Articles about Eye Health and Disease from 2005


The Use of Cholesterol-lowering Medications and Age-related Macular Degeneration


(From G McGwin, et al, Ophthalmology, Volume 112, Issue 3 (March 2005), Pages 488-494)


The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between cholesterol-lowering medications and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study is a prospective, population-based study conducted in 4 communities across the United States. A total of 15,792 individuals aged 45 to 65 years were enrolled between 1987 and 1989, and retinal photographs were added to the study protocol at the 6-year follow-up (1993–1995). Cases were subjects who were identified as having AMD after applying a standard definition to their retinal photographs. Controls did not have AMD.

The use of cholesterol-lowering medications at any time during the study was determined and compared between cases and controls, adjusting for the potentially effect of demographic, behavioral, and medical characteristics.

In the study, a total of 871 AMD cases and 11,717 control cases who did not have AMD were identified. Of the AMD cases, only 11% made use of cholesterol-lowering medications, as compared with 12.3% of controls (odds ratio 0.89). Adjusting for the confounding influence of age, gender, and race revealed a statistically significant relationship between AMD and use of cholesterol-lowering medications (odds ratio 0.79).  In the study, the AMD patients were found to be significantly less likely to be using the cholesterol-lowering medications.

The authors of the study concluded that the results of this study add to the growing body of evidence that cholesterol-lowering medications may reduce the risk of developing AMD. Additional research is needed to document the mechanism responsible for this association. It was felt that a clinical trial of the impact of statins on AMD deserves consideration.




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