Frequency and comorbidities of age-related macular degeneration in KSA: A retrospective multiregional study

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. In this study, we characterized the frequency of AMD and its comorbidities in understudied regions.

A retrospective cohort study was conducted using medical records from tertiary care hospitals in KSA (2016-2022). Patients aged ≥40 years with a confirmed AMD diagnosis were included. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed, including comorbidities. Logistic regression analyses were performed.

Among the 335 patients diagnosed, 66.9% had the exudative form and 33.1% had the non-exudative form. The cohort had a mean age of 71.17 ± 10.12 years, and there was no significant difference in age between AMD subtypes (p = 0.29). High prevalences of diabetes (66.3%) and hypertension (65.1%) were observed. Estimation of annual case counts revealed a significant temporal variation in diagnosed AMD cases, peaking in 2019 and increasing again by 2021-2022. Logistic regression identified female gender (Exp(B) = 1.03; p = 0.009) and age at diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (Exp(B) = 0.93; p < 0.001) as significant predictors of age at AMD onset. Diabetes mellitus was independently associated with later AMD diagnosis (Exp(B) = 1.03; p = 0.02). Conversely, stroke history was linked to earlier AMD onset (Exp(B) = 0.94; p = 0.002). Other comorbidities, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and heart failure, had no significant associations.

Our findings highlight the burden of AMD and its comorbidities in KSA. Diabetes and stroke are key predictors, demonstrating the need for integrated chronic disease management strategies.