title: Associations of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors with age-related macular degeneration: the POLA study.
abstract: The POLA study (June 1995 through July 1997) is a population-based study on cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and their risk factors in 2584 residents of Séte (South of France), aged 60--95 years. Classification of AMD was performed on 50 degrees fundus photographs, according to an international classification. The presence of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors was determined by interviewer-based questionnaire, clinical examination (anthropometry, blood pressure) and fasting plasma measurements. Using a logistic model adjusted for age and gender, late AMD was not significantly associated with a history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, use of hypocholesterolemic drugs, hypertension, blood pressure or plasma lipids. Obese subjects (body mass index greater than 30 kg/m( 2)) had a 2.29-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00--5.23) and 1.54-fold (CI: 1.05--2.26) increased risk of late AMD and pigmentary abnormalities in comparison with lean subjects. Finally, the risk of soft drusen was decreased in those subjects with a history of cardiovascular disease (odds-ratio (OR) = 0.72, CI: 0.54--0.97), and increased with increasing levels of HDL-cholesterol (OR = 1.52, CI: 1.14--2.02). None of these results were modified by further adjustments for smoking, educational level and plasma alpha-tocopherol. These results need to be confirmed by other studies, which ideally should be longitudinal and prospective.
authors.affiliation: INSERM Unité 500, Montpellier, 34093, France. delcourt@montp.inserm.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delcourt
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colvez
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lacroux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delage
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Vernet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors