Age-related macular degeneration is a complex genetic disorder. Recent data suggest that the additive genetic risk for late-stage disease is more than two-thirds. Comprehensive genetic studies (candidate gene approaches, linkage and association studies) have been performed in recent years to identity the genetic risk factors at the molecular lavel. Very recently, a significant risk allele, Y402H, has been discovered in the complement factor H (CFH) gene. The relative risk of developing AMD has been estimated between 2.4-4.6 for heterozygotes and 3.3-7.4 for homozygotes. This polymorphism accounts for approximately 20-50% of the overall risk of developing AMD. In this review the results from molecular genetic studies in AMD are summarized, with a special emphasis on the recent data obtained for the CFH gene.