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Higher dietary, supplementary calcium intake yields lower risk of AMD progression
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SEATTLE — Patients with a higher level of dietary and supplementary calcium intake showed a lower incidence of progression of late age-related macular degeneration, according to a poster presentation here.
“The purpose of the study was to investigate whether increased calcium intake was associated with the progression of AMD. In AREDS, higher amounts of dietary and supplementary calcium intake lowers the incidence of late AMD,” Alanna K. Tisdale, MD, told Ocular Surgery News in an interview at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.
This analysis from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) included 4,751 patients who were retrospectively evaluated for the association between calcium intake and progression to intermediate or late AMD. Patients were followed from 1992 to 2005.
Researchers measured calcium intake based on patient responses from a baseline dietary questionnaire. Researchers evaluated progression of AMD from baseline and annual fundus photographs that were graded at a reading center using a standardized protocol.
Patients were 56% female and had a median age of 69 years.
“When stratified by gender, women in the highest quintile of dietary intake of calcium had a lower risk of development of late AMD compared with those in the lowest quintile,” Tisdale said.
Although higher levels of calcium intake were associated with a lower incidence of progression to late AMD, “this association warrants further investigation,” she said. – by Nhu Te
Reference:
Tisdale A. The association of calcium intake with incidence of age-related macular degeneration in the age-related eye disease study (AREDS). Presented at: ARVO; May 1-5, 2016; Seattle, Washington.
Disclosure: Tisdale reports no relevant financial disclosures.