title: Associations between aspirin use and aging macula disorder: the European Eye Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study associations between aspirin use and early and late aging macula disorder (AMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross-sectional European Eye Study in 7 centers from northern to southern Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 4691 participants 65 years of age and older, collected by random sampling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aspirin intake and possible confounders for AMD were ascertained by a structured questionnaire. Ophthalmic and basic systemic measurements were performed in a standardized way. The study classified AMD according to the modified International Classification System on digitized fundus images at 1 grading center. Nonfasting blood samples were analyzed in a single laboratory. Associations were analyzed by logistic regression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Odds ratios (ORs) for AMD in aspirin users.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early AMD was present in 36.4% of the participants and late AMD was present in 3.3% of participants. Monthly aspirin use was reported by 1931 (41.2%), at least once weekly by 7%, and daily use by 17.3%. For daily aspirin users, the ORs, adjusted for potential confounders, showed a steady increase with increasing severity of AMD grades. These were: grade 1, 1.26 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-1.46; P<0.001); grade 2, 1.42 (95% CI, 1.18-1.70), and wet late AMD, 2.22 (95% CI, 1.61-3.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequent aspirin use was associated with early AMD and wet late AMD, and the ORs rose with increasing frequency of consumption. This interesting observation warrants further evaluation of the associations between aspirin use and AMD.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
authors.affiliation: The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.dejong@nin.knaw.nl
authors.forename: Paulus T V M
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Chakravarthy
authors.forename: Mati
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahu
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seland
authors.forename: Gisele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Soubrane
authors.forename: Fotis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Topouzis
authors.forename: Johannes R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Vingerling
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vioque
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Astrid E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Fletcher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D057092:Geographic Atrophy / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D002784:Cholesterol; D001241:Aspirin