Several studies have reported a significant correlation of hypertension with AMD,
4,6,34 but others have not.
9,16 Similarly, arterial blood pressure was associated with AMD in some studies,
7 but not in others.
9,17 While some studies suggest that vascular changes of the retina and choroid associated with hypertension might affect development of AMD,
6 the association between AMD and hypertension still is controversial. Angina and myocardial infarction (MI) also have shown inconsistent association with AMD in previous studies.
4,9,22,34 In the current study, hypertension was not significantly associated with AMD after controlling for age and sex. We also were unable to find any association between AMD and angina, MI, or stroke, after adjusting for covariates. Renal failure also has been associated with AMD in previous studies.
35,36 Chronic renal disease was associated positively with early AMD (OR, 1.68) as well as peripheral retinal drusen (OR, 2.01).
35 Possible explanations for this may include elevated serum VEGF levels among patients with kidney disease,
37 and the common genetic etiology of CFH polymorphisms.
38 However, the association was not statistically significant in this study. The association between AMD and asthma also was insignificant, as reported in a previous study.
39 Arthritis reportedly was more prevalent in subjects with AMD than in controls in the Age-Related Eye Disease Study,
34 but in this cross-sectional study, which included 2294 patients with osteoarthritis and 409 patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the association was not significant. Smoking only affected the prevalence of late AMD in this study, and not that of any AMD; however, the reason for this difference remains unclear.