From the American Academy of Ophthalmology

Investigators compared serum levels of sFlt-1 among patients with early AMD, neovascular AMD and normal controls. Serum soluble Flt-1, or VEGFR1, is an antiangiogenic receptor for VEGF that binds and sequesters VEGF. The authors found that neovascular AMD patients had lower serum sFlt-1 than non-AMD or early AMD patients, especially in those age 73 and older. Considering evidence from previous studies, the authors believe sFlt-1 reductions observed in neovascular AMD occur locally at the level of the RPE and are also reflected systemically. American Journal of Ophthalmology, January 2015