Exposure to Atomic Bomb Radiation and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Later Life: The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivor Study.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between radiation exposure from the atomic bombings and the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) among older residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.


METHODS
The Adult Health Study is a cohort study of atomic bomb survivors living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, comprising 2153 participants who underwent examinations with retinal fundus photographs in 2006-2008. The radiation dose to the eye for the analysis was estimated with the revised dosimetry system (DS02). The retinal photographs were graded according to the Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System modified for nonstereoscopic retinal images. Early and late AMD were defined according to the type of lesion detected in the worse eye of the participants. Person-specific data were analyzed by using a logistic regression model to assess the association between radiation dose and AMD.


RESULTS
Among the 1824 subjects with gradable retinal images (84.7% of the overall participants), the estimated eye dose was widely distributed, with a mean of 0.45 Gy and standard deviation of 0.74 Gy. The prevalence of early and late AMD was 10.5% and 0.3%, respectively. There were no significant associations between radiation dose and AMD, with each 1-Gy increase in exposure, adjusted odds ratio was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1.15) for early AMD and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.21-2.94) for late AMD.


CONCLUSIONS
No significant associations were found between atomic bomb irradiation early in life and the prevalence of early or late AMD later in life among Japanese atomic bomb survivors.
Centre for Eye Research Australia Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Katsumasa
K
Itakura
Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan.
Ikuno
I
Takahashi
Department of Statistics, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan.
Eiji
E
Nakashima
Centre for Eye Research Australia Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Masahide
M
Yanagi
Centre for Eye Research Australia Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 5Department of Public Health, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
Ryo
R
Kawasaki
Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan 6Yachiyo Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan.
Kazuo
K
Neriishi
Centre for Eye Research Australia Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 7Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Jie Jin
JJ
Wang
Centre for Eye Research Australia Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 8Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Center, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, National University of Sing.
Tien Yin
TY
Wong
Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Nagasaki, Japan.
Ayumi
A
Hida
Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan.
Waka
W
Ohishi
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Yoshiaki
Y
Kiuchi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054043:Nuclear Weapons; D015995:Prevalence; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017741:Survivors; D013997:Time Factors