake of antioxidants and zinc and certain ocular risk factors like light iris colour, hypermetropia. Most of these risk factors are modifiable and controlling these risk factors reduce chances of development and progression of the disease.