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Published on: October 22, 2014
The relation between C reactive protein and age related macular degeneration in the Cardiovascular Health Study
1Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 700 S 18th Street, Suite 609, Birmingham, AL 35294-0009, USA. mcgwin@uab.edu
Insights
This study found no significant association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The findings do not support the theory that systemic inflammation plays a role in AMD development or progression.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Immunology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.
- Systemic inflammation has been proposed as a potential factor in the etiology and progression of AMD.
- C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of systemic inflammation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the presence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
- To test the hypothesis that individuals with AMD have elevated CRP levels.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study using data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS).
- Identified 390 participants with AMD and 2365 without AMD using fundus photographs.
- Compared baseline CRP levels between AMD and non-AMD groups, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and health factors.
Main Results:
- Median CRP levels were similar between individuals with AMD (1.76 mg/l) and those without AMD (1.77 mg/l).
- Adjusted odds ratios for AMD were not statistically significant across increasing CRP quartiles compared to the lowest quartile.
- No statistically significant association was found between CRP levels and AMD.
Conclusions:
- The Cardiovascular Health Study data do not provide evidence for an association between CRP levels and AMD.
- These findings do not support the role of non-specific systemic inflammation in the etiology or natural history of AMD.
Aim:
To test the hypothesis that individuals with age related macular degeneration (AMD) have increased C reactive protein (CRP) levels.
Methods:
A cross sectional study design using data from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), a longitudinal study that enrolled older adults from four communities in the United States from 1989 to 1990, was employed to investigate the existence of an association between AMD and CRP levels in this population. Fundus photographs from 1997 and 1998 were used to identify individuals with (n=390) and without AMD (n=2365). The association between AMD and CRP levels (measured at baseline) was compared, adjusting for the potentially confounding effect of demographic, lifestyle, and health related characteristics.
Results:
Among the 2755 CHS participants with gradable fundus photographs, 390 were identified as having AMD. Overall, median CRP levels among those with AMD (1.76 mg/l) were similar to those without AMD (1.77 mg/l). CRP levels were categorised into quartiles and compared between those with and without AMD. Relative to those in the lowest quartile (0.07-0.93 mg/l), the odds ratios (OR) in the higher quartiles, adjusted for demographic, lifestyle, and health related characteristics were increased but not statistically significant (0.94-1.77 mg/l: OR=1.14, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.60; 1.78-3.04 mg/l: OR=1.24, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.75; >3.04 mg/l: OR=1.24, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.78).
Conclusions:
In the CHS, there is no evidence that CRP levels are associated with AMD. These data do not support the theory alleging non-specific systemic inflammation in the aetiology and natural history of this disease.
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