Abstract
Purpose: :
To report on progression rates to late AMD in participants enrolled in the CARMA (Carotenoids and Co-antioxidants in Age-Related Maculopathy) clinical trial.
Methods: :
Subjects were categorised into two groups according to eligibility criteria. Group1 had early AMD in one eye (study eye) and late AMD in the other. Group 2 had early features of AMD in both eyes (two study eyes). Drusen, pigmentary abnormalities, GA and exudative AMD were graded at the Belfast Reading Centre and subjects assigned into 13 categories.
Results: :
Of the 433 participants enrolled, 233 were classified as group 1 and 200 as group 2. Colour fundus photographic grading was available in 178 subjects in Group 1 at the 12 month visit and a total of 27 eyes had progressed to either CNV or GA (15.2%). Of the 200 participants in group 2, follow-up gradings were available on 162 providing 324 eyes for analysis. By 12 months 45 (13.9%) had converted to late AMD.At 12 months, 55% of eyes had not changed in severity stage from the baseline visit while the remainder progressed by at least one category.
Conclusions: :
Progression to late AMD in participants with early AMD in both eyes were similar to that observed in group 1 who had late AMD in one eye at baseline. This may be a reflection of the selection criteria which specified the presence of more severe drusen features in both eyes if late AMD was absent.
Clinical Trial: :
www.ISRCTN.org ISRCTN94557601
Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: treatment/prevention assessment/controlled clinical trials • imaging/image analysis: clinical