Serum beta carotene, alpha tocopherol, and age-related maculopathy: the Blue Mountains Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess associations between serum beta carotene, alpha tocopherol, and age-related maculopathy.


METHODS
We studied 156 subjects with age-related maculopathy matched for age, sex, and month of blood collection to 156 control subjects without age-related maculopathy. Subjects were identified from the Blue Mountains Eye Study: those with late age-related macular degeneration and early age-related maculopathy using examination and grading of retinal photographs, and control subjects without age-related maculopathy randomly sampled from the study population.


RESULTS
Neither serum alpha tocopherol nor beta carotene was significantly associated with age-related maculopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide no evidence of a protective association between serum alpha tocopherol or beta carotene and age-related maculopathy.
Smith
W
W
National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Australia.
Mitchell
P
P
Rochester
C
C
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011897:Random Allocation; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood*
D015415:Biomarkers; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E; D002784:Cholesterol