C-reactive protein level and risk of aging macula disorder: The Rotterdam Study.
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.
Boekhoorn
Sharmila S
SS
Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Vingerling
Johannes R
JR
Witteman
Jacqueline C M
JC
Hofman
Albert
A
de Jong
Paulus T V M
PT
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
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein