title: The prevalence and risk factors of epiretinal membranes: the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of epiretinal membranes (ERMs) in Melbourne, Australia and its risk factors in this population.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study is a prospective study investigating the role of diet and life style in the causation of common chronic diseases. Eighty-six percent of participants were of Northern European origin born in Australia or United Kingdom and 14% were migrants from Greece or Italy (Southern European origin). Nonmydriatic digital retinal photography was implemented at Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study follow-up. The ERMs were recorded as cellophane macular reflex without retinal folds or preretinal macular fibrosis (PMF) with retinal folds.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 22,406 participants had retinal photography, 95% (n = 21,241) were eligible for ERM grading. The ERM prevalence were 8.9% (1,882); cellophane macular reflex, 4.9% (1,047); and preretinal macular fibrosis, 3.9% (835). After adjustment for age, sex, level of education, smoking status, level of cholesterol, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, waist measurement, blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke, increasing age and Southern European ethnicity was significantly associated with ERMs. Overall, in Southern Europeans, ERMs odd ratio was 1.97 (95% confidence intervals, 1.67-2.31), P < 0.001; preretinal macular fibrosis was 1.82 (95% confidence intervals, 1.43-2.31), P < 0.001; and cellophane macular reflex was 1.93 (1.57-2.38), P < 0.001.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In an older Australian population, the prevalence of ERMs was 8.9% and was almost two times higher in participants of Southern European origin than Northern European origin.
authors: Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. kzaung@unimelb.edu.au
authors: Khin Z
authors: KZ
authors: Aung
authors: Galina
authors: G
authors: Makeyeva
authors: Madeleine K
authors: MK
authors: Adams
authors: Elaine W-T
authors: EW
authors: Chong
authors: Lucy
authors: L
authors: Busija
authors: Graham G
authors: GG
authors: Giles
authors: Dallas R
authors: DR
authors: English
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Hopper
authors: Paul N
authors: PN
authors: Baird
authors: Robyn H
authors: RH
authors: Guymer
authors: Liubov D
authors: LD
authors: Robman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data