title: C-reactive protein level and risk of aging macula disorder: The Rotterdam Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether C-reactive protein (CRP) level is a risk factor for aging macula disorder (AMD) in a general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined serum high-sensitivity CRP (HsCRP) levels in 4914 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study at risk for AMD. After a mean follow-up of 7.7 years, 561 cases of early and 97 cases of late incident AMD (iAMD) were identified. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for age and sex, hazard ratios were 1.11 (95% CI, 1.02-1.21) per standard deviation increase in HsCRP level for early iAMD and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.02-1.60) for late iAMD. Hazard ratios for early iAMD increased per quartile increase in HsCRP level as follows: second quartile, 1.19 (95% CI, 0.94-1.52); third quartile, 1.29 (95% CI, 1.01-1.64); and fourth quartile, 1.33 (95% CI, 1.05-1.70). The risk of late iAMD was higher in all upper quartiles of HsCRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated baseline levels of HsCRP were associated with the development of early and late AMD in this large population-based cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sharmila S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Boekhoorn
authors.forename: Johannes R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vingerling
authors.forename: Jacqueline C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Witteman
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Paulus T V M
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: de Jong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein