Hormone replacement therapy, reproductive factors, and age-related macular degeneration: the Salisbury Eye Evaluation Project.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a potential relationship between hormone replacement therapy (HRT), reproductive factors and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


METHODS
1,458 female participants (age 65-84) from the Salisbury Eye Evaluation study were available for this cross-sectional analysis. AMD outcomes were identified by reading center assessment of fundus photographs.


RESULTS
Women who currently used HRT had a lower adjusted odds of large drusen (> 125 microm) (OR = 0.5, 95% CI 0.2-1.0). Use of HRT was not statistically significantly associated with the prevalence of early AMD or advanced AMD, although the odds ratios were all much less than 1. Women who had had an increased number of births had a greater prevalence of large drusen (test of linear trend, p = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Current use of HRT was associated with a lower odds of large drusen, which may be predictive of advanced AMD. No statistically significant correlations were found between HRT or reproductive factors and early or advanced AMD.
Freeman
Ellen E
EE
Dana Center for Preventive Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. efreeman@jhsph.edu
Muñoz
Beatriz
B
Bressler
Susan B
SB
West
Sheila K
SK
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008396:Maryland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017584:Reproductive History; D012160:Retina / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
D004967:Estrogens