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5-year risk of AMD dramatically lower for younger generations
Researchers found that each 20th century generation was more than 60% less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration than the previous generation, in a study assessing the 5-year AMD risk through data from the Beaver Dam Eye Study and Beaver Dam Offspring Study.
A total of 4,819 participants were at risk for developing AMD based on fundus images obtained at baseline visits.
Researchers defined the incidence of AMD as the presence at the 5-year follow-up examination of pure geographic atrophy or exudative macular degeneration, any type of drusen with pigmentary abnormalities or soft indistinct drusen without pigmentary abnormalities.
Among the participants, 43.9% were men, 56.1% were women, and the mean age of the baseline cohort was 54 years.
The 5-year age- and sex-adjusted incidence of AMD was 8.8% in the Greatest Generation (born between 1901 and 1924), 3.0% in the Silent Generation (born between 1925 and 1945), 1.0% in the Baby Boom Generation (born between 1946 and 1964) and 0.3% in Generation X (born between 1965 and 1984).
The generational association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, educational attainment, exercise, levels of non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins and multivitamins, according to researchers.
Smoking, a well-recognized risk factor, was not associated with the 5-year risk, which is consistent with previous study results, they wrote.
The AMD decline is consistent with other reports as well, which chart declines in cardiovascular disease and dementia during the same time period and with improvements in longevity.
“These diseases involve vascular and inflammatory pathways, consistent with the pathways hypothesized to be important in the development of AMD,” researchers wrote.
Future research should “address the need for novel hypotheses to identify new ways to reduce the risk of AMD among tomorrow’s seniors and to determine whether the primary risk factors for AMD vary by generation,” researchers concluded. – by Abigail Sutton
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.