Age-Related Macular Degeneration and Associated Risk Factors in the Population-Based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-Trend).

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of visual impairment in developed countries, especially in the older population. The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) is a population-based study designed to investigate risk factors and clinical disorders in the general population. In the present study, we analysed the AMD prevalence and risk factors in the north-eastern German population. MATERIAL AND METHODS From 2008 to 2012, we collected data among participants ages 29-79 years. The study population consisted of 4420 individuals. Non-mydriatic retinal photographs were taken of 3934 participants. AMD stages were graded according to the Rotterdam Classification System and the International Classification System. RESULTS Photographs from 1854 participants were available for grading. The baseline examinations showed small hard drusen (<63 µm, stage 0b and 0c) were present in 10.7% of the participants (stage 0b in 7.5% and stage 0c in 3.2%). Earliest signs of AMD were detected in 28.68% (stage 0b in 7.5% and stage 1b in 21.18%). Late AMD (geographic atrophy and neovascular AMD, stages 4a and 4b) were identified in 0.43% (stage 4a in 0.16% and stage 4b 0.27%). Risk of AMD increased significantly with age and higher body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, and weight-waist-ratio. Smoking, sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride were not associated with AMD in this study. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of AMD increases with age and obesity-associated factors. These results must be verified in the follow-up. Data concerning the incidence of AMD will be available after the 5- and 10-year follow-ups.