Ocular risk factors for age-related macular degeneration: the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the association between ocular factors and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Latinos.


METHODS
Population-based, cross-sectional study of 6357 self-identified Latinos aged 40 years and older.


METHODS
Ophthalmic examination included subjective refraction, measurement of axial length, evaluation of iris color, Lens Opacities Classification System II (LOCS II) grading of cataracts, and stereoscopic macular photographs for AMD lesions. Generalized estimating equation analysis incorporated data from both eyes to estimate odds ratios (OR) adjusted for covariates.


RESULTS
After controlling for confounders (age, gender, and smoking), prior cataract surgery was associated with advanced AMD (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.01, 7.8), increased retinal pigment (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.02, 1.5), and retinal pigment epithelial depigmentation (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1, 4.4). The presence of any lens opacity was associated with soft drusen (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.002, 1.5). Longer axial length (per mm) was associated with decreased odds of soft drusen, increased retinal pigment, and geographic atrophy (GA) (ORs, 0.8 [95% CI, 0.7, 0.9], 0.8 [95% CI, 0.7, 0.9], 0.7 [95% CI, 0.5, 0.9], respectively). Myopia was inversely associated with soft drusen (OR, 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7, 0.99). Lighter-colored irises were associated with GA (OR, 5.0; 95% CI, 1.0, 25.3).


CONCLUSIONS
Cross-sectional associations of ocular factors such as cataract, cataract surgery, and refractive errors with early AMD lesions found in Latinos are consistent with those in non-Hispanic Whites. Additionally, prior cataract surgery was associated with advanced AMD.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.
Samantha
S
Fraser-Bell
Farzana
F
Choudhury
Ronald
R
Klein
Stanley
S
Azen
Rohit
R
Varma
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000145:classification; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005127:Eye Color; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015141:Los Angeles / Q000453:epidemiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010781:Photography; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors