title: Nine-year incidence and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration in a defined Japanese population the Hisayama study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the 9-year incidence and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a general Japanese population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based, cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 1998, a total of 1775 Hisayama residents aged >or=40 years underwent a baseline eye examination. Of those, 1401 subjects (78.9%) took part in the follow-up eye examination in 2007 and were enrolled in the present study.
  
  
  METHODS
  At both time points, the characteristics of AMD were determined by grading color fundus photographs using the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incident early and late AMD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-standardized, 9-year cumulative incidence of early AMD was 10.0%, and that of late AMD was 1.4%. Men were found to have a significantly higher incidence of late AMD than women (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR], 2.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-7.09). The incidence of both early and late AMD increased significantly with age. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that older age (per 1 year; OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-1.16), smoking habits (OR, 3.98; 95% CI, 1.07-14.7), and higher circulating white blood cell (WBC) count (per 1000 cells/mm(3)) (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.07-1.79) were significantly associated with the development of late AMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that the 9-year incidences of late AMD are lower among the Japanese than among white people in Western countries, and it is higher than among black people. Smoking habits and higher circulating WBC count are significant risk factors for the development of late AMD in the Japanese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan. miho-m@med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonemoto
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Tatsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology