Risk Factors for Progression of Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Koreans

Purpose: To identify risk factors for the progression of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Koreans.

Methods: This study was conducted at a health-screening center and followed a prospective cohort study design. Of 10,890 participants older than 50 years, 318 (2.92%) presented with early AMD. Among these 318 participants, we re-examined 172 participants after a mean duration of 4.4 years. Progression was defined by the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) simplified AMD severity scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations between AMD progression and baseline physical, demographic, behavioral, and ocular characteristics.

Results: Of the 172 participants with early AMD who were re-examined, 34 (19.8%) had progression. Multivariable analyses revealed that current smoking (odds ratio, OR, 7.0, 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.4–34.4, adjusted for age, alcohol consumption, body mass index, BMI, blood pressure, BP, total cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein, HDL, cholesterol) and hypertension (OR 10.3, 95% CI 1.9–55.7, adjusted for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, BMI, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol) were independently associated with progression of early AMD. Additionally, the presence of a central drusen lesion within one-third disc diameter of the macula (age-adjusted OR 4.8, 95% CI 1.3–17.6) and 20 or more drusen (age adjusted OR 7.8, 95% CI 2.5–24.0) were independently associated with progression of early AMD.

Conclusion: Current smoking, hypertension, central drusen location, and increasing number of drusen were associated with an increased risk of early AMD progression in Koreans.