title: Epidemiology of age-related maculopathy: a review.
abstract: Age-related maculopathy (ARM) is a degenerative disease of the retina and the leading cause of incurable blindness and visual impairment in industrialized countries. By definition, ARM is confined to the age-category above 50 years. The aetiology of ARM is still unknown, despite intensive research on many fronts. In this paper, we provide a review of the epidemiology of ARM. The most prominent findings were an exponential increase in frequency with age, a significant familial and genetic component, and a strong association with smoking. Other risk factors that were found less consistently were atherosclerosis, low intake of antioxidant nutrients, and cataract extraction. Future studies, both observational and experimental, will hopefully identify more risk factors that are amenable to prevention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Redmer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Leeuwen
authors.forename: Caroline C W
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Klaver
authors.forename: Johannes R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vingerling
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Paulus T V M
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: de Jong
mesh_terms: D017668:Age of Onset; D015897:Comorbidity; D004032:Diet; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors