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

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

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.

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.

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