Frailty and age-related macular degeneration: the Beaver Dam Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the associations of measures of frailty to prevalent age-related maculopathy (ARM).


METHODS
Cross-sectional population-based study.


METHODS
Time to walk a measured course (gait-time), handgrip strength, peak expiratory flow rate, ability to stand from a sitting position without using arms, self-reported co-morbidities, and ARM were assessed at the third examination of the Beaver Dam Eye Study (n = 2,962). ARM was determined by grading stereoscopic color fundus photographs.


RESULTS
While controlling for age, smoking, and the number of co-morbid conditions, weaker handgrip strength was associated with early ARM (odds ratio [OR]/10 kg decrease 1.28, confidence interval [CI] 1.08, 1.52, P = .004) and late ARM (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.02, 2.36) in men but not women. Other measures of frailty were not related to ARM.


CONCLUSIONS
A weak cross-sectional association of handgrip strength with ARM (in men) was found after controlling for co-morbid conditions. These data suggest that ARM is due to a specific disease process, albeit age-related, rather than to biologic aging, as reflected by measures of frailty.
Klein
Ronald
R
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, 53726, USA. kleinr@epi.ophth.wisc.edu
Klein
Barbara E K
BE
Knudtson
Michael D
MD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012737:Sex Factors; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology