[Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration]. / Enfermedad de Alzheimer y degeneración macular asociada a la edad.

OBJECTIVES: We analysed different risk factors involved in the onset of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The putative relation between both disorders was studied. METHODS: We studied 57 subjects to determine the correlation between AD and ARMD. Thirty-three of the subjects suffered dementia (cases), whereas 24 of them (controls) did not. Firstly, anamnesis was performed for all individuals. We then examined the macular area of the eye using a non-midriatic TRV-50VT fundus camera. Significant odds ratio (OR) results were used as a statistical tool to survey the putative link between AD and ARMD. RESULTS: The OR test results showed that ARMD was associated with Alzheimer's disease. The occurrence of ARMD was significantly higher for cases (42.4%) than for controls (25%). On this basis, we inferred a cause-effect relation linking both variables. Our dataset suggested that the control group was more protected against ARMD than the case group, as revealed by Fisher's exact test (P = 0.649). However, such a difference between both groups was not strongly supported. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that AD and ARMD may have common factors concerning etiology and pathogenesis. Our dataset did not allow us to show a significant relation between both disorders, which is likely due to sample size and/or to age differences in the two studied groups. Even so, we feel that the possibility of such an association is justified, and future surveys to test this possibility are warranted.

Enfermedad de Alzheimer y degeneración macular asociada a la edad / Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration

Objetivos: Analizar diferentes factores de riesgoimplicados en la aparición de la enfermedad deAlzheimer y de la degeneración macular asociada ala edad, tratando de establecer una relación de asociaciónentre ambas entidades.Métodos: Sobre una muestra de 57 sujetos, de losque 33 presentan demencia (casos) y 24 no (controles)se realiza estudio analítico a fin de establecer elgrado de asociación entre la enfermedad de Alzheimer(EA) y la degeneración macular asociada a laedad (DMAE). Para ello, tras realizar anamnesis atodos los sujetos, se estudia el fondo de ojo mediantecámara no midriática tipo Topcon TRV-50VT.Resultados: De acuerdo a la hipótesis de trabajoplanteada, aplicada la razón de productos cruzadoso de disparidad (odds ratio) se obtuvo un resultadopositivo que determina relación causa efecto, yaque el porcentaje de casos con DMAE (42,4%) essuperior al de controles con DMAE (25%). Por otrolado mediante la Chi cuadrado de Pearson, aunqueno se establecieron diferencias significativas, losdatos obtenidos muestran protección en el grupo control de acuerdo al estadístico exacto de Fisher(p=0,649).Conclusiones: Existen evidencias suficientes parapensar que la EA y la DMAE podrían tener factoresetiológicos y patogénicos comunes, y aunque ennuestro estudio no hemos podido establecer la relaciónsignificativa entre ambas patologías, posiblementeen base al tamaño de la muestra o a las diferenciasde edades entre ambos grupos, creemosestablecida la posible asociación como para plantearun futuro trabajo que pueda confirmar estos hallazgos

Objectives: We analysed different risk factors involved in the onset of both Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). The putative relation between both disorders was studied. Methods: We studied 57 subjects to determine the correlation between AD and ARMD. Thirty-three of the subjects suffered dementia (cases), whereas 24 of them (controls) did not. Firstly, anamnesis was performed for all individuals. We then examined the macular area of the eye using a non-midriatic TRV-50VT fundus camera. Significant odds ratio (OR) results were used as a statistical tool to survey the putative link between AD and ARMD. Results: The OR test results showed that ARMD was associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The occurrence of ARMD was significantly higher for cases (42.4%) than for controls (25%). On this basis, we inferred a cause-effect relation linking both variables. Our dataset suggested that the control group was more protected against ARMD than the case group, as revealed by Fisher’s exact test (P = 0.649). However, such a difference between both groups was not strongly supported. Conclusions: We suggest that AD and ARMD may have common factors concerning etiology and pathogenesis. Our dataset did not allow us to show a significant relation between both disorders, which is likely due to sample size and/or to age differences in the two studied groups. Even so, we feel that the possibility of such an association is justified, and future surveys to test this possibility are warranted