Is AMD Equally Prevalent in Australians of Southern-European and Anglo-Celtic Origin ?

Abstract

Purpose: : To compare the prevalence of AMD between older Australians of Anglo-Celtic origin and Southern-European origin in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study (MCCS).

Methods: : A total of 22,406 MCCS participants, aged 48 to 86 years, were photographed in 2003-07 with the 45º Non-Mydriatic Canon Fundus Camera. Of these, 21,132 had complete data on their AMD status grading in both eyes. As the worst feature of AMD in either eye, intermediate drusen 63 to 124 micron in size was identified in 4613 participants, large drusen 125 microns or larger in 2380 participants, and late AMD in 122 participants. Fourteen percent of participants were first generation migrants from Greece or Italy, with the remainder of Anglo-Celtic origin.

Results: : Intermediate or large drusen identified as the worse detected AMD feature were present more often in those of Southern-European origin compared with Anglo-Celtic origin (Adjusted Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Interval): 1.50 (1.37, 1.65) for intermediate drusen, and 1.33 (1.17, 1.50) for large drusen; adjusted for age, gender and smoking). There was no difference in the prevalence of late AMD between the two ethnic groups (OR 0.80 (0.46, 1.40) for late AMD in Southern Europeans compared to Anglo-Celtic participants).

Conclusions: : Australians of Southern-European origin were more likely to have early AMD than those of Anglo-Celtic origin. However, this did not translate to the greater rates of late AMD, despite the fact that Southern Europeans had a higher proportion of current smokers.

Keywords: age-related macular degeneration • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence