title: Risk Factors and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in a Mediterranean-Basin Population: The PAMDI (Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Italy) Study--Report 2.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association of diet and other modifiable risk factors with the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) in rural and urban communities of a Mediterranean population in the northeast of Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted among subjects aged over 60 years. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the consumption of different food categories, i.e., protective (P), risky (R), lutein-rich (L) and neutral (N). Smoking habit and alcohol intake were also examined. Macular pigment was measured by Raman spectroscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P food intake reduced the risk of large drusen (ARM2; OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.89-0.96) within the rural community. In this sub-group, R foods resulted in a slight association with large drusen, though the R/P food ratio was highly correlated with ARM2 (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.12-1.31). Raman measures showed an age-dependent decrease but did not correlate with lutein intake. Smoking habit showed a positive association with ARM2 among women (OR 2.40; 95% CI 1.54-3.75), whereas alcohol consumption resulted in protective odds (OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.60-0.86).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FFQ analysis confirmed the role of P and R foods and the benefit of a Mediterranean diet in ARMD. Moderate alcohol consumption showed a beneficial effect, whereas the deleterious role of a smoking habit was more evident in females.
authors.affiliation: University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piermarocchi
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tognetto
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piermarocchi
authors.forename: Morena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masetto
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Monterosso
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Segato
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavarzeran
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turrini
authors.forename: Tunde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D014975:Lutein / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D015593:Retinal Drusen / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D014975:Lutein