title: Prevalence and risk factors for age-related macular degeneration in the elderly Chinese population in south-western Taiwan: the Puzih eye study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of and the risk factors associated with early and late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among Chinese individuals aged ≥65 years residing in Puzih, Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This population-based cross-sectional study graded digital colour photographs of the ocular fundus of 673 individuals using the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System. We compared the characteristics of individuals with early and late AMD using χ(2)-analyses and described risk factors for early and late AMD using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with late AMD were significantly older and more likely to have hypertension. Further, their sunlight exposure time was longer than that of those with early AMD, only drusen, or no AMD lesions (P<0.01). A history of hyperlipidaemia for >10 years was a significant risk factor for early AMD, while old age, hypertension for >10 years, and exposure to sunlight for >8 h per day were associated with late AMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence rate of early AMD in the present study was 15.0%, which is similar to that reported for Caucasians and Japanese included in the European Eye Study and the Hisayama Study, respectively. The late AMD prevalence rate of 7.3% found among our study participants was comparable to that reported by the Greenland Inuit Eye Study and Reykjavik Study, but considerably lower than that reported for Caucasians, indicating that late AMD might be less prevalent among Asians than Caucasians.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: E J-C
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan [3] Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P-L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital- Chiayi, Chiayi, Taiwan [2] Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P-C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000145:classification / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010781:Photography; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology