RISK OF AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION IN LATE-ONSET ATOPIC DERMATITIS: A Multidatabase Cohort Analysis

To explore the relationship between atopic dermatitis (AD) and the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This retrospective cohort study used data from two large databases: the US-based TriNetX Research Network (46,018 patients with AD aged ≥50 years, spanning 2005-2021) and Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (9,513 patients with AD aged ≥50 years, spanning 2003-2017). The main outcome was the incidence of AMD. The Cox regression analysis was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for AMD. Additional analyses examined the risk of dry and wet AMD, with stratified assessments based on age, sex, ethnicity, race, and AD activity.

Adults with AD exhibited a significantly elevated risk of developing AMD in both the TriNetX cohort (HR 1.97; 95% CI: 1.78-2.19) and the National Health Insurance Research Database cohort (HR 1.25; 95% CI: 1.11-1.41). Individual outcome analyses confirmed a heightened risk for both dry and wet AMD associated with AD. This increased risk was consistent across various groups stratified by demographic factors and AD activity.

AD in adulthood is linked to a greater likelihood of developing AMD. These findings underscore the importance of regular funduscopic evaluations and proactive management of AMD in patients with AD.