The relation of coffee and caffeine to the 5-year incidence of early age-related maculopathy: the Beaver Dam Eye Study

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between coffee and caffeine consumption and the 5-year incidence of early age-related maculopathy and its component lesions, soft indistinct drusen or pigmentary abnormalities. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study conducted from 1988 to 1995 with an average follow-up of 4.8 years. METHODS: Data from baseline and 5-year follow-up examinations were analyzed for Beaver Dam Eye Study participants (n = 3435). The Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System was used to assess the presence and severity of early age-related maculopathy. RESULTS: Men were more likely to be coffee and caffeine drinkers than were women. For both men and women, coffee and caffeine intake decreased with age. Coffee and caffeine consumption were not associated with the 5-year incidence of early age-related maculopathy, soft indistinct drusen, or pigmentary abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Neither a history of coffee nor caffeine consumption is associated with incident early age-related maculopathy.