Risk factors for five-year incident age-related macular degeneration: the Reykjavik Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To establish risk factors for five-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).


METHODS
Population-based, prospective cohort study, and risk analysis.


METHODS
A random sample from the Reykjavik Population Census for individuals 50 years and older was selected. We took fundus stereo color photographs and used standard grading system to study the five-year incidence of drusen, pigmentary abnormalities, and AMD and to examine possible risk factors. A questionnaire including information on disease, medication, diet, and lifestyle from the Reykjavik Eye Study database provided additional information.


RESULTS
Current alcohol consumption decreased the risk for drusen. Being married rather than divorced or widowed decreased the risk for soft drusen; being single decreased the risk of hypopigmentation as compared with being divorced or married. Both consuming dietary fiber-rich vegetables and meat and meat products once a week or less frequently was a risk factor for developing soft drusen and decreased the risk of pigmentary abnormalities. Those who had smoked 20 pack-years or more as compared with nonsmokers had decreased survival rate over the five years (odds ratio (OR) 0.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.27 to 0.80; P = .006).


CONCLUSIONS
Risk factors for drusen appear to differ from risk factors for pigmentary abnormalities. The effect of smoking on developing AMD is partly masked by selective mortality.
Arnarsson
Arsaell
A
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Sverrisson
Thordur
T
Stefánsson
Einar
E
Sigurdsson
Haraldur
H
Sasaki
Hiroshi
H
Sasaki
Kazuyuki
K
Jonasson
Fridbert
F
D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires